Reader Reviews
The Country Wife (Haymarket, Theatre Royal, West End)
Back to Show Details| Score | Comment | Date |
 | Coming to a close.....And not before time. Rambling and going nowhere. - Ray Green | 07 Jan 08 |
| Coming to a close.....And not before time. Rambling and going nowhere. - Ray Green | 07 Jan 08 |
| Coming to a close.....And not before time. Rambling and going nowhere. - Ray Green | 07 Jan 08 |
| After all the hype I went fully expecting a great evenings entertainment, how wrong I was. For starters Toby Stephens, who I think is an over-rated actor, did the usual stock bluster and swagger bit but to little effect. I'm sure family connections have helped his career! A Now what was Jonathan Kent thinking about? David Haig seemed to have been charged with carrying the play all on his tod - poor sod! Clearly Mr Kent, a usually fine director, has clearly gone off the rails with this one. Quite a few people left, and not just in the interval either, many left during the first act! The only thing to be said for it was the imaginative staging which helped relieve the tedium of the unrelenting cacophony of bellowing actors. What a waste. - rds | 28 Dec 07 |
| Very amusing - David Haig stole the show as did Toby Stephens who was equally amusing and totally gorgeous too! - A.Gardner | 19 Dec 07 |
| a good play to see, especially when when going to see with my theatre studies group. Alkl the actores were inspiring and i thought mrs pinchwife was a hard character to play but the actress successfuly achieved it! - ABH | 19 Dec 07 |
| Many years ago Michael Green wrote a hilarious book called The Art of Coarse Acting which must have been used as a textbook for this production. Admittedly Wycherley's barrage of filth does not reward subtlety but being bellowed and screeched at for over two hours becomes tiresome. The Country Wife could have been subtitled Carry On Up the Horn and the level of smut is quite astonishing. It's undoubtedly funny at times but the best moments come from the relatively understated playing of John Hopkins and Elisabeth Dermot-Walsh, despite an extraordinary bodice. - David Baxter | 05 Dec 07 |
| I loved this! David Haig and Toby Stephens give such wonderful performances. It's a wonderful production with a stunning set. I look forward to the rest of the season. - BLH | 22 Nov 07 |
| What an unbelievable mess! Screaming and ranting and raving and over-the-top acting. The actress playing the country wife - why did the director let her do this! - susan | 21 Nov 07 |
| Went to see the play with my Aunt and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. All of the actors where superb especially David Haig with all his running around. I especially loved Toby Stephens as the character of Horner. He made the character seem believable and showed great facial expressions and emotions of the character throughout various aspects of the play. I would definitely see it again! A superb performance from all the actors! - Hannah | 19 Nov 07 |
| This is a farce turned into a tragedy by a group of well-known actors trying to out-overact, out-ham and out-shriek each other. A disasterous production. - Frans | 03 Nov 07 |
| AWFUL! An utterly dreadful production that belongs in an AMDram theatre somewhere and not on the West End stage. A staggeringly awful performance from the actress playing the titular wife drags this facile play down even further. David Haig mugs for all he's worth and Toby Stephens is icy charm but this production is one to be avoided at all costs. - QuincyMD | 28 Oct 07 |
| Having seen an excellent production of The Country Wife in Manchester in the early 90's I was interested to see how Jonathan Kent and his team's interpretation fared in comparison with the 90's cast of Gary Oldman, Cheryl Campbell and Ian McDiarmid. This is most definitely an experience which focuses on the more energetic, colourful and bawdy aspects of Wycherley's play celebrating the sense of sexual excesses of the restoration period. Nonetheless you are still aware of the hypocrisy of 'honour' over sexual proclivity which pervades the whole play. A rollicking good romp with an energetic, talented and handsome cast! - Elkie | 12 Oct 07 |
| As this play is rarely put on it's difficult to make comparisons but it's quite possible that underneath all the ranting and hysteria of this production there may be an amusing work underneath. In the couple of moments when they were not raving one could glimpse humour.The mixing of periods weakened it as did the messing about when it threatened to become dark.The girl in the title role is particularly irksome.Despite cutting an hour this is still an evening of longeurs. - kilburncat | 12 Oct 07 |
| A wonderfully funny evenung and full marks to the set and costume designer! Foby Stephens is sublime as Horner as slimy as they come and John Hopkins is also very believable as Harcourt. David Haig and Fiona Glascott work very well together and you can feel the energy on stage. - Burton | 10 Oct 07 |
| Have to agree with all the comments below, the cast performances were great especially Toby Stephens and David Haig, who got the biggest laugh when he turned and said 'what do you think' to the audience. If you chose to see one play in the run up to xmas chose this one as it wont disappoint. - Caroline | 09 Oct 07 |
| This was a completely delightful night out. Wonderful performances from David Haig, Toby Stephens and Fiona Glascot, and indeed from everyone in the company in a beautifully realised production of the play. The whole evening is absolutely delicious and is thoroughly recommended. - Belinda | 07 Oct 07 |
| Fantastic performances,but a special mention for Toby Stephens,who was superb as Horner*wink wink* and the manic David Haig who was an absolute riot as Pinchwife..a must see production...put it on your 'to see' list right now...you won't be disappointed! - Liz | 07 Oct 07 |
| Toby Stephens, (and his perfect body!) is perfect as Horner in this FABULOUS restoration comedy. A must see!!!!!!!!!!! - Ruthie | 30 Sep 07 |
| great evenings entertainment enjoyed it greatly Toby Stephens makes a great horne - Cathy | 30 Sep 07 |
| Great play Toby stephens - great body and rest of the cast superb too enjoy a restoration romp round london a great night out - carelsa | 29 Sep 07 |
