We sat down with Amy to discuss her upcoming production, Single White Female. The play visits New Theatre, Peterborough 7-11 April, Richmond Theatre 14-18 April with dates in Birmingham, Bradford, Glasgow and many more major venues across the country until 13 June. For tickets see www.swfonstage.com
What first attracted you to the role of Bella in the stage adaptation of Single White Female, and how did you approach bringing her to life?
Bella is a new character in this adaptation, replacing the dog, Buddy, from the film! Because she’s new- it’s been wonderful getting to create a character from scratch, discovering her mannerisms and her interactions with the others around her. I’ve definitely drawn on my own experience of growing up as a teenager in a world shaped by social media, using it as inspiration for her outbursts and fragility, whilst also exploring her sass and sarcasm, which I’m sure we all remember having and are familiar with seeing!
How has working alongside experienced performers like Kym Marsh and Lisa Faulkner influenced your performance in this production?
It is so inspiring to get to work with both Kym and Lisa. Watching them bring such a wealth of experience and specificity to the work throughout rehearsals and every night on stage is incredibly compelling to watch. You feel so safe when you are on stage with them, and it’s really fun getting to play around with the scenes each night, throwing all sorts of offers at each other, which keeps things fresh and exciting. Above all they are also some of the most wonderful humans to be around!
What challenges and opportunities come with performing in a modern reimagining of such an iconic psychological thriller?
One of the challenges has definitely been keeping the essence of the film while setting it in a new, modern era. We wanted to honour and preserve the iconic moments from the film — like the stiletto (iykyk!) — but also make it feel relatable and accessible for today’s audiences, which the addition of social media and modern references really helps with. Finding the right balance between the old and the new was so important. You want audiences to recognise the beats from the film, but the modernisation also gives us the chance to reintroduce the story and connect with a whole new audience.
Can you describe the rehearsal process and how the cast built the intense atmosphere required for the show?
The rehearsal process was fast, but full of exciting moments and real collaboration with our director, Gordon Greenberg, and our writer, Rebecca Reid. Act 1 was all about gradually building the tension and dropping in moments of discomfort for the audience to create that sense that something wasn’t quite right.
Act 2, however, was a completely different beast — a real whirlwind of action. It was so important to keep the stakes as high as possible so that the intensity and fear would really translate to the audience. Once we got into tech, the world we’d built and the tension we’d created in rehearsals really came to life with the addition of lighting and sound.
What do you hope audiences take away from Bella’s character and the story as a whole?
I think Bella really represents what a lot of teenagers are dealing with right now, especially with social media and AI being such a huge part of everyday life. That constant desire to fit in at school, mixed with the pressure to always be online and present yourself a certain way, feels incredibly relevant — particularly with all the conversations happening around banning social media for under-16s.
I hope audiences see Bella as someone who’s funny and relatable, but also come away with a real understanding of how damaging online bullying can be, and just how dangerous social media can become — not just for teenagers, but for anyone. And honestly, they probably won’t be in a rush to invite a lodger to stay anytime soon!
How does touring the UK and Ireland with this production compare to your previous theatre experiences?
It’s been so exciting getting to bring this show all over the UK and explore so many wonderful cities! I’m loving hearing the different audience reactions in each place we go and how they vary from city to city, keeping the play feeling so alive! I’ve also not been to many of the places we are touring, so it’s been so fun getting to explore new cities, as well as visit some old favourites again.