The Constant Wife
Images by Mihaela Bodlovic
Last night I attended Theatre Royal Bath's opening press night of a new adaptation of The Constant Wife by Olivier Award-winning Laura Wade and based on the comedy by W. Somerset Maugham.
W. Somerset Maugham was one of the great literary celebrities of the early 20th century, achieving enormous success as both a playwright and novelist. First staged in 1926, The Constant Wife was considered remarkably daring for its time, thanks to its sharp exploration of marriage, infidelity, and female independence.
The play sits right at the intersection of several things Maugham was obsessed with marriage as performance, financial dependence, and the gap between what society pretends to value versus what people really do.
Images by Mihaela Bodlovic
Maugham’s writing process was famously disciplined and professional rather than romantic or tortured. He treated writing almost like a craft trade and was extremely methodical. And with his plays especially, he was obsessed with audience response. He had an almost architectural understanding of theatre: timing, entrances, reversals, revelations. He knew exactly how to build tension in a drawing-room comedy.
This play first emerged during the 1920s, a period when social attitudes toward women were shifting after World War I. Women had gained greater independence, more visibility in professional life, and increased social freedom, but marriage was still restrictive for many women. Maugham became fascinated by the question:
“What happens if a wife refuses to behave the way society expects her to?”
And one thing that deeply shaped him was his own complicated personal life. Maugham was bisexual (though he lived in a period where he couldn’t openly discuss this), and many scholars think this gave him a slightly outsider perspective on conventional marriage and social expectations. He often wrote about relationships as negotiations of power rather than idealised romance.
That clearly feeds into The Constant Wife. In the hands of playwright Laura Wade and this superb cast at Theatre Royal Bath, it feels remarkably fresh, witty, and relevant for a contemporary audience.
The tour first opened in Blackpool in January and has travelled across the UK, with stops including Chichester, York, Oxford, Brighton, Liverpool, Cambridge, Edinburgh and Leeds, before eventually heading overseas for a special run aboard the Queen Mary 2 during its Transatlantic crossing.
From the very beginning, I found myself completely absorbed by the razor-sharp dialogue and sparkling exchanges between the characters. Laura Wade’s adaptation brilliantly preserves the intelligence and sophistication of Maugham’s writing while giving the play a modern energy and emotional accessibility that makes every line land beautifully. There were countless moments of laughter throughout the evening, but beneath the comedy lies something far more perceptive - a thoughtful exploration of marriage, independence, infidelity, gender expectations, and ultimately forgiveness.
This play first emerged during the 1920s, a period when social attitudes toward women were shifting after World War I. Women had gained greater independence, more visibility in professional life, and increased social freedom, but marriage was still restrictive for many women. Maugham became fascinated by the question:
“What happens if a wife refuses to behave the way society expects her to?”
And one thing that deeply shaped him was his own complicated personal life. Maugham was bisexual (though he lived in a period where he couldn’t openly discuss this), and many scholars think this gave him a slightly outsider perspective on conventional marriage and social expectations. He often wrote about relationships as negotiations of power rather than idealised romance.
That clearly feeds into The Constant Wife. In the hands of playwright Laura Wade and this superb cast at Theatre Royal Bath, it feels remarkably fresh, witty, and relevant for a contemporary audience.
The tour first opened in Blackpool in January and has travelled across the UK, with stops including Chichester, York, Oxford, Brighton, Liverpool, Cambridge, Edinburgh and Leeds, before eventually heading overseas for a special run aboard the Queen Mary 2 during its Transatlantic crossing.
From the very beginning, I found myself completely absorbed by the razor-sharp dialogue and sparkling exchanges between the characters. Laura Wade’s adaptation brilliantly preserves the intelligence and sophistication of Maugham’s writing while giving the play a modern energy and emotional accessibility that makes every line land beautifully. There were countless moments of laughter throughout the evening, but beneath the comedy lies something far more perceptive - a thoughtful exploration of marriage, independence, infidelity, gender expectations, and ultimately forgiveness.
Images by Mihaela Bodlovic
Kara Tointon is outstanding as Constance, delivering a nuanced, confident performance filled with warmth, intelligence, and quiet emotional complexity. She commands the stage effortlessly, capturing both Constance’s wit and her inner resilience with remarkable subtlety. Tointon brings a contemporary edge to the character without ever losing the sophistication of the original role, and she remains utterly compelling throughout.
