Single White Female – Gaiety Theatre – Review

Approximately 2 hours, including a 20-minute interval.
DATES: 31st Mar. – 4th Apr.

Photos by Chris Bishop

Single White Female tells the story of Allie (Lisa Faulkner), a software designer. Allie is recently divorced and living with her daughter, Bella (Amy Snudden), in an apartment. She is trying to start a new business and is struggling to pay her bills. She decides to take in a roommate, and quickly chooses Hedy (Kym Marsh). The two women seem to hit it off initially, but over time, some of Hedy’s actions seem a little unusual, as some items start to go missing around the apartment. Is Hedy really the perfect roommate she appears to be?

The film Single White Female was released in 1992, and starred Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh. While the film did not feature in award season, it was a box office success and became an iconic film of the time. It was based on the 1990 novel SWF Seeks Same by John Lutz.

The two female leads in this work are both well-known TV actors, with Kym Marsh known for Coronation Street and Lisa Faulkner for her time in EastEnders, Holby City and for presenting John and Lisa’s Weekend Kitchen.

The film was adapted for the stage by Rebecca Reid. This version has been substantially reworked from the original. It takes the premise and a few iconic moments, but alters many fundamental plot points, including the introduction of Allie’s daughter, Bella. They’ve also moved the events to England. It shows some unexpected originality and gives the production a modern feel, with frequent mentions of topics such as Ozempic, Vinted and more.

Another aspect is that they’ve set the events in Allie’s apartment, with all the action taking place in one room (by Set Designer, Morgan Large). The set is a bright and modern apartment, with a frame around the stage, that frequently bursts with light and colour for emphasis. A haunting image of a baby incubator is occasionally visible above the stage, hinting at some past trauma.

There is an obvious draw from the two famous female leads of the play, and the audience was largely female on opening night! The production is not aiming to be high art, and it is billed as a “gripping new stage thriller”. The opening act gives you an impression of Hedy as a relatively balanced individual, until things go badly wrong towards the madcap ending. There were gasps and giggles from the audience in equal measure as they watched the bizarre happenings. It is a touch melodramatic and doesn’t quite hold the tension as well as the film, but if you’re looking for a fun night out, you could do a lot worse.