Garrick Theatre
Booking until 13th February 2025
Photo credit: Matt Crockett
Review {AD-PR Gifted}
Ever wondered why you’re still single? A question of the ages for singletons, and if you’re anything like me, you probably just reflect on it in front of a mirror while doing weird jazz hands. However, if you are looking for others to bounce more ideas around, besties Oliver (Jo Foster) and Nancy (Leesa Tulley) are there to act out the most plausible scenarios for you to save you the troubles.
Why am I so single? pushes the two friends’ boundaries, explore each other’s’ most traumatic experiences, but ultimately, finding comfort and sticking with each other through thick and thin. Although initially setting itself as a simple comedy and yet another social cliché, with the titular number “why am I so single” and then “8 Dates” quickly setting the tone and dial the comedy to 100 in no time. If you’re single, on any dating apps and can’t relate to these two songs, then you’re lying to yourself!
However, the show is also very good at providing a different perspective (and breaking the fourth wall), bringing in Artie (Noah Thomas), their friend, to talk some senses into them, forcing them to face their own problems rather than blaming everything on the trashy men out there. Though reluctant at first, the two lead characters quickly tumble down a rabbit hole of self-discovery as they pick through emotional scars and how they are shaped by their past experiences, culminating in their respective solos, “Just in case” by Tulley and “Disco ball” by Foster, both of which are extraordinary numbers, bringing the individual characters’ emotions and vulnerabilities to the forefront. Beyond their sensational vocals, Tulley and Foster also have complete command of the jokes and their timing to trigger endless laughter. The two leads’ talents combined with a fantastic ensemble of actors, who take on the role of body doubles, furniture and dating app profiles create a perfect blend of pure comedy gold.
The creatives of this show have pinpointed their target audience, Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss’s script appeal to not only singletons, but all those that have been through the modern dating app journey, and the LGBTQ+ community, chanting the challenges associated with toxic exes, those with commitment issues, romcom influences and perception of gender identities. Despite this, the show maintains a light and positive atmosphere, with the two friends supporting each other through their own hardships.
Despite the strengths of the show, the material itself is actually a bit thin for a two-act musical, and some plot points seem to exist for the sole purpose of padding out the content. For example, following the sensational number “Just in case”, we are thrown into “Interlude in B Minor”, a song about a bee that has invaded Oliver’s flat, creating a segue into the interval. This rather abrupt transition felt out of place and its value is not entirely justified. Similarly, Nancy later made a decision to get back together with her ex, get into an argument with Oliver, leaves the flat, just to then come back following an epiphany without any intervention, making the entire sequence of events rather questionable, messy and one has to wonder if this could undergo considerable trimming.
Although the musical numbers are catchy, fun and reflect the mood at different points of the show, some of these feel as though they are just one verse too long. There is a fair amount of rhythmic or lyrical repetitions among the songs, and just as you expect it to be over, you are hit with another verse. “8 Dates” for example, is incredibly fun and relatable, but does Oliver need to go through five dates before we start to skip through them?
Just like looking into an infinity mirror, Why am I So Single gives the audience an opportunity to stare into their dating life, from the safety of the sideline. With a clear vision and the genre in which it fits into, this show promises a fun night of banter and a full bashing of dating and romcom tropes.
Creatives
Writer: Toby Marlow
Director: Lucy Moss
Choreographer and Co-Director: Ellen Kane
Musical Director: Chris Ma
Set Designer: Moi Tran
Costume Designer: Max Johns
Lighting Designer: Jai Morjaria
Sound Designer: Paul Gatehouse
Producers: Kenny Wax, George Stiles
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