We take a look at what is being said about this revival of Alan Ayckbourn’s comedy.
The Guardian: “Roger Allam’s Frank, managerial pomposity concealing kindness, has a magnificent scene as a hapless marital Poirot, wildly mis-summarising who was in which room with whom when. Laura Elsworthy’s Mary wins a big laugh via a feat of backstage athleticism. Ayesha Antoine’s Teresa shows how spirited acting can update an older play’s social attitudes. Ayckbourn followed this with (so far) 83 more plays but his early work can still deliver two great halves and, this London summer, a tempting sex farce double bill with Florian Zeller’s The Truth.”
The Standard: “The action doesn’t spring from the personalities here: rather, character is retroactively dictated by the levers of the plot. There’s a cruelty to the way these people are manipulated and put through the emotional wringer. Again, I can admire the chilly precision of Ayckbourn’s stagecraft. But does HTOHL have the ring of authenticity? Ha, bloody ha.”
The Reviews Hub: “Innuendo is rife: Fiona’s withering “I don’t think your prods are awfully effective”, Williams tightening ballcock, and Frank’s “screwdriver for screwing” are all made to sound snigger-worthy. Even place names are hilarious when this skilled cast deploy them (Frank’s incredulous “Woking!?”; William’s dour “Scunthorpe”). Occasionally Allam’s dithering lasts a second too long and Elsworthy’s abject cringing reaches Moaning Myrtle levels, but the physical comedy, partly thanks to fight director Kev McCurdy, is outstanding: jiggling legs, tapping feet, manspreading, singing drunkenly into serving spoons, ineptly wielding monkey wrenches…”
Theatre Vibe: “This comedy has so many great lines in it, there is plenty to laugh at. But it is essentially a period piece and no less strong for the charming humour. I found myself contrasting it with The Truth a recent play also about infidelity and How the Other Half Loves has more innocence. “
British Theatre Guide: “Polonski and Antoine play it straight as a battling couple, she the wiser of the two. And Atkinson’s immaculate spendthrift Fiona is a perfect foil for Allam’s standout performance as Frank—the darling wife with a bit on the side, though she and Bob seem an improbable liaison. It’s all improbable, but that’s farce for you.”
Theatre & Tonic: “Throughout the play, there is a steady stream of small, everyday moments of humour, while lines that seem almost out of place at first become precise observations on class, marriage, male pride, and the disrespect men can show towards their wives. It is not simply a comedy, but a play filled with loneliness, disappointment, and absurdity, all deeply rooted in everyday life.”
Theatre Cat: “It’s a classic play, but no spoilers. Say only that it’s delivered with perfectionist energy and the streak of sad humanity behind the jokes that is a perennial mark of Ayckbourn.”
WhatsOnStage: “The two-hour-45-minute running time could be tightened up, but it is testament to the skill of the performers that the energy never drops. A laugh-out-loud and multi-layered production.”
Staged Theatre.co.uk: “How the Other Half Loves contains an undeniably clever theatrical idea at its heart, but this revival struggles to overcome the age of the material. Roger Allam delivers many of the evening’s funniest moments with impeccable comic timing, reminding us just how sharp Ayckbourn’s writing can be. However, the dated relationship dynamics has lost some of its original appeal.”
London Theatre.co.uk: “Designer Rob Howell’s loud, swirly fashion choices (don’t miss Fiona’s hideous green skirt and puffy white blouse in the second act) displayed against a background of wicker furniture and bright dial-up phones cements us in the late 1960s. That period mirth is effectively juxtaposed with the frustrations of trapped middle-class folk in suburban England – a disease still requiring urgent treatment today. Luckily, Ayckbourn prescribes a restorative cure with this invigorating evening’s entertainment.”
The Stage: “Roger Allam is outstanding in this deft revival of Ayckbourn’s early comedy of suburban infidelity.”
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