Why Am I So Single?
| Why Am I So Single? | |
|---|---|
| A Big Fancy Musical | |
 West End Promotional Poster | |
| Music | Toby Marlow Lucy Moss |
| Lyrics | Toby Marlow Lucy Moss |
| Book | Toby Marlow Lucy Moss |
| Productions | 2024 West End |
Why Am I So Single? is a musical with a book, music, and lyrics by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss. Loosely based on their own lives, Why Am I So Single? follows two musical theatre writers and best friends who are struggling to navigate the frustrations of being constantly single while also trying to write a musical.[1]
Plot
[edit]Act 1
[edit]The show begins with a Prologue by Oliver and Nancy speaking to our audience about a magical place called London’s West End, which is home to many important musicals (and Mamma Mia!) and are asked by a theatre to write their own musical, which they do about their dating lives but add big musical numbers and modern dance choreography to make it appeal to audience members.
The show starts off with Nancy arriving to Oliver’s flat after an unsuccessful date with a colleague from her ex-boyfriend’s company (known as The Ex) after she broke down crying after finding out that The Ex is moving to Paris with a new girlfriend. Nancy and Oliver begin to sing about their lives being single (Why Am I So Single?). As Nancy and Oliver begin to order food before watching Friends, they both begin to joke about Oliver’s dating life, where Oliver then begins to sing about his past dating experiences (8 Dates). They then receive a phone call from their theatre agent Faye Ginn, saying that the Garrick Theatre are interested in how the development for Nancy and Oliver’s new musical is going, to which the pair are still struggling with what the show should even be about.
When the call ends, the two are not sure how to go ahead with the musical and decide to watch Friends to take their mind off everything. They watch The Last One, where Rachel gets off the plane to get together with Ross in the final episode and Nancy talks about how frustration with cliche love scenes like this, saying that it’s no wonder why their love lives are so tragic if they have to live up to these standards. However, the two then sing about how much they love this scene and how it played on their emotions. While doing this, they then realise that it may not be scenes like this that have impacted their love lives but they are impacting their own love lives (I Got Off The Plane).
Oliver and Nancy realise that they need to do something about their dating lives, if the problem is them (Why Am I So Single (Reprise)). They both reflect on their previous dating experiences to figure out a problem, where Nancy talks about her last date (prior to the ex-boyfriend’s colleague date earlier in the evening) and how it ended over Brunch with Oliver and Nancy’s friend, Artie. During their Brunch, Artie became frustrated by Nancy waiting constantly on her phone for a reply from her date. He helps Nancy realise that she knows nothing about this guy and helps her give the perfect break up to send to him. Artie then notices everyone else at the Brunch going through the same issue and he makes the rest realise that they should no longer be with their dates (C U Never).
Oliver and Nancy then discuss about the trash men that they both dated and decide to go searching on online dating apps to see why they always attract trash men. However, they begin arguing after they disagree on their approach to dating and their constant rejections on other men without giving them a chance or liking people who will end up being toxic and ignorant (Meet Market). The two continue to argue on the topic once they’ve left the app until their food arrives, where Oliver has an awkward conversation with the delivery driver. Nancy immediately assumes that the driver was hitting on Oliver and says that they should run after him for his number, which Oliver rejects and Nancy asks Oliver if they even know what type they are looking for, to which Oliver says that they want a man that loves them but would treat them like they don’t exist when they are in public (Shhh!!!!).
Nancy then reprimands Oliver and tells them that she knows that they’re scared of taking anything seriously and that is why they are so single, which Oliver finds offence too. Oliver then says that Nancy is so single because she is so focused on finding the perfect boyfriend that she doesn’t even think about who she really needs, to which she agrees with. Nancy then says that she actually felt she found the perfect boyfriend with The Ex but didn’t realise it until after she broke up with him. Oliver says to her that she could do much better than him but then Nancy reveals that she is willing to abandon everything to get back together with The Ex if he randomly called her again one day to run away with him. However, she knows that she’ll never get that phone call but she’ll keep waiting for the call (Just In Case). Oliver then insists, as her best friend, that Nancy will move on. Nancy argues about Oliver’s trust issues when dating and says that they won’t understand the pain she felt unless they actually give people a chance and she wants Oliver to be open to her about their issues, which they turn down and tells Nancy that she is treating this like it’s a game, which angers her.
Suddenly, the two find a bee in the flat and even though they are still hostile towards each other, they work together to get the bee out of the flat. When they succeed in getting the bee out of the flat, Nancy says they can do anything together after that and asks Oliver to be open to her about their issues and they agree, but only after a 15 minute intermission but Nancy says that they need a much better cliffhanger before an intermission occurs. Suddenly, Oliver’s doorbell rings (Interlude in B Minor).
