Why Am I So Single? review - A Meta Moment That Packs A Lovingly Camp Punch
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ As The Minds Behind Six Return To The West End, Their 'Tricky Second Musical' Explores Much More Than Just Being Single...
As someone who tentatively stepped into adulthood with Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag and Modern Family rattling around my brain, I obviously spend half my waking hours breaking the fourth wall (to a camera that doesn’t exist) and writing puns for inanimate objects.
My comedic barometer is finely tuned. It knows that Mrs Browns Boys renewal was the reason for January 6th back in 2021. It knows that jokes about niche corners of the internet are also funny. It knows that fart jokes are still (obviously) incredibly funny, and anything that is as layered as Trinny Woodall on a cold day is right up my street.
So sitting down to Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss’ Why Am I So Single? at The Garrick, I noticed my barometer was in a state of excess. Based on the title alone and a brief flick through the programme prior to take off, it wasn’t sure if we were going to get a rallying cry against men that could take itself too seriously, or something whiny and wet that takes the piss out of Love Island.
To my surprise, we got both - but neither of my cynical British predictions came true. Instead, Marlow and Moss created something that - much like the relationships they were depicting - include many things to be true all at the same time. That it’s possible to momentarily hate all men and blame them for being single, whist knowing that in reality that’s not really the truest truth.
But before my gay fingers analyse further, it’s important to do some scene setting for this meta stage creation.
Why Am I So Single? cleverly creates a throughline that puts versions of Marlow and Moss as the two main characters Nancy and Oliver, who are struggling to come up with a final pitch for their ‘tricky’ second musical. With their agent troubling them for a brilliant new idea - the fourth wall is continually broken by lighting changes and camp stage direction that lets us into the ‘secret’ that we are in fact watching Marlow and Moss create what is to become the very musical we are watching.
Their big idea? To take their authentic and honest conversation they end up having about their dating life on the sofa in Oliver’s flat to the stage.
The result? A triumphant and brutally honest look at not only modern dating in the 21st century, but what it means to really understand our friends - and the historic baggage we bring to our relationships (both platonic and romantic).
This musical wouldn’t be as charming if it weren’t for the sublime casting of Jo Foster as Oliver and Leesa Tulley as Nancy - with their chemistry undeniable as both their characters and off screen, shown through the charming videos of the pair across social media. Artie, played by Noah Thomas is also a delightful choice, with a young and emerging ensemble bringing up the rear, many of whom are making their professional debuts.
Queer stories and LGBT+ stories have been put through the ringer in recent years. Everybody’s Talking About Jamie started the cascade, with hits like Rob Madges’ My Sons A Queer and &Juliet putting queer and non-binary performers front and centre.
But what has often been missing in these tales is a nuance that can be hard to materialise in a musical. With stories of any orientation, clarity and a ‘to the point’ nature is often the way to appease audiences who might not understand the lived experiences of those different to them.
It’s arguably a very British nuance, but a queer one too. It’s a nuance that WAISS nails and can be seen at its best in up tempo number ‘Disco Ball’. It perfectly looks at how queerness can be glamorous, and often allows us to shine in the most unique ways - but also can act as a mask that doesn’t have the capacity to slip. A mask that prevents vulnerability and honest connection - which is explored as Oliver uses the number to explain their fear of letting love in when dating.
Other musical highlights include ‘I Got Off The Plane’, which is a nod to how Gen Z and Millienials spent swathes of our youth infatuated with the fictional goings on of Ross and Rachel from Friends, only to realise in later life that that’s not how the world really works. Meat Market is one to look out for too, but what Marlow and Moss do best is their talent in creating memorable ballads that some fagguette will listen to over and over again (me) and that is laid bare in Just In Case. Not only is it a chance for Nancy to share her own layers of grief and unpack the baggage of her past, but it acts as a smooth palette cleanser from the energy of the whole piece.
There’s no denying that Moss and Marlow are some of the best writing talent the industry has, and will ever see, and as an audience member I feel a sense of relief that their second offering has created such a memorable moment for them, as well as us. The stress of wanting to perfect this musical is neatly quashed by them addressing it. Naming the elephant in the room, in this case, has worked.
To have a non-binary lead in a musical is always a moment for personal reflection at how gorgeous our stories are too, but seeing Foster embody this role with everything they’ve got and hit it out of the park makes me incredibly proud to see our stories and our talent be celebrated in spades.
So if your comedic barometer is the same as mine, and you grew up on Miranda via Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and topped it with a dollop of Glee, then Why Am I So Single? is the perfect outing for you.
Why Am I So Single? runs at The Garrick Theatre, London until February 13th 2025.