You Matched With...
by Diana Hognogi
Ghosted by Adam, the story follows Em as she spirals in her bedroom at 2 am. Trying to find some sense of security, she turns to ChatGPT…
When none of its suggestions for emotional closure seem to land, the AI model generates a series of 'Romantic Accountability Avatars', her Ghosts of Dating’s Past. As past matches, situationships, and even relationships materialise in her bedroom, Em is forced to confront her own attachment patterns.
This piece looks at the commodification of our basic need for connection, learning to sit with your feelings rather than retreating into intellect, and the effects of turning to an app instead of a fellow human being.
Pleasance Theatre
27th - 29th November 2025
You Matched With… was one of two pieces selected by associate artists for Week 1 of the Pleasance’s Futures Festival, exploring the impact of AI and what it means to be human in a rapidly shifting digital age.
Et Cetera Theatre
26th - 28th March 2026
Following a sold-out run at Pleasance Theatre last year, an extended version of You Matched With... was shared over three sold-out nights as part of the Women Writers Festival, receiving a nomination from Fringe Theatre Awards in the category "Writing - New Play", as well as a nomination for the Standing Ovation Awards.
News
You Matched With… will be playing at the Union Theatre
on 27th May at 7:30 pm,
as part of the Union Shorts Festival.
Reviews
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Everything Theatre (Pleasance run)
Putting the intelligence into AI, 'You Matched With...' dissects the disasters of digital dating with an all-too-relatable comedy that 'holds space' and hangs us all out to dry.
In humanising AI, Hognogi raises a pertinent debate around the global abuse of artificial intelligence as a drain on human existence and our natural resources.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
The Spy In The Stalls (Pleasance run)
A light hearted exploration of the intersection between technology and intimacy.
Diana Hognogi’s script is tightly woven, striking a careful balance between poking fun at the current state of romance, without overtly judging the heroine, its dialogue light as a feather.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Rated Reviewed (Etcetera run)
Hognogi’s clever, funny script blends elements of Black Mirror and A Christmas Carol into this enjoyable, relatable rom-com.
The talented cast balance humour and social commentary very well, the warnings of AI and the role of technology in our lives woven cleverly into the script without ever feeling too heavy or preachy. It’s a short show, but packed with timely, sharp ideas.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
The New Current (Etcetera run)
Hognogi’s writing is engaging from the start, and the playwright offers a fresh perspective on the issues we face as AI continues to dominate our daily lives.
Nearly twenty years of social media has done more to disenfranchise society from itself than any government policy or ‘initiatives’ could ever have done. And it’s here that Hognogi presents something that’s richly observed and deeply heartbreaking; she leaves Em with no real choice but to use ChatGPT, as her reliance on it is so great that she’s lost without it.
Standing Ovation Nomination
London Pub Theatre (Etcetera run)
A slick, hilarious fast-paced production that leans confidently into satire while never losing sight of the very human vulnerabilities at its core.
This isn't isn’t just any rom-com. In a science-fiction like setting that feels too close to reality and a splash of on-point dark humour, You Matched With... masters the rom-com genre to produce an up to date commentary on AI, and the difficulties of finding human connection in our online dating era.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Theatre Audience Podcast (Etcetera run)
Witty, wise and wonderfully observed, proof that great writing needs nothing more than space, skill and story.
Smart, sharp and strikingly current, You Matched With… delivers a witty and quietly unsettling take on love in the age of AI. This is bold, relevant storytelling that feels firmly rooted in 2026, modern, messy and recognisably human. I could easily see this transferring to Soho Theatre or embarking on a well deserved tour.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
A Young(ish) Perspective (Etcetera run)
A sharply written and surprisingly unsettling comedy about what happens when we ask AI how to feel.
Hognogi leaves her audience with an uncomfortable question about what we actually want from human connection — and whether we have already unintentionally outsourced it. Based on this tightly written and throughly entertaining hour of theatre, she is a writer well worth watching.
Cast & Creatives
Pleasance Theatre run:
CAST
Em - Evangeline Beaven
ChatGPT - Alex McCaragher
Elliot - Andrew Friedman
Tom- Samuel Grecco
CREATIVE TEAM
DIRECTOR - Hannah O'Reilly
SOUND - Hannah O’Reilly
PRODUCER - Clara Courty-Zanca (EnRoute Theatre)
WRITER - Diana Hognogi
Et Cetera Theatre run:
CAST
Em - Evangeline Beaven
ChatGPT - Alex McCaragher
Elliot - Andrew Friedman
Tom - Frankie Wade
Adam - Jude Alp
CREATIVE TEAM
DIRECTOR - Hannah O'Reilly
SOUND - Hannah O’Reilly
PRODUCER - Clara Courty-Zanca (EnRoute Theatre)
WRITER - Diana Hognogi