Being young and single never seemed so fun, full of energy, yet full of contradictions in this high-concept meta-musical,
Why Am I So Single? The fourth wall is not so much broken as endlessly pummelled as the cast talks directly to the audience. Frequently. But essentially, it’s about young people with neuroses and smartphone addiction exploring why they can’t find love in present-day London. Told with a series of spectacular songs and dance scenes in this new musical from the creators of Six, Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss. But while we don’t necessarily get an answer that rings true to the question posed by this show, you are likely to be distracted mainly by the energy and the songs. It’s currently playing at the Garrick Theatre.
A new musical based on an original idea, the premise is that Oliver (Jo Foster) and Nancy (Leesa Tulley) - which are not their real names but names taken from their favourite musical, Oliver - have to write a new musical but are stuck for an idea. So, after endless chats and cheap prosecco on the sofa at Oliver’s flat, they start to write about themselves and why they remain single. And as they write, the living room comes to life with the cast as curtains, a fridge, dancing and carrying on. Never before has a night in seemed so fun.
There’s a number about all the dates that were cancelled on Oliver that captures the app-obsessed dating and hookup culture, a song about dumping someone by text that becomes a tap-and-text dance extravaganza, and a bonkers song about getting a bee out of their flat. Nothing seems impossible for the ensemble of young, mostly newcomers, and it’s delivered with style and panache.
But the decision to give us an interval seems to interrupt the flow of the action. Some numbers and dialogue tend to spell out the action in big letters for the audience at the expense of character development. And while the show has plenty of gags at the expense of Mamma Mia, at least that show doesn’t end on a downer. If there was a show that needed an encore of the songs, this could be it. After all, there’s a lot of talk in these lyrics that even with the fantastic clarity of the sound, you could still miss them, given their fast delivery. That would be worth going back to see.
Directed by Lucy Moss and co-directed and choreographed by Ellen Kane. Music direction by Chris Ma. Why Am I So Single? The show is currently playing at the Garrick Theatre.
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Photos by Danny Kaan
