Somerset Maugham was a playwright in the mould of Noel Coward, a writer who concealed some bitter truths beneath sparkling dialogue.

By Angie Millard

Photos by Mihaela Bodlovic

The Constant Wife is essentially a comedy of manners, and I was surprised by the serious message it conveys about women’s lives and upper middle-class marriage as depicted in 1926. 

The plot is a simple one: a wife in a 15-year-old marriage discovers her husband is having an affair with her best friend and must decide what to do about it. Laura Wade has done a remarkable adaptation of the original play and with the addition of a couple of scenes and extra dialogue she redefines the basic premise and makes the audience realise the predicament Constance faces.

Wade has written a scene in which Bernard (husband of Constance’s best and betraying friend) arrives at the household to expose the affair. This came later in the original play but moving it forward adds urgency to the story as does another new scene in which Constance discovers the adulterous couple ‘in flagrante’. We then know that Constance, by slipping away, has held this knowledge for a year and has had time to reflect.

Kara Tointon plays Constance with superb restraint and demonstrates a keen intelligence. We meet her sister Martha (Amy Vickary-Smith), a single woman who runs an interior design business who offers Constance a job and advises her to leave her husband. Vickary-Smith maintains pace and sharpness in her role, creating an astute and independent character. 

Her mother (Jane Lambert) is old fashioned and has lived her life by the adage ‘what can’t be cured must be endured,’ but Constance has other ideas.

Tim Delap plays the entitled husband with panache and Gloria Onitiri is credible as Marie-Louise the empty-headed mistress. Only Bentley (Philip Rham), a wise and discreet butler, is Constance’s confidante and acts as an anchor to the action.

Suffice to say, Constance can use an old and loyal friend Bernard (Alex Mugnaioni) to construct a satisfactory revenge.

Throughout it is Constance’s role to show us how unfair life was for some women and when she mentions casually that she has sent her husband’s accountant money to cover her bed and board over the past year, we feel her bitterness. From a 1920’s comedy Wade has shaped a play with contemporary resonance.

The production has wit and sophistication, aided by Cat Fuller’s superb costumes and Anna Fleischle’s intricately detailed sets.

Finally, a versatile jazz score, composed by Jamie Cullum, perfectly captures the era. 

I was entertained but left with a few thought-provoking ideas which isn’t bad for a 1920’s comedy. Tamara Harvey is an ingenious director, adding slo-mo movement and dance to facilitate scene changes. She transmits her message with deft touches, offering a tantalising glimpse into a time gone by.

The Constant Wife is being performed at York Theatre Royal until 31 January 2026.