Equally impressive is Sara Crowe as Mrs Culver, whose more traditional views on womanhood and marriage create some of the production’s funniest (and most revealing) moments. Crowe’s performance is sharp, theatrical, and endlessly entertaining, perfectly embodying a woman clinging to old-fashioned expectations in a world that is steadily changing around her.
I also particularly enjoyed Amy Vicary-Smith as Martha Culver, Constance’s independent-minded sister. Often criticised for her “spinsterhood” by Mrs Culver, Martha ironically feels like one of the most relatable characters for a modern audience. Vicary-Smith gives the role such charm and comic precision, and her wonderful “recap” monologue at the beginning of the second act deservedly received one of the biggest laughs of the night.
Meanwhile, Philip Rham delivers an understated yet deeply effective performance as Bentley. Bringing a welcome sense of calm and sincerity to the production, Rham subtly conveys why Bentley is one of the few people Constance truly trusts.
The entire ensemble is excellent, and there is never a dull moment on stage. Every character feels vividly alive, helped enormously by Wade’s adaptation, which allows the personalities, humour, and emotional tensions to leap from the page with such warmth and vitality.
Equally impressive is Sara Crowe as Mrs Culver, whose more traditional views on womanhood and marriage create some of the production’s funniest (and most revealing) moments. Crowe’s performance is sharp, theatrical, and endlessly entertaining, perfectly embodying a woman clinging to old-fashioned expectations in a world that is steadily changing around her.
I also particularly enjoyed Amy Vicary-Smith as Martha Culver, Constance’s independent-minded sister. Often criticised for her “spinsterhood” by Mrs Culver, Martha ironically feels like one of the most relatable characters for a modern audience. Vicary-Smith gives the role such charm and comic precision, and her wonderful “recap” monologue at the beginning of the second act deservedly received one of the biggest laughs of the night.
Meanwhile, Philip Rham delivers an understated yet deeply effective performance as Bentley. Bringing a welcome sense of calm and sincerity to the production, Rham subtly conveys why Bentley is one of the few people Constance truly trusts.
The entire ensemble is excellent, and there is never a dull moment on stage. Every character feels vividly alive, helped enormously by Wade’s adaptation, which allows the personalities, humour, and emotional tensions to leap from the page with such warmth and vitality.
Images by Mihaela Bodlovic
Directed by Tamara Harvey, co-Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, the production also features original music by award-winning musician Jamie Cullum.
The production’s set and costume design also deserves special praise, helping to immerse the audience completely in the glamour and sophistication of the 1920s. Every detail felt carefully considered, from the simple yet elegant interiors to the beautifully tailored costumes, all of which added an extra layer of richness and authenticity to the performance. The visual design never overshadowed the dialogue or performances, but instead complemented them perfectly, creating a world that felt both stylish and lived-in. Together, the set and costumes captured the charm and opulence of the era.
Ultimately what impressed me most was how relevant The Constant Wife still feels today. Despite being written nearly one hundred years ago, its observations about relationships, female independence, reputation, and societal expectations remain surprisingly resonant. Laura Wade has done a fantastic job reimagining the play for contemporary audiences while still honouring the sophistication, intelligence and elegance of the original text.
Unexpected, clever, funny, and hugely entertaining, this is a production full of sharp wit and superb performances.
By the end of the evening, it felt impossible not to admire both the brilliance of the writing and the remarkable cast bringing it so vividly to life.
The production’s set and costume design also deserves special praise, helping to immerse the audience completely in the glamour and sophistication of the 1920s. Every detail felt carefully considered, from the simple yet elegant interiors to the beautifully tailored costumes, all of which added an extra layer of richness and authenticity to the performance. The visual design never overshadowed the dialogue or performances, but instead complemented them perfectly, creating a world that felt both stylish and lived-in. Together, the set and costumes captured the charm and opulence of the era.
Ultimately what impressed me most was how relevant The Constant Wife still feels today. Despite being written nearly one hundred years ago, its observations about relationships, female independence, reputation, and societal expectations remain surprisingly resonant. Laura Wade has done a fantastic job reimagining the play for contemporary audiences while still honouring the sophistication, intelligence and elegance of the original text.
Unexpected, clever, funny, and hugely entertaining, this is a production full of sharp wit and superb performances.
By the end of the evening, it felt impossible not to admire both the brilliance of the writing and the remarkable cast bringing it so vividly to life.
The show now runs at Theatre Royal Bath from Monday 11 to Saturday 16 May.