Owen McCafferty’s latest play about infidelity is now playing at pop up theatre Found111, starring Matthew Lewis and Niamh Cusack. Here is a guide to what critics have been saying.
The Guardian: *** Michael Billington wrote: “What struck me most about this 75-minute piece was that frustration with life works best when it is given a local habitation and a name.”
Love London Love Culture: ❤❤❤❤ “Unfaithful is a strong and powerful play with plenty to get audiences thinking, with Adam Penford’s production bringing the sharpness needed to keep the intensity and focus of the audience going.”
Broadway World: *** “Both Cusack and Campion excel in their roles, but I just wish more could have been made of Lewis and Gedmintas and their characters’ relationship and backstory.”
British Theatre.com: *** “For such an explosive opening, the surprisingly muted ending of Unfaithful leaves its audience unsatisfied and full of questions.”
WhatsOnStage: *** Ben Hewis thought that: “It’s an interesting, if slightly contrived, look at relationships from McCafferty, with an acting masterclass from Cusack and Campion – for us and the other actors.”
Evening Standard: *** Fiona Mountford commented that: “Adam Penford’s production keeps the four actors weaving neatly around each other, but it’s increasingly frustrating to see Peter and Tara so inadequately fleshed out.”
The Reviews Hub: **** “Unfaithful remains a startling piece of a writing, well-performed in a space that perfectly suits such an intense and visceral piece.”
Gay Times: **** “With a flurry of magnificent acting alongside a pretty dark and comedic script, Unfaithful is a play you need to see.”
The Telegraph: *** Chris Bennion said: “Director Adam Penford has ensured a snappy, peppy production.”
There Ought to be Clowns: “Adam Penford’s production wisely dispenses with any showiness and focuses instead on the beating, and bruised, hearts that underpin the writing.”
Theatre Weekly:**** “an engaging piece of theatre.”
British Theatre Guide: “almost everything that takes place feels contrived to allow the playwright to make his own statements rather than replicating real life.”
Theatre Bubble: *** “Unfaithful never fully seems to live up to the pedigree of former Found111 shows – and while there is certainly a lot to chew on, the performance is somewhat hampered in its execution and production.”
Time Out: ***”McCafferty is a great Irish playwright, underperformed in London, and ‘Unfaithful’ is worth an evening’s tryst.”
The Financial Times: *** “a subtle and sad examination of the way life can cheat you.”
The Peg: **** “This is an extremely engaging and funny piece of theatre.”
The Times: **** “It’s structurally rather too neat, yet the narrative is laced with lies and the author’s instinct for psychological detail is acute and compassionate.”
Traffic Light Theatregoer: “it’s deftly acted, precisely styled and fluently directed.”
Carn’s Theatre Passion: **** “The production is intense and sexual throughout.”
Unfaithful plays at Found111 until the 8th October. To book tickets visit: Discount Theatre.com, Theatre People.com and UK Tickets.co.uk.