single white female theatre review
“Single White Female” at Theatre Royal Brighton is landing as a slick but uneven stage thriller: strongly performed, atmospheric, and entertaining, but with a script and tone that divide opinion.
What the show is
- A new stage adaptation of the 1992 psychological thriller film, itself based on John Lutz’s novel “SWF Seeks Same,” now updated to the present day with a UK setting and a big role for social media.
- The story follows Allie, a recently divorced tech founder who takes in lodger Hedy; what begins as a lifeline quickly mutates into obsession, blurred boundaries, and mounting danger for Allie and her teenage daughter, Bella.
Writing, tone and pacing
- Reviewers note that at its heart this is a domestic thriller about obsession and loneliness, with a constant buzz of unease that rarely builds into truly shattering suspense.
- Several critics argue the script feels “pedestrian” and tonally wobbly: dialogue can sound unnatural in British mouths, and the second half tips toward unintentional farce rather than nail‑biting tension.
- Where some see a “dark, totally gripping, emotionally charged” night out, others describe a misguided missed opportunity whose overblown staging and frantic climax pull the piece off balance.
Performances and characters
- The central duo is widely praised: Lisa Faulkner’s Allie is described as convincing and grounded, while Kym Marsh’s Hedy injects the evening with energy and watchable volatility.
- Bella, Allie’s teenage daughter (a new stage invention replacing the film’s dog, Buddy), is repeatedly picked out as the best‑written role, with Amy Snudden bringing a believable, empathetic presence.
- Male roles, including ex‑partner Sam and business partner Graham, are seen as underwritten, with at least one reviewer questioning the choice to give Graham a pseudo‑American accent that never quite makes sense.
Design, sound and atmosphere
- The single open‑plan flat set looks modern but subtly unstable: a window that never fully shuts, flickering electrics, slipping pictures, and a clanking lift all mirror the psychological cracks in the relationships.
- Sound design and music are highlighted as key to the mood, working almost like a film score to deepen fear and tension, even when the plot slips into camp or broadness.
- Some critics feel the heightened soundscape and staging end up overselling the danger, nudging the show into near‑parody by the time the blood, disguises, and cupboard‑bursting twists arrive.
Critical verdict at a glance
- One outlet calls the production “lively and watchable, with enough intrigue to carry it through,” awarding it three stars and framing it as an enjoyable if imperfect throwback to 80s–90s “from hell” thrillers.
- Another Brighton‑based review is much harsher, likening the climactic chaos to farce and lamenting a wasted chance to make something sharper and more genuinely chilling.
- At the other end, at least one local review praises it as the “perfect watch: dark, totally gripping, emotionally charged and brilliantly performed,” suggesting that audiences in the mood for glossy genre fun may be more forgiving than critics of its flaws.
TL;DR: As a “single white female theatre review” snapshot, the show delivers strong performances and stylish, ominous staging, but reactions split on whether it’s a tense psychological thriller with camp flair or a clumsy, overcranked potboiler that never quite decides how seriously it wants to be taken.
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