Roger Allam is ‘a joy’ in hilarious comedy

Old Vic Theatre

Alan Aykbourn’s early play about marital troubles consolidates its reputation as a comedy classic. Some reviewers found certain elements of misogyny dated but most felt the play was either skewering the failings of men back in the sixties, or still relevant. The story of infidelity being covered up at two dinner parties that take place on separate nights but simultaneously on stage was well received, as well as Philip Breen’s in-the-round production (‘highly enjoyable’ FT). The cast were praised, especially Roger Allam (‘a masterclass in comic timing’ Telegraph & Times).

4 stars ⭑⭑⭑⭑

Marianka Swain for the Telegraph explained: ‘What could be funnier than one excruciating dinner party? Try two – played simultaneously’. She continued: ‘Phillip Breen’s production is in the round, as originally intended, heightening our voyeuristic sense of peeking behind the suburban net curtains’.  She liked the look: ‘Howell supplies eye-popping design, from a turquoise landline to orange stripes, flares and, memorably, Allam’s skimpy running shorts. This is firmly embraced as a period piece, though Ayckbourn’s sharp observations about class, matrimonial malaise, gender inequality and English repression still hit home. It’s a reminder that this genius writer delivers his comedy with a sting in the tail.’

The Financial Times’ Sarah Hemming agreed: ‘Phillip Breen’s highly enjoyable revival at London’s Old Vic relishes the period detail, while also scoping out the shrewd social commentary and fundamental human truths that underpin the chaos.’ She raved about Roger: ‘Allam’s Frank is a joy, a man lost in the mists of his own self-esteem, who can make a tediously detailed instruction on how to find the bathroom into a masterclass in comic timing’.

The Independent’s Alice Saville noted: ‘In this surreal domestic comedy, the marital state becomes an elaborate instrument of torture. Three couples become entangled in its workings, their spirits crushed and their wits mangled by it.’ She ended: This revival is full of broad, sprawling performances, which sometimes warp this drama’s neat structure, but often illuminate the terror of living in a world whose social rules were changing at lightning speed. Break the rules of marriage and the whole world starts to collapse along with them.‘

The Times’ Clive Davis centred on Roger Allam: ‘Whether he’s simply putting on his raincoat or making an entrance in his underpants, you can’t take your eyes off Roger Allam. If there are moments when the Old Vic’s revival of How the Other Half Loves grinds through the gears — some characters are closer to props than real people — Allam delivers a masterclass in comic timing. Every pause, every hesitation, every bumbled phrase is a delight.’

Mark Lawson reviewing for The Guardian had a good evening: ‘The cast of six … is more than half the joy, their verbal and physical humour stopping the show as surely as big numbers in musicals’.

Aliya Al-Hassan popped up at  WhatsOnStage to say: ‘director Phillip Breen delivers a masterful interpretation of Ayckbourn’s How The Other Half Loves. A deliciously amusing exposure of class anxiety and gender politics, it is as relevant today as it was when written in 1969.’ She concluded: ‘is testament to the skill of the performers that the energy never drops. A laugh-out-loud and multi-layered production.’

BroadwayWorld’s Alexander Cohen praised members of the cast: ‘Adam Gillen’s mesmerisingly Buster Keaton-like physicality (…) Roger Allam relishes in sending up Frank’s public school pompousness, bobbing around like a stiff-necked owl’.

Cheryl Markoski for LondonTheatre called it ‘utterly hilarious and at times shockingly painful’.

3 stars ⭑⭑⭑

The Stage’s Sam Marlowe was a bit sniffy about it: ‘There’s not a lot here to chew on, really, but Breen serves up the chuckles and the winces with aplomb. Theatregoers with a taste for Ayckbourn’s brand of adroit old-school entertainment will no doubt tuck in.’

The Standard’s Nick Curtis was unmoved: ‘It’s meticulously plotted and executed, elegantly staged in the round as originally conceived, and coasts successfully on the comic timing of Dorothy Atkinson and Roger Allam … It’s also wildly implausible and dated. I found myself smiling thinly amid belly-laughers.’

Critics’ average rating 3.8⭑

Value rating 50 (Critics’ rating combined with typical ticket price)

How The Other Half Loves can be seen at the Old Vic Theatre until 19 September 2026. Buy tickets directly from the theatre www.oldvictheatre.com

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