Why Am I So Single? assessment – A sufferer of self-conscious Gen Z narcissism | Theatre | Entertainment | EUROtoday

The creators of the all-conquering SIX have been all the time going to have a tough time following up their debut. Instead of going for the straightforward possibility of extra of the identical, Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss have plunged proper into the center of the present zeitgeist.

This is a Gen Z, Queer extravaganza that features trans, web relationship, poisonous masculinity and meta-theatricaticality. It can also be about twice so long as SIX’s dynamically torqued 80 minutes.

Non-Binary Oliver (Jo Foster) and more-or-less-straight Nancy (Leesa Tulley) are besties who’re struggling to give you concepts level. To keep the air of fourth-wall busting artifice, they romp round a set and furnishings for a brand new musical and resolve that their very own woebegone love lives could be a very good beginning within the method of Beauty and the Beast, with a fridge, curtains, a coat stand, and many others all performed by the laborious working ensemble.

The downside is that the predictable narrative doesn’t stand scrutiny nonetheless a lot it’s dressed up by co-directors Moss and Ellen Kane with excellent track and dance numbers.

While it performs to the creators’ songwriting strengths it additionally exposes their structural deficiencies.

The faucet dancing mischief of C U Never, the livid desperation of Disco Ball and the wounding ballad Just in Case are excellent however they’re randomly assembled in between linking references to Friends and Lionel Bart’s Oliver!.

The performances are enormously enticing – hats off to Foster, Tulley and Noah Thomas as Artie – nevertheless it doesn’t fairly add as much as a satisfying complete. Like the era at which it’s aimed it’s a sufferer of its personal self-conscious narcissism.

Why Am I So Single? is enjoying on the Garrick Theatre till February 13

Tickets: 0330 333 4811