Bernie and Polly were both working in a restaurant in Bournemouth until Bernie quit her job as a chef. Now, amid the packing cases of a move, she is preparing to leave. Polly arrives to confess her love and beg her to stay but she is confounded by her own social awkwardness.
The cookie dough of the title represents the malleable nature of relationships. A chance meeting here or there, a word said in the wrong or right place can condemn or ignite a romance. Cookie dough is also something Bernie makes in her job as a chef, and which Polly hands her as a gift, not realising she is giving Bernie something Bernie made herself.
Polly, played by Harriet Cantello with the vitality of an over-energetic cartoon character, goes through the motions of friendship and seduction, providing much of the humour of this piece with her inappropriate behaviour and failure to recognise social cues. ‘I am nice’ she insists.
The turn in this play is that at the point of sealing the relationship with a kiss, Polly again appears at the door and the whole thing starts again. Polly, trapped in a recurring day, is reflective of the repetitive themes in relationships – in this case, will she stay or will she go? Bernie does not know her life is on repeat, giving Polly the opportunity to try different strategies to try to win her, running through her repertoire until she finds something that works: ‘If you don’t want to stay, I’ll find a Bernie who will.’  Bernie for her part just sees her friend as a bit flaky, ‘I don’t know if you’re the most reliable narrator of life.’
The fantasy itself has a back story, of course, Polly who studied ancient history at university references the Myth of Sisyphus. Groundhog Day is not referenced but it is probably how most people know this narrative device. References of Alzheimer’s disease (from which Polly’s father suffers) are intended to make the fairy tale story of repeat experience more relevant to everyday life but are poorly integrated.
On the whole, this is a fun piece, if slight. I suspect the (mainly young) audience got more of the social humour than I did.
Playwright: Andy Sellers
Director: Saniya Saraf
Cast: Harriet Cantello, Remi Shorunke-Samuel
Duration: 60 minutes
Until: 3 September 2026 and other locations, part of SE Fest 26