A massive, joyous, sensational hit: Why Am I So Single? reviewed

Why Am I So Single? opens with two actors on stage impersonating the play’s writers Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss. You may not recognise the names but you’ve probably heard of their smash-hit, Six, which re-imagined the tragic wives of Henry VIII as glamorous pop divas. This follow-up show is a spoof of vintage musicals and it’s deliberately knowing and self-referential. That’s why the authors are played by members of the cast, and they start with a few disparaging quips about Mamma Mia! and other West End fare. They even call the audience at the Garrick ‘riff-raff’, which seems a little charmless. The actors then morph into two new characters, Oliver and Nancy, who write together, like the authors, and who need inspiration for a show that’s just been commissioned by the Garrick’s managers. See? It’s very self-regarding – and perhaps a tad smug.

We flash back to Oliver and Nancy’s first meeting, where they bonded over their shared love of Oliver! by Lionel Bart and laughed like mad when they discovered that they’d both been named after the show’s best-loved characters. Back in their shared bedsit, they cast around for ideas. Perhaps their failed attempts to find love online could provide the requisite material? Yes indeed. The script develops into a parody of modern dating culture with numerous references to American sitcoms and the back-catalogue of classic musicals. It may sound awful but this show is clever, fleet-footed and endlessly funny. However, the opening insult leaves a bad taste. You can’t dismiss your entire audience as ‘riff-raff’. If you throw that barb at the upper circle you can get the punters in the cheap seats to laugh at themselves and everyone else will join in.