Review Roundup: What Did the Critics Think of WHY AM I SO SINGLE?, from the Creators of SIX

Lucy Moss and Toby Marlow's new musical, Why Am I So Single? has now opened at the Garrick Theatre.

From the writers of SIX, comes a brand-new British musical where the lonely little lives of two BFFs are transformed into an all-singing, all-dancing extravaganza about dates, mates, and celebrating love in all its forms.

What did the critics think?

Why Am I So Single? is currently booking at the Garrick Theatre until 13 February 2025

Photo Credit: Danny Kaan

Aliya Al-Hassan, BroadwayWorld: Comparison to SIX is inevitable, even though what the two shows are trying to do is completely different. While SIX is laser-sharp with not a wasted moment, by contrast, Why Am I So Single? feels somewhat flabby. It's hard to think of anyone who would not enjoy SIX, while this show is so deliberately focused on Gen-Z, it risks excluding other generations who will simply miss its very specific jokes and references. Perhaps that is the point.

Houman Barekat, New York Times: The writers have tried to make a virtue of the show’s shortcomings, riffing on the musical’s conceptual flimsiness at various points. This might be cute in another context, but when you’re playing a hallowed venue like the Garrick, people expect a bit more polish. Just before the curtain comes down, Nancy and Oliver wonder aloud if their plot lines weren’t perhaps a bit hackneyed and whether they should have made their characters more aware of this. It’s a clever little metafictional loop, but it doesn’t solve the problem. If anything, it feels a bit like an apology.

Arifa Akbar, The Guardian: Moss and Marlow are without doubt the most talented musical songwriters out there. I look forward to a long and illustrious partnership now that this difficult second album is out of the way and they are released from the burden of having to write what they know. Long live their friendship.

Nick Curtis, The Standard: Tulley and Foster’s voices initially lack body but mature and grow movingly throughout the evening. Noah Thomas exhibits easy charm and loose-limbed grace as their friend Art Fulldodger (groan). It’d be impossible to replicate the alchemy of Six and it’s wise of Marlow and Moss not to try. This zesty, in-jokey, crackerjack entertainment proves they’re certainly not one-hit wonders.

Holly O'Mahony , The Stage: The show’s deft brilliance is in the lyrics of its songs. Eight Dates, about the brutal ghostings and last-minute cancellations rife in online dating, bottles the phenomenon superbly, while Meet Market, with its takedown of dating profile clichés (likely to be lost on anyone who’s never swiped to find romantic connection), and C U Never, with its tap-dancing chorus and clever incorporation of texting sound effects into the score, are further highlights.

Alice, The Independent: Marlow and Moss make no attempt to hide the fact that this theatrical pity party is semi-autobiographical (hilariously, all the show’s pseudonyms are pickpocketed from their favourite musical Oliver!). So amongst the tirades against Tinder, there’s a lot of chat about the pressures of writing a “Big Fancy Musical”. But although the show does indeed advertise itself as big and fancy, it feels more like an intimate queer cabaret night with panto production values.

Sarah Crompton, WhatsOnStage: Such a meta-theatrical conceit could have backfired. Yet Why Am I So Single? is warm, bold and overflowing with ideas. Not all of them land, but its fizzing generosity makes it one of the most enticing new musicals since, well, Six. It may not have the same broad appeal as that show, but it boasts sensational performances from Jo Foster and Leesa Tulley. It feels like a hit.

Gary Naylor, The Arts Desk: In many ways, this might be exactly the show a too often overly cautious West End needs right now and the energy in the house was good evidence for that conclusion. But some just won’t make the individual connection, they won’t see enough to invest in Why Am I So Single’s Oliver and Nancy the way they did in Kinky Boots’ Lola and Charlie, to take one example. But that was 12 years ago, and time waits for no man, no woman, no non-binary person. Least of all for Marlow and Moss, who are moving mainstream theatre on fast-forward again.

David Benedict, Variety: “Why Am I So Single?” has arrived in the West End with no tryout in which its major structural problems could have been addressed. It’s a decision likely to prove costly. The show boasts strikingly low ticket prices with a $85 top less than half of the similarly-proportioned “Hadestown.” That may attract the target Gen-Z audience who might decide to go to a West End musical to see their lives reflected. But where “Six” long ago crossed over from the youth market to ticket-buyers of all ages, “Why Am I So Single?” riskily lacks appeal beyond its target audience.

Sarah Hemming, Financial Times: It’s a long joke, frantic in places, and the extra framing of the prologue and epilogue feels unnecessary. But the show has so much effervescent joy, and is delivered with such energy and heart by Foster, Tulley and the terrific ensemble, that it’s irresistible. And, in the end, under cover of obsession with romantic love, it smuggles in a refreshing musical paean to platonic love.

Chris Selman, Gay Times: The show’s thoughtful consideration of issues within the queer community is one of its strengths. While for the most part this is a light-hearted comedy, occasionally it will land some serious points which can result in some genuinely poignant moments. We see Oliver’s wrestles and wrangles with gender identity – switching between ‘he’ and ‘they’ pronouns throughout the show – and we see Oliver unsure and often second-guessing how much of his/their authentic self to show for fear of rejection. Internalised homophobia, and the causes and consequences thereof, is also considered effectively in ‘Disco Ball’, which is an incredibly powerful moment. We feel the show’s themes are likely to resonate with many LGBTQ+ theatregoers.

Laura Rutkowski, RadioTimes: Six is a polished 80 minutes without an interval and Why Am I So Single?, as fun as the show is, could probably have benefitted from this treatment too to make for a musical that's tightened up a bit more. But I defy anyone not to have a massively enjoyable time at this musical. It's uplifting, hilarious, and creative, and an exciting addition to the West End. Make a date with this show and you will come out of it, whether you're single or not, feeling seen.

Marianka Swain, London Theatre: Good as all these songs are, there are too many here – although I’d be sad to lose bonkers tangents like the operatic panic over a bee. But, since this is a full book musical rather than a SIX-style concert, it would help to have more breathing space for the raw, revelatory numbers, such as Nancy’s grief-fuelled ballad or Oliver’s electrifying, confessional “Disco Ball”.

Average Rating: 70.0%