Reader Reviews
Hay Fever (Haymarket, Theatre Royal, West End)
Back to Show Details| Score | Comment | Date |
 | Judi Dench is the expected highlight of this very solid revival of Coward's durable comedy. Playing against type makes her even more delightful. - 71.130.57.216) | 21 Jul 06 |
| Went to see this last week and agree with many of the comments. Thought the play was good but not great but was lifted by excellent performances from Judi and Kim Metcalfe and Dan Stevens. Judi is clearly too old for the role but with comic timing and stage presence like hers, you quickly forget the glaring age difference. Peter Bowles had no role to speak of really and did little with what he did have. But that aside had a thoroughly enjoyable evening and would recommend to anyone who can face paying £50! - 160.83.32.14) | 17 Jul 06 |
| Judi Dench is wasted in this. She doesn't need to work very hard, its all too easy and whilst she makes it funny, its not enough from a weak play with a cast around her who are patchy in their performances. With actors like Peter Bowles and Belinda Lang on stage we need better. Dissapointing! - 86.134.163.89) | 16 Jul 06 |
| Well I must agree with the first reviewer here. It was a SHAME! Such talent. Judi bless her, we all love her, was doing As Time Goes Bye. Belinda Lang wasted her part - but surprise surprise Kim Medcalf was a revelation. It'll get the tourists Americans especially but I think Peter Hall has a lot to answer for at £50+ a top price ticket! - 195.93.21.40) | 11 Jul 06 |
| I haven't seen this play before & didn't realise Coward wrote farces: his other works are always sharply witty, but usually quite languid. In this one, once the eccentric (for the time, probably less so nowadays) central family of 4 get up a head of steam in act 2, the play just rips along like a well greased piston. At first it was hard to accept the unrealistic age gap between Dame Judi & her children, but once she started playing up the thespian attention grabber with such ease, throwing in perfecty timed one liners, and basically commanding the stage whenever she was on, such niceties seemed trivial! Peter Bowles played, well ... Peter Bowles as he always seems to, but since that was just right for the part it worked OK. I still don't know if Kim Medcalf's talents transfer well from the small screen to stage as we got her understudy. I can't remember her name, but she was a very knowingly wistful Sorrel. I recognised Dan Stevens from the recent Line of Beauty on TV. I found that an overhyped disappointment, but as the son in this he showed that he can act given a proper script. He even managed to wrest centre stage from Dame Judi in the charade scene, which is no mean feat. The 4 guests were all pretty good, especially Charles Edward whose rubber-faced expressions reminded me of Dominique Pinon, the French film actor in Delicatessen, City of the Lost Children, etc. Reading the programme after the show confirmed that the actress playing the housemaid is much younger than the role, and that showed through in her performance. I also agree with the main reviewer that her singing Tea for Two was a bit random - what they call in the film industry an 'unmotivated shot' leaving the audience wondering what it has to do with the storyline! And so to an overall score. I cannot give it 5 as the play itself is very amusing but essentially inconsequential. The acting was not uniformly excellent, which should drop it another half point. However, I think people should go to the play as it is a rare opportunity to see Dame Judi off screen these days, so I will plump for a slightly overgenerous 4. - 158.234.250.71) | 16 Jun 06 |
| Now for the play. Well the play only runs 2 hours including 20 min interval, and that is enought. Its a light hearted piece. Pretty much a farce without any real gripping storyline. It does have some very funny moments though, and that is thanks to great acting. ALL the cast are brilliant. Kid Medcalf was a revelation, very good, and great at comedy. Belinda Lang as always was brilliant (if ever 101 dalmations comes to the stage she would be a brilliant cruella!!). The guy who played the son (forgotten his name!!) was brilliant, reminded be of a younger Jack Davenport. The set was a huge surprise, it really worked and looked expensive. Loved it. Now as for Dame Judi, yes it may not be the most challenging dramatic role, but who cares. In many ways it was an exagerated form of her As Time Goes By character. But she was brilliant, great comic timing, it is a privilage to watch her. She is a real star, and yes worth the high prices. Although I noticed she had chubby ankles!! not noticed that before. She is a little too old really for the role, but who cares, she carries it off perfectly. Overall, I couldnt rave about the play, average piece, even with some very funny moments. You are paying for the cast and production values - but when its all this good - I dont care if the play is just average! - 86.139.10.52) | 03 Jun 06 |
| This does exactly what it says on the box: Coward's hugely witty and well-loved comedy is exquisitely revived on a sumptuously Bohemian set with a stellar cast. Judi Dench has the audience eating out of the palm of her hand, and Kim Medcalf makes an assured W/End debut; sterling support from all. No surprises here maybe, but utterly delightful entertainment. Gorgeous. - 195.82.123.181) | 18 May 06 |
| Having never seen a production of the show before, I can't compare it to anything, but this production was truely wonderful. The actual play was quite funny, but I think Judy Dench's amazing comic timing added a lot to it. The whole cast were excellent and Dame Judy seemed to be in her element as a slightly dotty old woman. The set and lighting were also great. - 193.201.196.10) | 04 May 06 |
| My wife and I saw the 3rd preview performance of Hay Fever last night. We had a thoroughly good time. Yes, things will loosen up [in a good way!] with time, but even at this early stage it was clear that the performers had been cast well. They were, without exception, superb; the audience and the cast were having a whale of a time [just as a Noel Coward play should be]. - 87.90.224.250) | 14 Apr 06 |
| Hay Fever was an absolute delight! We don't usually go for Noël Coward-type plays, but like many I'm sure were drawn in by Judi Dench appearing. We saw it on only its second night and, while the odd line was fluffed, overall the production was excellent! The cast were clearly having a ball, and the energy and enthusiasm was infectious. Not the cheapest play out, but one I'd definitely recommend if you just want to get away from it all and laugh. - 86.139.22.43) | 13 Apr 06 |
| Very enjoyable version of the Coward classic about manners. The first Act sets up the ‘comedic stackpile’ in a fairly controlled fashion with competent performances from the strong cast but it is the second and final Acts that the laughs really start to come as the Bliss’ inappropriate behaviour towards their poor guests unfolds. Dame Judi was, as usual, fully immersed in character as the delusional Judith, despite probably not being in tip top health. Her children, the delightfully earnest Sorel (Kim Medcalf) and aloof, disinterested Simon (Dan Stevens) were played with maturities belying their relative inexperience on the West End Stage. The house guests generally milked their comic lines with great energy and conveyed the ever-increasing tension of discomfort well. This was the first night so there is still some room for improvement. I had not planned to go to the opening night, which can generally be very shaky, but all things considered, I think this went well and will be one of the hits of the summer. - 80.195.13.142) | 12 Apr 06 |
| The first preview (after a bunch of cacelled ones due to the illness of Judi Dench) was pretty ropey. The first act lacked any sort of pace and was virtually laugh free. The normally hilarious parlour game scene that opens the second act was also sorely lacking in the sort of comic timing required, although the second act did build a head of steam towards the end. All in all though this is a very disappointing revival of a classic piece. Certainly Dame Judi was still under the weather, although as much as I hate to say it is some 20 years or so too old for the part. The timing/pace is bound to improve as previews progress but still the direction is far too pedestrian. Some of the cast too are just not strong enough especially Belinda Lang's Myra (normally a hoot of a part) and a very bland Sorrell. The Penelope Keith production many moons ago was far superior. Shame. - 81.138.161.145) | 12 Apr 06 |
