The first half turned out to be more engaging than the second in this very mixed bag. I’m not sure who the target audience is for this show – it is, by any stretch of the imagination, a young cast, though I stop myself from saying ‘very’ young because that description will apply to the child actors in the incoming Chichester Festival Theatre production of Oliver! transferring into the West End by the end of this year. That other show is heavily referenced, not only through its named characters, Oliver (Jo Foster), Nancy (Leesa Tulley) and Artie (Noah Thomas), or “Art, last name Ful-Dodger”, but also in quotes directly lifted from the show that will be instantly recognisable to anyone who has seen it.
I found elements of it educational, having zero experience in the world of dating apps. As might be reasonably expected in a show set in contemporary times, the mobile phone is pretty much ubiquitous – the irony of ‘no mobile phones’ signs being displayed before the show got underway wasn’t lost on me. Quite how dating works these days (nobody meets for the first time in a bar these days), and its quirks and frustrations, is explained in typically enthusiastic fashion through song and dance.
Parts of the show are quite bonkers – there’s an entire musical number about a bee in Oliver’s flat which they and Nancy attempt to get rid of, perhaps representative of everything else these youngsters are afraid of and shy away from, which might go some way to explaining why they’re still ‘so single’ (geddit?). The sheer amount of metatheatre won’t appeal to everyone. The audience is deemed to be unsophisticated and ‘riffraff’ in the first few minutes, and well into the second act, a musical number called ‘Men R Trash’ was, I thought, meant to be equally as playful. Though try telling that to certain men in the audience around me who, having guffawed through the show up to this point, curiously fell silent, taking far too seriously what was clearly an absurd and unsubstantiated assertion.
The show’s playfulness is far-reaching, whether it’s discussing the ‘heteronormative’ nature of the television series Friends or the repeated question Nancy asks as to what Oliver’s pronouns are. The choreography reflects the vibrancy and energy of the young cast. The sound balance between the cast’s voices and the above-stage band, the latter ably led by Chris Ma, was very good – I don’t think there was a line I didn’t hear properly for the entire performance. Foster’s Oliver in particular had excellent stage presence, and there are no weak links to report in the cast.
Strong language was very liberally sprinkled throughout the dialogue, and while it was no different to what can be overheard in the pub or even a school playground, it became rather tedious after a while. The show as a whole, after a fairly strong start, seems to gradually fizzle out and run out of steam, before finally limping to a generic conclusion about how people should be confident in who they are, whoever they are, and not try to be someone else, because everyone is unique (just like everyone else!). That’s great in itself, of course, but it’s hardly groundbreaking stuff as far as musical theatre is concerned.
The book needs some work – I was starting to wonder whether this was a show about ‘Oliver and Nancy’ or ‘Ross and Rachel’ given the number of times the latter was referenced. As the song title ‘8 Dates’ suggests, a number of encounters are quickly sung about, and are instantly forgettable. The overall narrative attempts to balance the friendship between Oliver and Nancy with their collective relationship failures, which leads to the almost obvious question: while they can (and should) by all means stay friends, shouldn’t they be looking elsewhere for relationship advice? There are elements of brilliance in this uneven show, which resonated strongly with younger audience members. But there were other moments when the show felt like a test of endurance.
Review by Chris Omaweng
Why Am I So Single? features a score of original songs by the dynamic, award-winning writing team of Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss. From catchy pop songs that you won’t be able to stop singing, hilarious pastiches of well-known musicals, dazzling disco anthems and orchestral epics, Marlow & Moss’ score will capture audiences’ hearts – and ears.
Marlow & Moss’ new comedy musical will take audiences on a journey through the ups and downs of dating, friendships and love (in all its forms) in the modern world. Told through the eyes of two best friends, whether you’re 22 or 62, you’ll relate to Why Am I So Single? This hilarious, high-octane musical will have West End audiences swiping right.
CAST
Oliver – Jo Foster
Nancy – Leesa Tulley
Artie – Noah Thomas
Alternate Oliver – Jordan Cambridge-Taylor
Alternate Nancy – Collette Guitart
Ensemble – Jemima Brown, Josh Butler, Natasha Leaver, Ran Marner, Jamel Matthias, Olivia O’Connor, Joshian Angelo Omaña, Natasha Wilde, Rhys Wilkinson
Swings – Callum Bell, Owen McHugh, Caitlin Redpath, Ebony Clarke
CREATIVES
Writers – Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss
Director – Lucy Moss
Choreographer and Co-Director – Ellen Kane
Orchestrator, Vocal Arranger and Musical Supervisor – Joe Beighton
Set Designer – Moi Tran
Costume Designer – Max Johns
Lighting Designer – Jai Morjaria
Sound Designer – Paul Gatehouse
Kenny Wax, Ameena Hamid and George Stiles present
WHY AM I SO SINGLE?
Garrick Theatre, 2 Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0HH
27 August 2024 to 13 February 2025
