You know that a play has hit the spot when you’re so engrossed that you find your inner voice screaming, ‘Can’t you see what she’s doing!’ Single White Female hits that spot and more as we are transported into the world of flat sharing, full of suspense, deception, and barefaced lies.

This modern-day reimagination of the 1992 film of the same name, itself adapted from the book ‘SWF Seeks Same', is set in a ‘new build tower block’ in a major city, and whilst the premise of the story remains the same, some of the elements have changed (gone is the puppy to be replaced by a teenage daughter), but some remain the same (the iconic stilettoes remain!).

The plot revolves around Allie (Anna Ruben), recently estranged from her husband Sam (Jonny McGarrity), who is looking to help cover her costs by seeking someone to share her flat. Hedy (Kym Marsh) quickly responds to Allie’s social media post, and despite warnings from Allie’s best friend and neighbour, Graham (Andro), she moves in with Allie and her teenage daughter, Bella (Amy Snudden).

From here, the deception and intrigue begin, with Hedy slowly gaining the confidence of Bella while supporting Allie and her issues with Sam. Allie is blind to what is going on around her, and when things finally come to a head, she tells Hedy to leave. Cue a transformation to an even darker twist than we have witnessed earlier as we see Hedy in her true colours. As the situation tragically resolves and the audience draws a breath of relief, we still have time for a final, gut-wrenching twist.

Rebecca Reid’s adaptation brings the story up to the current tech-savvy era and adds a further dimension with the inclusion of Allie’s teenage daughter, adding extra layers of vulnerability and trust. The direction of Gordon Greenberg added touches to the sinister story in the scene changes with light and sound attacking the audiences’ senses.

Kym Marsh played the sinister, manipulative role of Hedy to perfection, while Anna Ruben (standing in for Lisa Faulkner) tackled the difficulties of trying to manage a teenage daughter alone and run a business at the same time. I was particularly impressed with Amy Snudden as Bella, who perfectly captured the teenage angst of trying to fit in and the pressures of dealing with modern-day social media whilst caught between her estranged parents.

Don’t go to this show expecting an easy evening; it is an engrossing and at times gut-wrenching watch, but one that you cannot take your eyes off. It poses questions about social media and how it affects our young people, and in turn, ourselves, as well as how work-life balance is achieved in a modern world. More importantly, do we really know what we are letting into our homes when we invite people over our thresholds?



Single White Female Bradford Alhambra to Sat 16th May