(UK & Ireland Tour, 2026)

Many people over forty or so will remember the 1992 film Single White Female of the same name and immediately assume that a touring production was the same story and it is, but brought into the twenty first century with references to Ozempic, modern music and mobile phones. Say the phrase and most people hear it as a warning based on that film, not a description. The Columbia Pictures thriller (directed by Barbet Schroeder, written by Don Roos, based on John Lutz’s novel SWF Seeks Same) gave us a gleaming Manhattan apartment, a roommate wanted ad and a slow, nasty slide from friendship into something far more sinister.

Rebecca Reid’s stage adaptation takes that recognisable skeleton and pushes it into a more contemporary frame, with the production explicitly positioning itself as an update for the age of social media. The set-up remains satisfyingly simple: Allie, newly single and trying to alleviate financial difficulties, advertises for a lodger. Hedy appears like an answer to prayer, all soft edges and sweetness. Then the dynamic changes and normal life becomes difficult, making Allie wonder how much is Hedy’s doing.

The casting is a big part of the appeal and clearly drew in some fans. Kym Marsh plays Hedy, Lisa Faulkner plays Allie, and the supporting company includes Andro (Graham), Jonny McGarrity (Sam), and Amy Snudden (Bella). Marsh has primarily worked on TV and it shows on stage, she’s often still, which could be interpreted as an unnerving aspect of the character. Her performance of Hedy turns slowly but it isn’t subtle. Faulkner, also more accustomed to TV work and it shows. She does give Allie some warmth and character and it’s a beginning but I felt it needed more work. McGarrity does well, sustaining a well-rounded theatre performance which comfortably belongs.

Comparisons to the film are inevitable and for those of us with long memories it doesn’t bare much resemblance. It’s a reworking of the original and that was absolutely the right thing to do to keep it contemporary, making it work with mostly British accents, taking into account the prevalence of mobile phones and other more modernistic concepts.

But I also think some of the show needs reworking. There are stretches where the tone slips into something clumsily done or the pacing hurries past moments that should tighten with jeopardy. That invites the wrong kind of audience energy. You can feel it when a silence should be dread but becomes restless shifting, when a line that ought to land as threat gets an awkward giggle which ripples through the audience. The timings don’t quite land. At the pinnacle moments some sequences stop making sense and in one instance became comical. Some of the issues made me wince on behalf of the cast, because it feels like the show was put out too early. It needed a fresh pair of eyes before it went out on tour.
This is not about effort or talent, it’s about a directorial trim here, rework a couple of scenes, lengthen a scene to make it believeable, add a clarification there, a cleaner escalation and a more culmination.

That said, the bones are strong and the central relationship still has that compulsive pull that gave the original film the legacy status it has. The stiletto-heel legacy hangs over the story for good reason. When this version commits to psychological menace rather than camp, it works.
I liked the staging which demonstrated some novel features and generally brought it further into a contemporary setting in terms of style and lighting.

Running time is listed at around 2 hours 10 minutes including an interval, with age guidance 15+.

Tour dates and locations (UK & Ireland, 2026)

(As listed by the production website)
New Victoria Theatre, Woking: 3–7 Mar
Cambridge Arts Theatre: 10–14 Mar
Cheltenham Everyman: 17–21 Mar
Gaiety Theatre, Dublin: 31 Mar–4 Apr
New Theatre, Peterborough: 7–11 Apr
Richmond Theatre: 14–18 Apr
Milton Keynes Theatre: 21–25 Apr
Liverpool Playhouse: 28 Apr–2 May
The Alexandra, Birmingham: 5–9 May
Alhambra Theatre, Bradford: 12–16 May
Theatre Royal Bath: 19–23 May
Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent: 26–30 May
Theatre Royal Glasgow: 2–6 Jun
Festival Theatre, Malvern: 9–13 Jun

Ticket prices vary by venue and seating area. As a guide, UK venues are commonly listing tickets from the low £20s up to around £49. Dublin is listing from €21.50 (plus booking fees depending on sales channel).

Photo credit – Chris Bishop