Review – Single White Female (touring) – Playhouse Theatre, Liverpool

Continuing what seems to be an ongoing run of stage adaptations from films and novels at Liverpool’s Playhouse, the UK tour of Single White Female is here this week, and it is quite a white-knuckle ride!

Based on the book by John Lutz and on Don Roos’ screenplay for Barbet Schroeder’s 1992 film, this stage play, written by Rebecca Reid, both modernizes and resets the action in a present-day UK context. A stylish and suitably cinematic letterbox-format set by Morgan Large places us in a once stylish apartment, with views through a huge window of a cityscape of residential towers that could read as Manchester, or similar. A large crack in the wall, along with a creaking soundscape from Max Pappenheim, hint at a building that has seen better days. Lighting is by Jason Taylor, and as well as complementing the style of Large’s set it also provides some neat scene transitions.

Allie has recently moved into this apartment where nothing seems to work properly, following the breakdown of her similarly dysfunctional relationship with her ex-fiancé Sam. It was recommended to her by her best friend and business partner Graham, who lives down the hall, and who reassures her that the dodgy plumbing and electrics and the cranky lift are a fair tradeoff for the affordable rent.

Sam, however, drops a bombshell early in the plot that upsets Allie’s finances, leading her to take Graham’s advice and advertise online for a flatmate, hence ‘SWF seeks same’ (the original title for the novel).

Enter Hedy, who seems on first sight to be the perfect flat share partner…

The biggest change to the story that Reid has performed in her adaptation (with no real spoilers here) is to ditch the cute puppy from the film and replace it with a human being. In Reid’s version of events, Allie has a teenage daughter, Bella, for whom Sam has been paying child support. This device both provides additional motivation for Sam to be popping round on frequent occasions and also gives Hedy an even more sinister tool with which to wheedle her way into Allie’s life.

There’s a second major plot shift, in that Hedy does not claim to have a lost twin sister, but it would be going too far for me to tell you the twist with which this life-linking device is replaced.

Lisa Faulkner gives a fine performance as Allie, juggling the challenges of running a business while trying to be a single parent to a petulant teenager. That teenager is played by Amy Snudden, who captures the highs and lows of enthusiasm and sullen sulks perfectly. Bullied at school, she vents her frustration in a series of explosive outbursts, which in another story could be fuel for poltergeist activity.

But who needs a poltergeist when you have Hedy? Kym Marsh is simply terrifying in the role. There is obvious portent from the moment she steps into the room, oozing confidence and malevolent charm better than any pantomime villain. The way she gradually ramps up the creeping control, playing characters against each other, is perfectly measured, reaching its first, but certainly not greatest climax, just after the interval.

Liverpool’s own Andro brings a touch of wit with a breezy, easy portrayal of Graham, while Jonny McGarritty brings a similarly bushy tailed but rather more cynical feel to Sam, who will probably never be able to look at a pair of stilettos the same way again after this job.

Director Gordon Greenberg spends most of the first act’s 60 minutes on the climb to the top of the rollercoaster, teasing us with the machinery occasionally, but not really threatening to push us over the precipice until the cliffhanger that heralds the interval. Once we go over the top it’s a twisting and, indeed, very twisted ride indeed, and despite the occasional shock moments (which are splendidly staged) he achieves a great deal of near-Hitchcockian suspense.

The curious touch of a recurring visual ‘Macguffin’ dangled above the stage periodically throughout is slightly enigmatic while serving little purpose, but everything else in this tightly controlled and creepily paced chiller is absolutely on point, and the storytelling is steeped in menace.

If you remember the film scene by scene, there are sufficient changes to give you a few unexpected surprises, but the characterizations and key narrative thread will certainly not disappoint. Even if you know neither the book nor the film, the play stands happily on its own feet, and is a splendid evening of suspenseful entertainment, while taking the opportunity to touch on a few thorny contemporary issues associated with social media, alongside trolling, bullying and stalking.

Single White Female is at Liverpool Playhouse until 2ndMay, and then continues its tour with dates currently booking through to June.

Rating: 4 stars

Production Photography by Chris Bishop 

Lisa Faulkner and Kym Marsh

 

Amy Snudden and Lisa Faulkner

Jonny McGarrity and Kym Marsh

Lisa Faulkner and Andro

 

This review was originally written for publication by Good News Liverpool