Why Am I So Single? at the Garrick Theatre

Why am I so single? Will this show answer the age-old question? With big, glitzy performances and heartfelt moments, this show really is varied and enjoyable.

*POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD*

My Review:

With a stellar cast and big name writers, Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss (writers of Six), this show is surely set to be a fabulous night out. Although, despite powerful moments of both comedic and emotional power, there were moments of the show that felt gimmicky or lacking, and unfortunately these moments occasionally detracted from my enjoyment of the show. Although these moments were few and far between, meaning that my overall experience of the show was a positive one, and this is a show that I would return to should the opportunity present itself. Furthermore, the show jokes about how they’ll put any old rubbish on the West End nowadays, which personally felt quite dismissive of the work that has to be put into getting a show on the West End. Had this been an infrequent joke, I may have been able to move past it, however, it being mentioned multiple times felt a little bit distasteful. On another note, it was wonderful to see the creative team also being mentioned by the cast board in the foyer as these departments are sadly so often overlooked.

The leads of the show Jo Foster (Oliver) and Leesa Tulley (Nancy) are utter stars and they truly have bright futures in the theatre world. This show is completed by an extremely talented ensemble which is composed of Noah Thomas (Artie), Jemima Brown, Josh Butler, Natasha Leaver, Ran Marner, Jamel Matthias, Olivia O’Connor, Joshian Angelo Omañ, Natasha Wilde, and Rhys Wilkinson. The ensemble added aeons to this production with fabulous vocals and out of this world dancing which was brilliantly choreographed by Ellen Kane (Choreographer and Director) and Michael Naylor (Associate Choreographer) to match the upbeat nature of this show. The incorporation of the ensemble into the flat felt innovative and costumes designed by Max Jones (Costume Designer) and Aldo Vazquez (Associate Costume Designer) were perfectly used to convey this blend to the audience of ensemble and set designed by Moi Tran (Set Designer) and Natalie Johnson (Associate Set Designer). Jo Foster stole the show during Disco Ball, conveying the overwhelming emotions of Oliver with regards to their past and their dating life. This was a truly powerful moment that moved me, leaving me in absolute awe of the talent that I saw from Jo Foster. They commanded the stage and took the audience on the journey of Oliver, especially during Disco Ball, and I truly felt connected to this character on an emotional level, which is a testament to Jo Foster’s talent. Leesa Tulley also leads as Nancy and she stunned during Just In Case with the heartbreaking ballad about the one that got away. Leesa has a phenomenal voice and I have been fortunate to also see her perform in Six so I went into this show aware of her talent however it was her ability to merge into the ensemble and dance full-out whilst singing which set in stone for me her perfection for this role and I am sure that she has a bright future in front of her. From catchy tunes to fabulous dancing, you would really think that this show has it all, and whilst I can see a future for this show, it still feels as though it may need altering as the gimmicky moments were unfortunately some of the moments that I remember more clearly about the show. On a more positive note, another moment I remember clearly was from one of my favourite performances, which was C U Never, this show felt like a nod to classic theatre through the use of tap dancing whilst also feeling modern and catchy enough for the target audience of Why Am I So Single?. This song was fabulously led by Noah Thomas, joined by Leesa Tulley and the Ensemble, and I would honestly watch this performance on repeat if I could as I was not able to fault one second of it. The constant references to Oliver were well-timed and did not feel overused due to the variety and the running joke being that it was used to hide the real names of those mentioned in the show.

This show is one to catch before its run at the Garrick ends on the 19th of January, as it certainly has more stronger moments than weaker ones, and I feel that this is a show that must be seen to truly decide your own view on it, as it has caused such division of opinions.

Content Warnings:

The show has content warnings clearly displayed around the foyer and throughout the theatre, which were as follows:

Please note this production contains:

Smoke
Haze
Flashing Lights
Loud Noises
Full Blackout including emergency exits

The show did have moments that I made note of that I felt would be worth mentioning, these moments were as follows:

There are references to homophobia and internalised homophobia throughout by the character Oliver
There are references to the bereavement of a parent by the character Nancy

Thank you for taking the time to read and I hope this review has proved interesting and helpful for you :)

- AnxiousTheatregoer