Broken Legs Blog

Rebecca Reid’s adaptation of 90s film “Single White Female” hits Nottingham Theatre Royal as part of its UK tour. Whilst taking the premise from the original, everything else here is thoroughly updated, the story firmly set in the present, whilst the characters and their motivations are also altered. This means that for anyone who is a fan of the original, there will still be a lot to enjoy here (the usual beats are hit, and a terrifying scene involving a stiletto is recreated on stage), but the story will keep you guessing as well. For those not familiar with the original, this will not hamper your enjoyment of this story, and there is no need to revise beforehand. This intense, psychological thriller will have you on the edge of your seat, a slow build in the opening act leading to a more intense second half, although the final scene strays a little too far into the melodrama and some of the surprising reveals don’t land quite as well as they should.

The story focuses on single mum Allie (Lisa Faulkner), who finds herself struggling to afford her rent after her ex-husband Sam (Jonny McGarrity) cuts her child support. The solution arrives in the form of Kym Marsh’s Hedy, who accepts Allie’s advertisement for a lodger. Things quickly take a sinister turn as Hedy becomes obsessive over Allie, and the tension slowly ramps up. Under the direction of Gordon Greenberg, Marsh presents an excellent antagonist, someone who is able to switch from overbearing friendliness to something much darker in the blink of an eye. As soon as other characters turn their back, we see Marsh’s face transition into something more menacing, with a performance that draws you in and is mesmerising throughout. It is the second act where Marsh is given full rein to shine, and a particularly fraught scene between her and McGarrity makes for compelling viewing.

By contrast, Faulkner’s Allie leaves a little to be desired. There is something insincere in the delivery of her lines that makes a few moments feel disingenuous or forced. As a result, moments of terror or fear miss the mark, lacking the impact that the writing deserves. Despite this, Faulkner enjoys nice chemistry with Allie’s business partner Graham (singer/songwriter Andro), who gets some of the funnier lines and never fails to liven a scene up. The two are strongest in their scenes together at the beginning of the show, giving a sense of a close-knit friendship that Hedy is determined to ruin. Both Faulkner and Andro quickly craft characters that we care about, which makes the following drama all the more gripping, even if the later conflict feels underpowered.

The stand-out of the show is undoubtedly Amy Snudden as Allie’s teenage daughter Bella, an original character created for this adaptation (in the film, Allie has a dog instead of a daughter – for the stage, a teenage daughter works much better!). Teenage characters are often the hardest to get right, either coming across as too childish or too grown-up, but here both Reid’s writing and Snudden’s delivery hit the mark perfectly, presenting Bella as a moody, sarcastic teen that will be all too familiar for parents of young adults. Even when Bella strives to be more grown-up, in her attempts to impress boys at school or to fit in with her ‘Mean Girl’-esque clique, there is something incredibly immature in her actions, which immediately make her endearing. The way she describes being bullied at school is one of the most emotional moments of the play, and Snudden gives the most believable performance of sheer terror in the second act as her life comes crashing down around her.

Morgan Large’s design feels modern and sleek, bringing to life a city-centre high-rise apartment that doesn’t quite match with the dialogue that suggests the flat is slowly falling to pieces – it all feels a little too shiny and new. Jason Taylor’s lighting and Max Pappenheim’s sound is designed to shock and unnerve the audience, sudden flashes and loud noises delivered with the simple intention of making the audience jump, which is reminiscent of “2:22 A Ghost Story” but less effective here. Scenes are broken up with sudden bursts of popular music (we are treated to snippets from artists such as Olivia Rodrigo, Radiohead and Lizzo) which feels a bit out of place, and creates long blackouts that don’t serve any purpose – the entire play takes place in Allie’s flat, so there are no scene changes to cover. The songs chosen are also a variety of different styles, making the sound design feel a little incoherent at times.

In updating the script, Reid perhaps slips in a few too many modern-day references (there are comments about Ozempic, Labubu dolls and AI) which feel a bit shoe-horned, but at two hours, the story rattles along nicely and holds our attention, with all the mysteries perfectly wrapped up by the end of the evening, and a final twist that might have you scratching your head wondering exactly what the point of it is. As a famous playwright once said, these violent delights have violent ends, and that is certainly the case here. Tempered expectations would be advisory, but this is a gripping, absorbing piece of theatre that will thrill, surprise and shock you, and make you check the door is locked behind you when you get home.

Tom Morley, January 2026

Review Round-up:

East Midlands Theatre: Review: Single White Female – 4 stars from East Midlands Theatre, who commend director Greenberg for crafting ‘an atmosphere that is at once sleek and suffocating’

Spy in the Stalls – SINGLE WHITE FEMALE review – 3 stars for SitS, who call the show ‘lively and watchable’ but note that ‘the second act leans into excess’

Elemental Theatre – Single White Female – Also 3 stars for ETC, who say this ‘slick, unsettling, and quietly entertaining’ drama will ‘only sharpen as the tour continues’