Development
[edit]Following the success of Six, Marlow and Moss felt pressure to write a follow-up musical, which prompted them to attend a writer's retreat in Connecticut.[2][3] As they began working on ideas, they were drawn to talk about their own lives and those of their friends. As a result, Marlow and Moss began writing a musical loosely based on their own experiences.[4]
In 2023, a developmental workshop was held at the Lilian Baylis Studio Theatre at Sadler's Wells.[3] This included a semi-staged public workshop presentation performed for a ticketed audience.[3]
Production history
[edit]West End (2024)
[edit]On 14 February 2024, a launch event was held to announce plans for the musical's premiere.[5] It was announced that Why Am I So Single? would play in the West End at the Garrick Theatre from August 2024.[1] Jo Foster and Leesa Tulley were cast in the lead roles, with Foster reprising their role from the workshop.[6] Preview performances began on 27 August 2024 and the show officially opened on 12 September 2024. The production is directed by Moss, with choreography by Ellen Kane, and a set design by Moi Tran.[1] On 25 October 2024, it was announced that the show would close early on 19 January 2025 but the producers said they are not discounting the possibility of bringing the show back to London in the future and discussions for potential productions in the US and around the world already underway. [7] On 12 December 2024, it was announced that a West End cast recording would be released in early 2025.[8] The production closed on 19 January 2025.
Musical Numbers
[edit]|
Act 1:
|
Act 2:
|
Cast and characters
[edit]| Character | West End |
|---|---|
| 2024 | |
| Oliver | Jo Foster |
| Nancy | Leesa Tulley |
| Artie | Noah Thomas |
| Alternate Oliver | Jordan-Cambridge Taylor |
| Alternate Nancy | Collette Guitart |
Oliver uses he/him and they/them pronouns and they often switch throughout the show.
Critical reception
[edit]The show has received generally positive reviews from critics, following its press night performance on 11 September 2024. In Arifa Akbar’s three-star review for The Guardian, she praised the songs saying “not as infectious as Six but the songs are better crafted, more heartfelt, the lyrics gleaming with wit, intelligence, bravura and, in the second half, emotional heft.”[9] Sarah Crompton called the show, “a heartfelt, meta-theatrical marvel” in a five-star review for WhatsOnStage.[10] Nick Curtis called the show “crackerjack show proves Six creators are no one-hit wonders” in a four-star review for the Evening Standard.[11] Harvey Morton called the show “the hottest show in the West End right now” in a five-star review for Queerly.[12] The performances by Jo Foster & Leesa Tulley were both praised by critics and the choreography by Ellen Kane also received praise. However, some critics thought that the writing wasn’t great and that the show’s runtime should’ve been shortened to around 90 minutes.
Awards and nominations
[edit]West End production
[edit]| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | WhatsOnStage Awards[13] | Best New Musical | Pending | |
| Best Performer in a Musical | Jo Foster | Pending | ||
| Best Performer in a Musical | Leesa Tulley | Pending | ||
| Best Casting Direction | Harry Blumenau and Sarah-Jane Price | Pending | ||
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Masseron, Meg (14 February 2024). "Why Am I So Single?, From Six Creators Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, Sets West End World Premiere". Playbill. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
- ^ Alemoru, Kemi (23 August 2024). "Why Am I So Single? Makes A Dazzling Musical Out Of The Modern Dating Hellscape". Vogue. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
- ^ a b c Rank, Julia (14 July 2024). "Everything you need to know about 'Why Am I So Single?'". London Theatre. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
- ^ Rogers, Andrew (20 August 2024). "New musical from creators of Six: This show is for us". BBC. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
- ^ "Why Am I So Single? Launched in Style". Musicals Magazine. 16 February 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
- ^ Ruck, Olivia (30 May 2024). "Full cast revealed for Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss's musical 'Why Am I So Single?'". London Theatre. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
- ^ "Why Am I So Single? announces new closing date in the West End". 25 October 2024. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
- ^ "Why Am I So Single? to release West End cast recording". 12 December 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
- ^ Akbar, Arifa (12 September 2024). "Why Am I So Single? review – dating debacles from the duo behind Six". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ "Why Am I So Single? West End review – a heartfelt, meta-theatrical marvel". 12 September 2024. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ Curtis, Nick (12 September 2024). "Why Am I So Single? at the Garrick: zesty, crackerjack entertainment". Evening Standard. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ Morton, Harvey (12 September 2024). "Why Am I So Single? Review: A Dazzling Celebration of Modern Love and Friendship - Queerly". thisisqueerly.com. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
- ^ "The 25th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards: full list of nominees". 5 December 2024. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
External links
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