Lisa Faulkner on Returning to the Stage After 21 Years for Single White Female

When Lisa Faulkner’s agent rang to ask whether she’d take a look at a script for Single White Female, she couldn’t help feeling the timing was uncanny. “It honestly felt like it came out of the sky,” she says, still sounding slightly bemused by the serendipity of it all. After more than two decades away from theatre, she had only recently confided to friends that she fancied being “a bit scared again” — the good kind of scared that comes with stepping back onto a stage.

Two weeks later, the script landed in her inbox. She devoured it in one sitting. A meeting with the producer and director followed, and she said yes.

A Role That Hits Close to Home

Faulkner, now 53, has worn many hats — actor, presenter, author, and one half of the much‑loved John and Lisa’s Weekend Kitchen. But it was the character of Allie that pulled her back to acting on stage. Newly divorced, juggling motherhood and the pressures of launching a tech start‑up, Allie takes in a lodger, Hedy — played by Kym Marsh — to help make ends meet. What begins as a supportive friendship soon spirals into something far darker.

“I remember seeing the film in the early Nineties and thinking it was brilliant,” she says. “But what struck me about Allie is how close she feels to women like me. I know what it’s like to be a mum to a teenage daughter, trying to keep all the balls in the air, and dealing with the guilt that comes with that.”

Her daughter, now nineteen and travelling, gave Faulkner the freedom to say yes to a touring production for the first time in years. “When I adopted her, there were things I couldn’t do — and that was absolutely fine. But now I can say yes again.”

A Friendship on Stage — and Off

One of the unexpected joys of the project has been working with Marsh. The pair were introduced through Angela Griffin, Faulkner’s long‑time friend and former Holby City co‑star.

“Angela said, ‘You’ll love Kym,’ and she was right,” Faulkner says. “It all felt like it was going in the right direction. That made the decision even easier.”

Their characters’ relationship — warm, trusting, then unsettlingly blurred — is at the heart of the production. And Faulkner believes audiences will recognise themselves in Allie’s vulnerability.

“We’re all human. We’ve all been naive or foolish at times. Allie’s not thinking clearly when we meet her — she’s heartbroken, she’s moved out, she’s trying to rebuild. I feel huge empathy for her, and I think audiences will too.”

A Thriller Reimagined for Today

Writer Rebecca Reid has updated the story for a world shaped by social media — a world where identity, privacy and boundaries are more fragile than ever.

“It feels like watching a film on stage,” Faulkner says. “It’s gripping, it’s tense, and it’s absolutely been brought into the modern day. That idea of someone prying into your life — it’s so relevant now.”

And yes, fans of the original will be listening out for certain iconic moments. Faulkner laughs. “You’ll have to wait and see. But the lift noise is still there.”

Rediscovering the Thrill of Live Performance

Despite her long break from theatre, Faulkner insists she’s more excited than nervous. Years of live cooking shows have given her a taste for performing in front of an audience — albeit usually with a kitchen counter to hide behind.

“I’ve learned that if something goes wrong, you just throw it away and move on,” she says. “That’s the joy of live work. You’re in it together.”

Touring will mean time away from her husband, chef John Torode, and from home life with her daughter and their dog, Rory. But she’s philosophical.

“I’ll miss them, of course. But I think it’s lovely to miss someone. And I’ll be home two nights a week. Plus, theatre is less lonely than TV — you’re constantly working with people, listening, reacting, building something together. I love that.”

Looking Ahead

As for what comes next, Faulkner isn’t making any grand plans. “I love cooking and I love acting. Both make my heart beat. As long as I’m doing one or the other, I’m happy.”

For now, she’s focused on the road ahead — quite literally — as she prepares to tour the country with a story that thrilled audiences more than 30 years ago and feels newly resonant today.

“I’ve never done anything like this,” she says. “I can’t wait.”