Review: The Constant Wife (Swan Theatre)

Review by Raphael Kohn

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It’s funny how modern this 1928 play by W. Somerset Maugham feels. It’s not the writing – while adapted by Laura Wade, its lines certainly don’t sound like a modern play. Nor is it the aesthetics, which firmly place us in the 1920s. But yet, it feels sparklingly new and fantastically modern nonetheless, its joyously satirical look at upper-class attitudes towards gender roles in society as piercingly funny today as when it first premiered. Somehow, it doesn’t feel its age.

It's not exactly what you’d think a play from 1928 would be like. Its heroine Constance, aware of her husband’s infidelity, gets her own triumph in her self-sought independence, and is somewhat ambivalent to the situation. This isn’t a set-up to some fun-poking at her for her decisions; she’s the heroine of the story through and through. But thankfully, due to some excellent updating in Wade’s capable hands, it also gets a little bit deeper.

What has been added in the almost-century since The Constant Wife’s premiere is a little bit of darkness. Wade’s adaptation stretches Constance into an insightful third dimension, making some necessary cuts and tweaks to clear space in the runtime to explore Constance’s real feelings on the situation. Can someone really be so blissfully content out of nowhere when finding out their spouse is having an affair? Wade certainly thinks not – and gets into some thought-provoking territory as she does so.

But it’s not a revolutionary re-write, with no tonal whiplashes and unexpected slang. This is not some radical re-interpretation. Instead, it’s a much gentler update, adapted with poise. At times, it’s difficult to work out what’s Wade’s and what’s Maugham’s, and when it’s more obvious it never sticks out like a sore thumb, but rather with a knowing wink and a smile to the audience.

Under Tamara Harvey’s direction, it all has an air of sophistication to it. Harvey’s less-is-more approach to her actors is a treat of its own here, letting the humour flow naturally not through slapstick or mugging but through precise timing and subtle looks. It’s her cast that really shine here, each one giving detailed and insightful performances. There’s an enjoyably brusque energy on the stage whenever Kate Burton sets foot on there as Constance’s mother, while Amy Morgan offsets this with her insightful portrayal of Constance’s sister.

Really though, it’s about Constance herself. And this is where the play’s trump card is played, as actor Rose Leslie takes to the RSC’s stage. You may know her from Game of Thrones, or Downton Abbey, or The Good Fight, but live on stage is where she truly shines. Thanks to Wade’s insightful adaptation, she’s given a lot to play with, exploring a Constance whose apparent nonchalance at her husband’s infidelity is just a façade behind which her true feelings hide. For Constance, it’s all about maintaining composure and poise, which Leslie does with aplomb.

And then there’s Luke Norris as John, Constance’s unfaithful husband, who tackles his dislikable role with a sneering superiority. Thankfully, he gets to show a lighter, funnier side to the role as he is brought to insanity by the rapidly-building finale. Perhaps though, the funniest turn comes from Raj Bajaj’s Bernard, both pathetic and sympathetic all at once.

None of this is performed in isolation though; thankfully, it’s all contextualised by Anna Fleischle’s gorgeous set which brings the world of The Constant Wife to life in style. Just as Harvey directs her actors with a light touch, Fleischle sets the scene plainly with two sofas and a gorgeous backdrop. There are hidden features to reveal clever details throughout, peeling themselves off in layers as the play progresses, often unveiled to the gentle beat of Jamie Cullum’s new jazz compositions for the production. As with everything else in The Constant Wife, there’s more beneath the surface than you first see.

It all makes for a delightfully entertaining evening out, full of sparklingly sharp yet subtle satire which feels just as relevant now as it did a century ago. It’s never too on-the-nose, never too biting, nor does it attempt cringe-worthily shoehorned-in modern parallels. Even so though, there’s plenty of thought-provoking and depth to it as well. And at a time when it sometimes feels that every ‘classic’ play requires a new re-imagining, maybe what we really need is more of this instead.

The Constant Wife plays at the Swan Theatre in Stratford-Upon-Avon until 2nd August 2025. Tickets from https://www.rsc.org.uk/the-constant-wife/

Photos by Johan Persson