‘Tointon is the one constant that holds the whole piece together. . . lit the stage up each time she appeared’
W. Somerset Maugham’s popular comedy of manners from 1926 has been successfully adapted by Olivier-Award-winner Laura Wade to provide a quick-wited and amusing modern take on marriage and infidelity under the direction of Tamara Harvey whilst retaining the 1920’s look and feel with the piece set entirely in the reception room of the Middleton’s home on Harley Street.
Butler Bentley (Philip Rham) welcomes Mrs Culver (Sara Crowe) who has followed her daughter Martha (Amy Vicary-Smith) to dispel her of the idea of confronting her other married daughter, Constance Middleton (Kara Tointon), with the suggestion that her husband, ever busy surgeon John Middleton (Tim Delap) may be having an affair with Constance’s best friend, Marie-Louise Durham (Gloria Onitiri). With Constance apparently blissfully unaware of anything untoward and preparing to go to the theatre with house guest and long-time admirer Bernard Kersal (Alex Mugnaioni), the sudden arrival of Marie-Louise’s husband Mortimer Durham (Jules Brown), threatens to upset the accepted behaviours and moral positions of society: what’s to do?
Anna Fleischle’s set design was impressive, taking full advantage of the height and depth of the stage, providing a stylish Art Deco interior with high ceilings and a strong sense of space with the wall-papered upstage wall backlit to reveal a staircase and landing beyond which offered us a glimpse into the comings and goings of characters out of scene, cleverly mirroring the on-stage subterfuge.
The attention to detail was superb, reflected in the overall décor and period-perfect props including a piano, stylish lamp, and chaise longue, all of which was topped off by the stylish 1920’s costumes co-designed by Fleischle and Cat Fuller which embellished each scene, reflecting the nature of each character and in Constance’s case, her growing confidence and independence across the piece.
The time shifts backward and forward were treated with colour washes from lighting designer Sally Ferguson with period jazz musical accompaniment, composed by Jamie Cullum, to which characters danced or Bentley played on the piano. Whilst considered and necessary to accommodate costume changes, these did feel a little overlong and somewhat self-aggrandising, although perhaps the latter was Harvey’s intention: in the same vein, I wasn’t sure the post-interval recap was entirely necessary, albeit amusing.
Wade’s adaptation is not obvious other than the amalgamation of some characters, re-ordering the chronology, and minor touches of modern referencing, but nothing which disrupts the obvious flow or detracts from the emotional and moral questions at the heart of the original. Whilst similar in style to Coward and Wilde, both the language and the ensuing action are less snappy and more poignant. I’m certainly intrigued enough to read and compare the two texts.
There are strong performances from the cast who quickly establish believable characterisation whilst avoiding the obvious risk of becoming caricature. I thoroughly enjoyed Crowe’s knowing portrayal of Mrs Culver, whilst Vicary-Smith’s spinster sister was very much of the Bloomsbury set. Delap excelled with large doses of self-confidence that perfectly suited his character’s behaviour. Onitiri has one of the most challenging roles and struck the right balance throughout. Mugnaioni was perfect as the lovestruck Kersal bouncing from pillar to post, and although a limited appearance, Brown delightfully caught the spirit of the period and the consequences of doing the right thing. Rham’s butler was all-knowing and I liked his little nods to the audience.
Tointon is the one constant that holds the whole piece together through its clever twists and turns in what is a very demanding role as she has to segue through a range of emotions without getting caught up in any histrionics: lit the stage up each time she appeared, and we loved her for it.
The Constant Wife is a production from the Royal Shakespeare Company presented by David Pugh and Cunard. Further details https://constantwife.com/
The Constant Wife performs at Liverpool Playhouse through to 14th March 2026. Further details including booking at https://everymanplayhouse.com/event/the-constant-wife/
Review Date: 10th March 2026
Star Rating: FOUR