Single White Female
Single White Female unfolds as a slow burning psychological drama about identity, intimacy and quiet invasion. When independent professional Allie takes in a seemingly fragile new flatmate after a painful breakup, the arrangement begins as a practical solution to her financial state and loneliness. But as subtle changes creep in, shared tastes become mirrored habits and admiration turns into imitation, the drama starts to unravel. For anyone who remembers the 1992 film, this version wisely avoids imitation. Instead of leaning into glossy Manhattan chic, the production strips the story down to emotional architecture and it works brilliantly.
Lisa Faulkner plays Allie with such precision, giving us vulnerability without ever stereotyping or over acting. Her independence is believable, which makes her unravelling more unsettling and real. I think the audience sees a lot of this character in themselves making her so relatable, a struggling mum who wants the best for her daughter and she can’t do right for doing wrong. Kym Marsh plays Hedy with a Jekyll and Hyde persona but resists playing her as a caricature. Rather than playing her as an obvious villain, she crafts a portrait of someone starving for connection. Her stillness is what makes her frightening. When she finally erupts, it feels less like a twist and more like inevitability. Both leads really shine in these roles, great chemistry and although you know this relationship will not end well, the audience can only hope for a better outcome. The show is cast perfectly with other stand out roles including Jonny McGarrity as ex Sam, Amy Snudden as spoilt daughter Bella and Andro as gay best friend Graham.
Gordon Greenberg’s direction and Rebecca Reid’s adaptation deserves credit for resisting easy shocks. There are no cheap jump scares here. Instead, tension accrues through silence, proximity and repetition. It’s a naturalistic drama that has aged well, so well that this could have been written today. Interestingly the play deals with issues of manipulation, society and how it expects women to be in this day and age, single mum pressures, exhaustion, trying to cope and juggling work whilst having a child. But at the same time your head is in business mode trying to make money so you can have a better life for your family and your child feeling neglected in the process. Max Pappenheim’s sound and Jason Taylors lighting design is so in sync and fit the piece like a glove. Low subliminal pulses, keeping the audience in a state of quiet dread, flashes of gut instinct, subtle tone and noise, showing women’s intuition, adding anticipation and helping create the atmosphere that kept the audience on the edge of their seats throughout.
Morgan Large’s apartment set is cleverly designed and at first it feels open and airy but by the second act, it closes in as the audience subtly implicated in the act of watching. What surprised me most was how contemporary the story feels. In an era of curated identities and algorithm driven self reinvention, the play’s exploration of imitation and erasure lands differently. If there’s a weakness, it’s that the final confrontation leans a shade too heavily into melodrama. After such psychological precision, the physical climax feels slightly conventional. Still, it delivers the action and explosion of emotion the audience clearly craves.
Overall, Single White Female at the New Woking Theatre is a sharp, unsettling production that trusts its performers and its audience. It’s less about obsession in the sensational sense and more about the fragile boundaries between admiration, envy, and annihilation. Catch the tour if you can, it’s well worth a watch!
This show was reviewed at the New Victoria Theatre, Woking on the 3rd March 2026 where it runs until the 7th March 2026. Tickets available here: Single White Female Tickets | New Victoria Theatre, Woking in Woking | ATG Tickets
Check your local listings for more dates across the UK.
Review written by Sam Sadler
AD/Gifted
Photo credit: Chris Bishop
Check out other reviews from Curtain Call Reviews and get in touch to have our reviewers head to your show.