JADAR

★★★★☆

Why am I so single? This is a question I’m sure many of the people sitting in their seats in the Garrick Theatre on press night, like myself, have once or twice cried to their best friend after finishing a particularly cheesy romantic comedy.

Now picture this, with the addition of an ensemble cast breaking out into musical dance numbers, and you have the highly anticipated, brand-new musical from the multi-award-winning creative minds behind West End hit SIX. Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss are back with a hilarious and yet moving tribute to platonic love in Why Am I So Single?

Before it became a “Big Fancy Musical” at the Garrick Theatre, set for a 6-month run through Autumn 2024, Why Am I So Single? came out of a writing retreat in Connecticut. However, with the success of SIX, it wasn’t until early 2021 that Marlow and Moss had the time to flesh it out, workshopping it with students at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, followed by more workshops at London’s Sadler’s Wells Theatre in 2023.

The plot is simple: we follow two best friends, Nancy and Oliver, who are tasked with writing a musical, but find themselves at home on the sofa, drinking prosecco, discussing the ups and downs of their dating lives, all while trying to answer the lifelong question of why they’ve had no success with men.   

Incredibly autobiographical and meta in its framing as we watch a musical from two creators who have written their next musical about two best friends also trying to write a musical, this show doesn’t take itself too seriously, regularly breaking the fourth wall to address the audience and make jokes at the expense of the West End.

As soon as the lights dimmed, right through to the curtain call, I could not stop laughing. The script is authentic and charming, filled to the brim with nostalgic 90s pop culture and musical theatre references – with even a musical riff on Ross and Rachel from Friends!

Marlow and Moss ensure they have included something for every demographic: from tap dancing, Hollywood glitz and glamour, and club classic musical numbers, relatable jokes for the 20-somethings in the audience who have all had dates cancelled on them last minute to lines referencing the garishness of ringtones, clearly meant for the older folk in the crowd.

However, by relying on so many cultural references for its jokes, the script might find itself open to criticism in that not everyone will relate or understand all the references. While I am in the minority who have not seen Friends, this also seemed to be the case when, during the interval, I overheard a lady say: “So do you swipe up or down on Tinder?” And while the musical revels in its jokes, there are scenes that get a little absurd that I had to wonder if perhaps Moss and Marlow were drunk when they wrote them.

Starring Jo Foster, (& Juliet, Just For One Day, Legally Blonde) as Oliver and Leesa Tulley (SIX) as Nancy, with Noah Thomas (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie) in a supporting role, the cast are the highlight of the show. The chemistry between Jo and Leesa is off the charts as they effortlessly bring to life the goofy silliness of two best friends navigating the dating world. You feel like you are watching yourself and your best friend on stage. It’s also incredibly refreshing to have a non-binary character on a West End stage that doesn’t fall into a stereotypical caricature or is side-lined as the “gay friend” but is rather a real, authentic celebration of queerness.

Acclaim must also be given to set designer Moi Tran. Simple yet nostalgic in that we are looking in on Oliver’s apartment, adorned with Notting Hill and Titanic film posters, Marlow and Moss cleverly make use of the ensemble cast as anthropomorphic household items. There’s legitimately a lady acting as a rubbish bin. I was cracking up every time they arrived onstage as I recalled drama classes where you’d be told to really put some emotion into your role as a tree!

Why Am I So Single? has a lot to live up to regarding its musical numbers after the success of SIX. Yet, it’s fair to say, it exceeded all expectations, with the show offering a diverse range of songs, from disco classics, ballads, to even a rock anthem or two, keeping the actors on their toes with their vocal ranges.

It’s clear, however, that this musical favours contemporary pop as musical director Joe Beighton collaborated with Future Cut, the production duo who worked with Lily Allen and MNEK, on the soundtrack. The best track, ‘8 Dates’, comes early in the show, a number that hilariously details Oliver’s series of unsuccessful hook-ups on Tinder, with other standouts being ‘Meet Market’, a hysterical riff on Oliver Twist and the transactional nature of dating and ‘MEN R TRASH’.

While ballads such as ‘Just In Case’ don’t hit quite as strongly as the more contemporary and camp numbers for me, Marlow and Moss have created another soundtrack that will undoubtedly be at the top of every musical theatre fan’s Spotify Wrapped this year.

While the first act of Why Am I So Single emanates fun, the second half, however, falls victim to the curse of not being quite as good. This is primarily because Moss and Marlow use their remaining time to move away from comedy as we watch Nancy, the more serious of the two friends, confront Oliver on their inability to open up and give men a chance. The second half packs an emotional punch, addressing serious topics, such as commitment issues, self-loathing, grief, loneliness, and that ever-present feeling of never really feeling quite good enough. But, by leaving all of these themes until the second half, the pacing breaks and you find yourself getting whiplash at how quickly the tone has shifted. 

Why Am I So Single? is a true celebration of platonic love and friendship that will leave audiences nostalgic for 90s musical theatre needing to tell their best friends how much they love them. With a love for theatre at its core, the show reassures people that they don’t need a relationship to be happy.

Why Am I So Single? should be on everyone’s must-watch list this Autumn. 

Why Am I So Single? is currently running at the Garrick Theatre until February 13 2025.

Photo: Danny Kaan