Reader Reviews
The Voysey Inheritance (Lyttelton (National Theatre), West End)
Back to Show Details| Score | Comment | Date |
 | Simply superb acting, a thoroughly engaging and topical play, marvellous costumes, an all round enjoyable and sumptuous production. People who don't like it should stick to Footlose. - 86.136.128.60) | 22 May 06 |
| This production proves yet again what an great writer Granville-Barker was. The production and the acting are superb. Dominic West as young Voysey gives the performance of his life - but with no show or fussiness. A lesson in great acting. - 80.177.231.164) | 21 May 06 |
| A production of immense subtlety, beautifully acted and designed. The producer had thought things out coherently, blending sound effects, lighting, costumes and sets into a a very satifying whole. And the play proved itself topical and relevant, not just an Edwardian museum piece. One of the most satisfying dramatic events to be found on the London stage for a long time. - 88.107.28.28) | 20 May 06 |
| Overall well worth seeing Second half better than the first But the pace seems too slow And why the annoying scene changes - 213.86.133.215) | 10 May 06 |
| This revival proves that this is a much better play than I remember from previous productions. Its themes prove timeless and its dialogue much wittier. Everything about this production oozes quality. It would be hard to find a greater emsemble on any stage. The attention to detail of the staging is astonishing. The result is terrific. - 86.130.208.107) | 10 May 06 |
| Heavily indebted to Ibsen but a good meaty drama with strong characterisation and acting. - 84.64.142.126) | 06 May 06 |
| I've been wanting to see this classic for some time and was very disappointed by this dry production. I agree with a lot of what's been said below - good sets and some very good acting, although I was sorry to find Julian Glover didn't seem to settle into his role very well. I saw it a few previews in, just before press night, and the scene changes were still very long, although that didn't especially bother me. It does pick up towards the end of the first half but, for me, it never quite delivered what it promised - and I feel that's down to the production rather than the play. - 194.80.238.40) | 27 Apr 06 |
| Saw it on Press Night. Good production, good acting - but I thought the play was a piece of dull, uninspiring theatre. The couple next to us did leave after the first half. The scene changes were slow - but I loved the sets. Although there was a very loud crash during one of the scene changes!! Recently seen The History Boys, Pillars of the Community, Once in a Lifetime and Measure for Measure and sadly although I reiterate that the cast and director were very good - this play did not match up to any of the other productions I've seen there. - 84.12.175.157) | 26 Apr 06 |
| I agree with the first review, but after a clunky first scene, it got better and the secondary characters came into their own. Unlike the similar-ish Pillars Of The Community it's not particularly thrilling, and the play didn't seem to know where it was going or how it wanted to end. I saw the second preview, so the slow scene changes will sort itself out. It's old-fashioned, but it passed the time. - 86.143.218.10) | 20 Apr 06 |
| I'm ashamed to admit it but I was tempted to leave at the interval... and I can't remember that ever happening at the National. Dusty, dull and dated, it was lifted by good performances by Dominic West, Andrew Woodall and Martin Hutson - and the promise of a livelier, intriguing second half. The previews have just started, so it's probably unfair to criticise it too much but the pace, the length (three hours) and disruptive, sluggish scene changes made it one of my least enjoyable nights in the Lyttelton. I'll be very interested to see what Mssrs. de Jongh, Spencer, Billington and Morley make of it... - 193.130.127.205) | 20 Apr 06 |
