On its opening night at the Festival Theatre, The Constant Wife felt less like a revival and more like a reminder of just how ahead of its time W. Somerset Maugham really was. Written in 1926, the play sits neatly in the world of drawing-room comedy, but beneath the polished dialogue and social niceties there is something far more unsettling. It asks what happens when a woman refuses to react in the way society expects.
That tension is at the centre of this new version by Laura Wade, directed by Tamara Harvey for the Royal Shakespeare Company. Wade keeps the 1920s setting but softly reshapes the structure, bringing moments forward and adding a flashback that shows Constance discovering her husband’s affair. It is a small change, but an important one. It shifts her from someone who seems coolly detached into someone who has made a very conscious decision about how to respond.
At the centre of it all is Kara Tointon, who gives a performance that is controlled without ever feeling distant. Her Constance is observant, composed, and decisive and shows no dramatic outburst, Instead, Tointon lets the character’s intelligence do the work. You can see her thinking, choosing her next move. It makes her far more interesting than a wronged wife in the traditional sense, and far more modern too.
The supporting cast help build a world where her response feels both shocking and completely logical. Tim Delap plays John with an easy confidence that borders on complacency, the kind of man who assumes things will carry on as they always have. Gloria Onitiri brings a careful balance to Marie-Louise, never quite tipping into caricature, while Sara Crowe as Mrs Culver embodies a generation that has fully accepted the double standards Constance begins to question. Their attitudes are not exaggerated. That is what makes them convincing.
Visually, the production is elegant without drawing too much attention to itself. Anna Fleischle’s set and costumes, created with Cat Fuller, suggest a world of comfort and control, all clean lines and carefully chosen colour. The design supports the story rather than competing with it. Jamie Cullum’s music adds a light sense of period without overpowering the action. Although there were a couple of set malfunctions, these didn’t distract from the action.
What stands out most is how contemporary the play feels. The idea that a woman might choose independence over emotional performance still carries weight. Constance does not forgive, but she does not collapse either. She simply refuses to play the part written for her. In 1926 that must have felt quietly radical. It still does now. By the end, the play leaves you with a simple but uncomfortable question. If someone refuses to behave as expected, is the problem with them, or with the expectations themselves. This production does not force an answer, but it makes the question linger long after the curtain comes down.
Reviewer: Nazaret Ranea
Reviewed: 31st March 2026
North West End UK Rating: