Following the global success of mega-hit Six was always going to be a challenge. Why Am I So Single? is the new show from Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, a “big fancy musical” that celebrates friendship and platonic love, while also paying homage to 90s rom-coms and musical theatre. On paper it’s a must see for anyone who’s ever bemoaned their perpetual state of singledom (which let’s be honest, is most of us) or the unrealistic romantic standards set by every glamorous TV couple ever – and with an LGBTQ twist and Oliver! puns galore, should it consider itself another instant classic like its predecessor?

When Nancy (Leesa Tulley) arrives at the flat of best friend Oliver (Jo Foster) after yet another disastrous date, the pair of aspiring musical writers decide against watching yet another re-run of Friends, and instead set out to get to the bottom of the ultimate question – why are they so single? And so the stage is literally set for a rollercoaster ride through online dating, obsessive texting, awkward flirting and bee defeating (yes, you read that correctly) before, like every good rom-com, a final big romantic gesture: just not, perhaps, the kind either character expected.

There’s a lot to like in Why Am I So Single? The script is clever, the jokes are funny, the songs are catchy, and the performances from Jo Foster, Leesa Tulley and a hard-working ensemble are pitch perfect. And yet somehow it’s only really in Act 2, when the show really finds its heart and the characters are allowed to be vulnerable, that it comes alive. At times in Act 1 the show gets a bit bogged down by its own cleverness, and the deliberately formulaic, exposition-heavy plot and dialogue result in scenes that slow things down and often feel at odds with the years-long relationship between the two characters.

But if at the interval I was a bit on the fence, by the end of the show I was won over. Perhaps that’s because Act 2 features arguably the best number and performance of the evening, or because it reintroduces us to the fabulous Artie (Noah Thomas), the pair’s loved-up mutual friend who pops up like a genie every now and again to give them sage life advice. But most likely it’s because the protagonists suddenly feel less like caricatures from a rom-com and more like real people with real, complex issues – which makes the big warm hug of a finale all the more satisfying.

And the show certainly lives up to its billing as a big fancy musical, delving into an array of styles from disco to rock to ballads; there’s even a tap number in Act 1. Marlow and Moss have produced another fantastically infectious score that stands very much on its own as a soundtrack, even if the accompanying storyline has an occasional wobble. With slick choreography from co-director Ellen Kane, and flawless and impressively versatile vocals from the cast, the musical numbers in general are much stronger than the spoken sections.

Why Am I So Single? isn’t necessarily breaking any new ground – bar the welcome inclusion of a non-binary main character – and it could use a bit of tightening up plot-wise, but like a certain beloved 90s sitcom that provided inspiration, that certainly doesn’t make it any less fun to watch.

Why Am I So Single? is booking at Garrick Theatre until 13th February 2025.