We take a look at what is being said about Christopher Luscombe’s revival of the Noël Coward comedy…
WhatsOnStage: *** “Christopher Luscombe’s sparkling production does everything it can to paper over the cracks and disguise the occasional longueurs and it is blessed with two uproarious comic performances from Janie Dee and Alexandra Gilbreath as the frustrated and excitable pair.”
Everything Theatre: *** “Despite its impressive cast, clever artistic design and overall sophistication, this one-note production remains too traditional to inspire. While Fallen Angels cannot promise groundbreaking theatre, contemporary audiences should not underestimate Coward’s timeless wit and well-crafted dialogue when performed with such skill as this cast deliver. “
The Guardian: *** “It is not as rich as Blithe Spirit or Private Lives, and a little one note, but it is impeccably performed, with shades of 1920s screwball comedy and excellent turns from Dee, who plays Julia as blithely imperious, and Gilbreath, who becomes more cackling and crude as she tips back the bubbles. Both women bring midlife malaise and the plays’ final note of renegade spirit does not quite restore the old marital order.”
All That Dazzles: **** “It may be 2025, but the Menier Chocolate Factory bring us back to 1925 effortlessly with a note-perfect production of Fallen Angels. Tapping into the madcap nature of the story, the result is a play that is fun, feel-good and farcical. If you are looking for a good alternative for a show this Christmas and specifically want something to make you laugh, there is no mistaking that is the show for you.”
London Theatre.co.uk: *** “Having established the situation, Coward has to work hard to sustain it across three acts. On hand to assist is one of this writer’s scene-stealing maids (you’ll recognise the type from the better-known Blithe Spirit), who on this occasion seems to know something about everything and has spent time, if you please, in the Ballets Russes: cue a brief balletic interlude, movement by Nicola Keen.”
The Standard: *** “But it’s almost like a production that holds the play in too much reverence. There is a short ballet interlude from that know-all maid which doesn’t take off. And even the middle scene when Jane and Julia are completely drunk – the play’s high point – it’s looking for something extra to lift it. A hundred years on, Fallen Angels still offers a frothy, diverting night at the theatre, even if the production feels like a canvas that’s been left a little too blank.”
Time Out: *** “It falls into the category of art that changed the world and consequently lost its edge. In this slick-but-conservative take it’s fun enough, but it was genuinely ahead of its time 100 years ago. Now it feels behind its time, and Lucombe’s production isn’t really bothered about playing catch-up.”
Theatre Weekly: **** “There are moments where the pacing falters, but overall this is a stylish and spirited revival of a Coward classic that has been absent from London stages for far too long. Luscombe and his cast remind us why Fallen Angels remains one of Coward’s funniest creations: a play that once shocked society now simply delights it.”
The Stage: *** “Tonally uneven take from Christopher Luscombe on Noël Coward’s slender 100-year-old comedy of sex, repression and marital boredom.”
The Reviews Hub: *** “This is a fine production of a lightly amusing play, but there is a reason London has not seen a revival of Fallen Angels in 25 years. It is not just that Private Lives and Hay Fever are more solidly bankable (though they are), but that the piece no longer shocks. As a study of female frustration and the ennui of marriage, it lacks bite, leaving the production to rely solely on frothy comedy. It feels like a champagne-infused amuse-bouche, not a main course.”
Broadway World: **** “It’s a night of humour, subtle longing and quietly sharp social observation. For those who appreciate well-crafted comedy with a vintage edge, Fallen Angels is a thoroughly enjoyable reminder of why Coward remains a master of the drawing-room farce.”
The Telegraph: **** “This delightful revival of the rarely seen Fallen Angels is especially fitting for the festive season.”
Theatre & Tonic: *** “a thoroughly entertaining revival one of Coward’s less famous comedies – one that is proving popular with its target audiences. ”
The Arts Desk: **** “The play’s menfolk fare less well, which isn’t the actors’ fault. Coward has made them borderline stolid and pompous, in need of corrective disciplining by their under-appreciated wives. All this is adequately conveyed by Richard Leveson and Christopher Hollis, who underpin the starch with a demonstrable affection for their foolish spouses. But there is no contest between the seductive foreigner and the complacent Brits in their plus fours and argyll knitwear (lovely costume design by Fotini Dimou) as to which the glamorous ladies will instinctively favour. Younger casting would have closed that gap, perhaps.”
West End Best Friend: *** “Fallen Angels gets a lot right – effective comedic moments, world-building elements and perfect delivery of those classic Coward barbs, however, the play itself feels out of step in the year 2025. In 1925, it would seem highly resonant but the themes of missed opportunities and regrets in love due an oppressive society seem rather dated and unrelatable to modern audiences.”
British Theatre Guide: “Janie Dee is delightful as an elegant Julia, giving a serious edge to her rapidly responsive character, while Alexandra Gilbreath makes Jane Banbury much less well organised and becoming increasingly unstable as they knock back champagne in an episode that is a comedy highlight.”
Lou Reviews: **** “Dee’s refinement and Gilbreath’s hoarse agitation are more than worth the trip. Simon Higlett’s set design brings the setting of an upmarket flat to life, while Adam Cork’s sound offers a lovely pay-off.”
Theatre Cat: “It’s a squib all right, but in Christopher Luscombe’s fine production it has Janie Dee, and Dee never fails to enhance one’s evening. She is Julia, the more self-contained and intelligent of the pair, and deploys in her face every level of Confident hauteur, bafflement, desire for an even keel through life alongside an instinct to capsize it. Gilbreath’s Jane is a perfect foil, more immediately emotional about the possibility of Maurice re-entering their lives with his moustache and big eyes and shining teeth and the way he kissed your hand while looking up adoringly.”
Fallen Angels continues to play at the Menier Chocolate Factory until the 21st February.