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Heavy meta: Why am I So Single? @sosinglemusical

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Being young and single never seemed so fun, full of energy, yet full of contradictions in this high-concept meta-musical, Why Am I So Single? The fourth wall is not so much broken as endlessly pummelled as the cast talks directly to the audience. Frequently. But essentially, it’s about young people with neuroses and smartphone addiction exploring why they can’t find love in present-day London. Told with a series of spectacular songs and dance scenes in this new musical from the creators of Six, Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss. But while we don’t necessarily get an answer that rings true to the question posed by this show, you are likely to be distracted mainly by the energy and the songs. It’s currently playing at the Garrick Theatre.  A new musical based on an original idea, the premise is that Oliver (Jo Foster) and Nancy (Leesa Tulley) - which are not their real names but names taken from their favourite musical, Oliver - have to write a new musical but are stuck for an idea. So, after e

Lonely Town: The Lonely Londoners @JSTheatre


Sam Selvon’s novel about the Windrush generation comes to vivid life in this flashy adaptation by Roy Williams—the hustle and the struggle contrast with the exuberant joy and acclamation of life in the city. Lights flash, feet dance, and pigeons get strangled...  for food. It’s an hour and forty-five minutes that doesn’t let up, and it is currently playing at the Jermyn Street Theatre. 

Set in 1956 London, we meet Henry “Sir Galahad” Oliver (Romario Simpson). He is in a hurry to start a new life in London and seeks out Moses Aloetta (Gamba Cole) to help him get started. Only to find that Moses and his friends have become disillusioned with city life and don’t share his enthusiasm. The fights, the petty discrimination, and the lack of job offers make it an endless struggle. And it’s fascinating to see the transformation of Simpson as he gets worn down by the endless setbacks. 


It’s a simple yet stylish production, with the cast remaining onstage with a black wall. Elliot Griggs’ lighting serves to give the vibrancy of the city, underscore the drama and spell out the various postcodes as they move about London.

The simple staging allows the focus to be on the finely drawn characters. The ensemble brings them to life and makes them storytellers, witnesses to injustice, and celebrators of the rich life of living in London.

Events move at a clip, and while violence and discrimination are always nearby, there is also humour and warmth that comes through as the men bond and create their sense of family and place. By the time the piece ends, the discussion about leaving London is brief. After all, despite the odds, they have made a life here and created something out of nothing. 

Directed by Ebenezer Bamgboye, The Lonely Londoners is at the Jermyn Street Theatre until 5 March.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️



Photos by Alex Brenner

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