I first saw The Real Thing in 1982 at The Strand Theatre, Pinter had written Betrayal in1978 and Marber wrote Closer in 1997; all three plays are an exploration of relationships and their subsequent breakdown.

By Angie Millard

Photos by John Saunders

Each play reflects the style and concerns of the author and Stoppard found a way to represent the reality of the mess and pain adultery causes. In Betrayal Pinter told of a long secret liaison with Joan Bakewell which eventually lost its spark and in Closer Marber just dissects human behaviour but interestingly Stoppard uses his wit and style to analyse what love is all about in The Real Thing.

The play is theatrical and artificial; the opening scene captures this. The chief protagonist Henry, played by Alan Park, represents the author as writer and Park injects this performance with attack and superb energy which helps to carry the rest of the cast. Henry is clever and feels things deeply but covers this with a constant use of humour and banter which dazzles and wearies everyone. His wife, Charlotte, played by Victoria Delaney has coped with this over several decades by becoming tough and losing her illusions. Delaney demonstrates this subtly, she looks after herself yet remains attractive. But as the plot unfolds we are led more deeply into Henry’s psyche.

His affair with Annie (Alice May Melton) is shown unromantically. She turns up at his flat with turnips for crudites and later her husband discovers  a ‘filthy handkerchief’ used to clean up after she and Henry have had sex on the back seat of her car. She too is overshadowed by Henry and it is difficult to understand their relationship. He wants to be her ‘chap’ and is prepared to accept the way she makes her ‘stupidity coherent’. Surprisingly, Henry is non-judgemental. However, I needed more passion from her performance. She puts up little fight against Henry’s juggernaut approach although the script articulates her feelings. 

Mike Hickman as Max, the cuckolded husband, Rebecca Harrison as Billie (Annie’s female love interest) and Hannah Waring as Henry’s daughter Debbie are a strong supporting cast. Livy Potter as a sullen Brodie is used by Stoppard to criticise careless writing and as a late replacement in the cast deserves a plaudit.

The play is a bravura display of Stoppard’s talent. The sequence in which Henry explains the skill of writing by comparing it to the construction of a cricket bat ‘sprung like a dance floor’ is perfect.  As the director, Jacob Ward says:’ It’s confusing and complex because it’s meant to be’ and Ward has done his best to update it, not least by changing the gender of two roles. I preferred her lover Billie to be a young man but it was an interesting reversal.

Ward’s set is ingeniously designed by Richard Hampton. Through the use of mobile door frames and doorways we are shown three North London flats. The cast all come on between scenes to shift these, move chairs and place props appropriately. This must have taken a lot of rehearsal and their interaction was used to surprising comic effect.

I occasionally heard the voice of Noel Coward and Oscar Wilde in the play and realised it is in fact a modern Comedy of Manners. Jacob Ward has produced an excellent version of a clever play which deserves a contemporary vision.

The Real Thing is being performed at York Theatre Royal until 15 April 2023. The Director is Jacob Ward and Stage Manager is Alina Longmore.