★★★
In the musical theatre world this August and September, everyone has been talking about the hotly anticipated next West End musical from the creators of SIX: Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss. The part-musical, part-concert is one of London’s most popular shows, starting as a Cambridge University Musical Theatre Society production at the Edinburgh Fringe and being developed into the global sensation that it is today. Expectations have been high ahead of their next venture, so when ‘Why I Am So Single?’ was workshopped last year, there was a growing buzz around the potential production. Skip forward a year and it has headed straight into the Garrick Theatre on Charing Cross Road and it is fair to say that the production has split critics and reviewers alike. I wasn’t asked to review the show, but I wanted to throw my hat into the ring for anyone that is on the fence about booking and looking for another perspective on the latest addition to the West End. Featuring a fantastic cast who bring boundless energy to Marlow and Moss’s dynamic score, unfortunately the book holds this production back from being the next big hit.
Amusing and relatable
‘Why Am I So Single?’ is definitely a musical for the present day, in terms of cultural references, relatability and its contemporary style. It goes without saying that audiences will have a brilliant time watching the show, from the topical, well-timed comedy to the genre-spanning songs about supportive friendships (‘Why Am I So Single?’), cancelled dates (‘8 Dates’) and the realities of the ‘Meat Market’. Humour is brought into every aspect of the production, most noticeably in the dialogue and musical lyrics, but even Ellen Kane’s choreography, Moi Tran’s staging and Max Johns’ costume design have comical elements: the ensemble play pieces of furniture.
It is also very much for fans of musical theatre, with countless humorous references to other productions. This can be spotted in the character names (Oliver and Nancy), script and score, as well as many Easter eggs throughout. Oliver (Jo Foster) and Nancy (Leesa Tulley) frequently break the fourth wall, talking to the audience about musical theatre in general and referring to the Garrick venue, but in places this clashes with the more impactful underlying themes about acceptance and individuality, which are at the heart of the material.
Issues with the book
The main issue that I have with the show is the book. It focuses on two musical theatre writers that are penning their next ‘big fancy musical’, aiming to follow up on the success of their previous smash hit. Loosely based on Marlow and Moss’s own journeys as writers, whilst the fictional creatives are coming up with ideas in Oliver’s flat, they go off on a tangent and begin to contemplate their own personal lives, the perils of modern dating and start asking themselves the question: why are they both so single? Unfortunately this deviation covers almost the entire running time, providing plenty of room for the audience to lose sight of what this all has to do with them writing a new musical.
Whilst there is no denying that the material accurately covers the realities of online dating and some beautiful LGBTQ+ themes and conversations (notably Oliver’s ‘Disco Ball’), the narrative is largely uneventful and it feels like the production has been stretched out to make it fit into the regular two act, 2 hours 30 minutes standard West End musical format. The current form, which is filled with flashbacks and personal revelations, does not justify more than one act of theatre and goes on far too long. When you have such successful and proven writers at the helm, it can be easy to assume that a show is going to be a hit, but there is a tried and tested development process that allows productions to become the successes that they are. In my opinion, the creative team should have gone one step further than the public workshops and fully staged the show at an Off-West End venue or taken it to the Edinburgh Fringe first, holding a West End run back for the future when the book is better developed.
Final thoughts
One thing is for certain, Jo Foster and Leesa Tulley are sensational performers. They create a truly believable friendship on stage and pour their hearts and souls into their performances. This musical is sure to be the “marmite” of Theatreland, with some audience members loving it and others wondering why it has been fast-tracked to London. Regardless of my thoughts on the book, the production quality from the sound to the lighting is fantastic and the ensemble are ultra-talented. If you can go and see the show for yourself, I would, even for the intrigue of seeing what theatre could be like in the future, as Marlow and Moss are very much the musical theatre songwriters of this generation. ‘Why Am I So Single?’ is by no means SIX, but with more development, it could be a fun and engaging addition to the West End. Tickets can be purchased via all major London theatre outlets.
Thanks for reading my blog today.
Love Kat xxxx
Comments