With vague memories of the hit 90s film version of this psychological thriller, David Simper and his wife, hastened down to the Grand Theatre to catch the world premier stage production of this show. The performance didn’t disappoint.
This is a radical reworking of the original source material – a 1990 novel by American writer John Lutz and subsequent hit film.
The audience finds recently divorced Allie, played by Lisa Faulkner (Holby City), moving into a new home, struggling with motherhood, running a business and worrying about money. She’s faced with a new baby coming into former husband Sam’s (Jonny McGarritty) life, while her business partner, Graham (Andro), supports her. Her 15-year-old daughter Bella, played by Amy Snudden, is suffering from teenage angst, misses her miscreant dad and doesn’t like her new home or school, where bus access to it is pulling her down socially.
The curtain is up as we enter and take our seats. The set is the lounge/kitchenette/diner of what appears to be a three bed apartment. This is of clean, if spartan, design and serves as the backdrop to the entire production. It’s framed by three rectangles of neon light, used to dramatic effect and combined with sound effects throughout the show. A running half joke is that the lights flicker when someone uses the lifts outside the flat.
Into this set up comes the apparently marvellous Hedy, played by Kym Marsh, as flat mate. Hedy will bail out the family budget and be a friend to both Allie and Bella. Rather too close a friend and rather too soon. The speed with which Hedy has latched onto the letting ad is your first clue that something is amiss. Her apparently glib and light conversation is soon revealed as an information gathering exercise – casual comments that should be harmless are weaponised and used to compromise long-standing relationships. When challenged, Hedy always has a line to talk her way out of it. Between conversations, twisting of words becomes out-right lying. The discovery of an automatic pistol confirms evil. Hedy does horrid things, which get others into trouble and later, really horrid things.
The audience is left to question the significance of the hospital crib that keeps appearing above the stage?
The first half of this brilliant production contained a vast amount of what, in some ways, was fairly mundane dialogue, but losing concentration was not a good idea as that meant missing something important. The tension begins to ratchet up before the curtain falls for the interval and ice cream time.
The curtain rose for the second half and we were almost immediately into the action of the play. That automatic pistol is confirmed as real. Sam receives some not entirely consensual fellatio. A stilletto heel is used in an imaginative fashion. We get an explanation of the hospital crib and Hedy’s twisted motivation and her genuine love for Bella. Allie’s mothering skills are possibly unfairly criticised, bearing in mind Hedy’s obsessive state and the fact that she’s clearly unhinged. There’s a warning not to put too much on social media, there might be a Hedy about.
A combat scene was rather too slow to be fully convincing – nevertheless I did miss some moves, but the outcome was never really in doubt. We don’t want anyone to put their back out trying to do this kind of stuff. Keep concentrating, there’s more to come after the cordite smoke has cleared.
Hurry to catch this show, which is very clever and subtly entertaining as the tension ratchets up and generally a good story well told. Find out how Hedy’s actions will affect people’s lives basically until the end. The curtain call ovation was long and sincere and in good time for us to catch the service 3 bus home.
Sing White Female is at The Grand Theatre until Saturday 21st February 2026. Book tickets here.
