SOCK PARTY follows Marta and Tom as they arrive separately at the same house party. Marta is confident, chatty and ready to throw herself into the night, while Tom is nervous, socially awkward and in the trenches of a breakup. As they begin talking, they slowly open up about their lives and eventually decide to snoop around the house together. When they discover a cupboard full of socks, the pair start using them as prompts for storytelling, allowing their connection to progress through play and imagination.

The show starts strongly, with Marta and Tom circling each other in a funny, silly dance that immediately establishes their contrasting personalities and creates genuine charm. However, as the performance continued, I found it difficult to connect with the story and the individuals beyond a surface level. While the interactions between the two were often warm and entertaining, they didn’t always add much depth or nuance to the development of either the characters or their relationship – though perhaps emotional complexity wasn’t really the point.

At points, the piece felt more like watching two friends improvising and messing around together on stage, occasionally drawing the audience into the experience. There was a playful energy throughout, with hints of clowning and simple storytelling techniques that, to me, gave the show more of a children’s performance vibe. SOCK PARTY isn’t quite my cup of tea, but still gives a sweet and simple exploration of forming new relationships and friendships. 

SOCK PARTY has finished its run at Brighton Fringe, but keep an eye out for future shows from Marta Fossati and Tom Bass.