The Provoked Wife

Synopsis

Or the Provok'd Wife, written in 1697. The young and beautiful Lady Brute is married to the boorish Sir John. Both married for their own ends - she for his money and he to get her into bed. The result is a most miserable match, driving him to drink and her to thoughts of infidelity. Encouraged by her niece, Belinda, and tirelessly pursued by Constant, her would-be lover, Lady Brute is torn between her conscience and her desire. Meanwhile, Constant's best friend, the cynical Heartfree, is forced to question his lifelong aversion to love. Things leap from one crisis, to another with the interference of the vain Lady Fancyfull and her meddling French maid, Mademoiselle. Plot and cross-plot delightfully collide in this classic comedy of the sexes.

Our Review:

19 October 2011

Sir John Vanbrugh believed that, "the stage is a glass for the world to view itself in; people ought therefore to see themselves as they are; if it makes their faces too fair, they won’t know they are dirty, and by consequence will neglect to wash ‘em."

While such character flaws may be unbearable in reality, when viewed on stage they can be a real joy. Indeed, the polished performances in Perfect Mayhem’s latest production buff up human frailties so that they shine gorgeously under the stage lights.

In a stroke of brilliance, this under-performed restoration comedy has been cloaked in the guise of a 1920s Mayfair Set full of waggish women and not-so-gentle gentlemen. Perfect Mayhem initially established themselves on the premise that they had seen far too many productions with all-male casts, and the fairer sex really give the men a run for their money in Vanbrugh’s play: Lady Brute (Laura Corbett) is stuck in a loveless marriage with a man she ...

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