Speed Freaks
Speed Dating is an independent Irish feature about the quest for love in a frantic world. In the high-paced spirit of the film, Sheena Sweeney talks not only to writer/director Tony Herbert and actor Don Wycherley, but also gleans some gems of wisdom from three of the other cast members.

Sheena: What's the story of Speed Dating?

Tony: It's about a guy at a crossroads in his life; he's somewhat lost. He's become addicted to speed dating because he can't recover from a broken heart. He stops socialising and going out and his only form of communicating is speed dating. He's looking for something but he doesn't know what it is, and through several encounters he finds himself drawn into...

Don: [Interrupts laughing] It sounds like you're going to have to say 'a web of intrigue'...

Tony: No, no – but purely because he's been given the advice that women love mystery, and he totally takes that literally.

Now I wanted to ask you about that, because I read in the production notes that you said 'a friend' of yours told you that women love mystery, and I just thought, 'what's that about?'

Tony: Well no, loads of people have said that over the years.

Really?

Don: [Sardonically] I've never heard that...

Tony: [To Don] Well, just the whole sort of thing of mystery. We all love mystery. I think the whole thing is that sense of...

Don: [Looks at Tony ominously]

Tony: No, no, hang on a second...

Don: Listen, if I go out and I come back and she says 'where were you?' and I'm like [gives a ridiculous mock mysterious look and then starts laughing]. I mean...

Tony: [Laughing hard] No, but in the sense [trying to regain composure] in the sense that if you met a girl on a Saturday night, you don't necessarily call her on the Sunday; you call her on the Monday...

Right. Tactics.

Tony: Yeah, that kind of mystery. It is tactics, and if you're going out together two weeks, and even if you're crazy about her, you don't ask her to marry you. You know what I mean?

Yeah, I do. I don't agree with that kind of thing, but I do know what you mean.

Tony: Yeah, well that kind of connotation... And, like, the women love mystery thing, like I've heard it many, many times before, like okay, maybe it's not an expression...

The full article is printed in Film Ireland 116.