‘O’Hara and Byrne. . . turn in stunning performances as the two women who refuse to adhere to convention’
The Roundabout Theatre Company staged a Broadway revival of Noël Coward’s classic comedy Fallen Angels at Todd Haimes Theatre in New York City from 27th March to 7th June 2026 (opening on 19th April 2026), during which time it was filmed live for later transmission.
Best friends and affluent bored housewives, Julia (Kelli O’Hara) and Jane (Rose Byrne), are left alone for the weekend while there conventional and dull husbands, Fred (Aasif Mandvi) and Willy (Christopher Fitzgerald) go golfing. Each has been married for seven years and whilst the marriages are happy enough, the passion has long gone.
But Julia and Jane have a secret that would shock their husbands – and society at the time – as before their marriages, each had a passionate fling with a Frenchman, Maurice, whilst they were in Italy. When Jane arrives at Julia’s luxury art deco styled apartment, she reveals she has received an enigmatic postcard from Maurice suggesting he would be arriving in London that very day. When the mail arrives, Julia is delighted to have received a similar card, and neither appears unhappy at the news.
They spend the day and evening waiting for Maurice, promising each other that they will be strong and not succumb to his charms, but as time passes and an enormous amount of alcohol is consumed over dinner prepared for by maid, Saunders (Tracee Chimo), it becomes clear that these charms will be hard to resist and as their jealous competitive streaks kick in, Jane storms off hinting that she knows where Maurice is.
The next morning sees the husbands arrive home unexpectedly. They too had an argument, and each thinks he has left the other at the hotel near the golf course. Julia has a terrible hangover and Jane is missing. In the ensuing confusion, Julia and Jane each reveal to the other’s husband the details of their premarital adventures causing much furore, but as they are reunited, they make up an elaborate story that it was all a joke, and nothing had really happened in Italy.
Then, just as the cloud seems to have passed, the doorbell rings and the Frenchman, Maurice (Mark Consuelos), appears…
Coward was a keen observer and commentator on society’s often double standards of sexual morality between men and women and the original play stirred up some controversy when it was first staged in 1925 as it acknowledged women as sexual beings. Fast forward one hundred years and director Scott Ellis has expertly captured the charm and detail of 1920s London complete with perfect cut English accents and mannerisms, with David Rockwell’s gorgeous art deco set and Jeff Mahshie’s beautiful period costumes, the icing on the cake.
But Ellis has done more than just that as the underlying themes of this play still resonate today, so as much as we laugh at Coward’s clever comedy and wit, delivered with aplomb by a talented cast, the all too recognisable themes of possessiveness, mansplaining, and control can be seen bubbling away under the surface, and as a Frenchman might say: plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.
Both Mandvi and Fitzgerald deliver suitably hammy upper class English gentleman who know their way around a golf course better than they know their own wives, but they also subtly reflected the simmering fury when the past exploits of their beloveds are hinted at, with Consuelos irresistibly perfect in what is essentially a cameo role on his Broadway debut.
Chimo is an absolute delight as the ever-knowledgeable Saunders – a role that Coward expanded in 1958 – as she milks every laugh from advising Fred on his selection of golf clubs to correcting Julia and Jane’s French, and her recital of an early Coward ditty – Any Little Fish – segued us perfectly into the final act.
Coward wrote two stunning lead female roles, and O’Hara and Byrne do not disappoint as they turn in stunning performances as the two women who refuse to adhere to convention. Both are addictively watchable and you dare not blink in case you miss something. There is impressive physical comedy on offer from both with some wonderful choreography taking place between falling down and lighting up cigarettes. O’Hara’s sprawling, stumbling, and tumbling downstairs was a masterclass in slapstick, whilst Byrne was hilariously haughty and hissy as she became more and more sozzled. Truly a play and performances to remember.
Roundabout Theatre Company celebrates the power of theatre by spotlighting classics from the past, cultivating new works of the present, and educating minds for the future. Further information https://www.roundabouttheatre.org/
Reviewer: Mark Davoren
Review Date: 22nd October 2026
Star Rating: FIVE