6th November 2023
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This well-rounded and witty production of The Constant Wife stars Kara Tointon and is adapted by Laura Wade. The play follows a middle-class woman named Constance who discovers her husband is having an affair with her best friend, Mary Louise. Written in 1926, it follows her unconventional reaction, which allows her to reclaim her life from the traditional societal expectations.
The introduction begins with a piano playing as the lights dim. The director splits the play into sections through the use of flashbacks. It was incredibly clear that the scene had changed, and we were now back a year ago. They did this by changing the lighting to blue and the set changing, but only slightly. The most noticeable change is a section of wallpaper falling to reveal paint swatches and pencilled writing that says ‘One year later’. This flashback is where we discover Constance has known about the affair this whole time. This play rewrites the stereotype of women being hysterical and dramatic and flips it onto men. Throughout the play, Constance is controlled and measured in her defence and doesn’t even request a divorce. We discover this is because she is financially trapped.
The Constant Wife follows Contance’s social consciousness developing as she begins to question what a wife is and why she has no autonomy and freedom. It really emphasises the transactional reality of marriage. By the end, through her job as an interior designer, she has completely reclaimed her life and goes on a holiday independently. She has complete freedom from financial and social burdens. Her unconventional reaction to the affair means she has time to begin questioning her whole existence as a middle-class woman. Ultimately, this whole play is a reclaimation from the dependence the patriarchy expects women to have on men.
Overall, the acting is superb. There is slight overacting from Mary Louise; however, it can be attributed to her character. The play was completely immersive and had me completely captivated. Also, the jokes landed. Filled with euphemisms, the audience was laughing from beginning to end.
Laura Wade says, “When Maugham wrote the play, women’s right to vote and the passing of the Women’s Property Act were recent history. But we’re still in this situation today where women are often at a financial disadvantage in their relationships. They can lose pensions, savings, and careers simply by having children. The play is a real rallying cry for having a running-away fund.” She is emphasising how topical and prevalent these issues are still today.
It was a very meta theatrical version of the play. The actors clearly highlight that we were watching a performance. Moments that really emphasise this included the use of dramatic irony and frequent title drops. Meta theatre is a dramatic technique that purposefully draws attention to its own nature as a dramatic performance rather than reality. It directly calls on the audience to react and take responsibility. Most of the audience was part of the older generation who probably have dealt with marital issues. The play’s main theme was marriage, particularly the intersection between money, marriage and women’s autonomy. It speaks directly to the women in the audience who may still feel they have little financial freedom or autonomy in their traditional marriage. Especially declaring that there are answers external to conventional marital expectations.
The audience loved the production, and at the end, a significant number of people gave standing ovations. I thought the director tackled the play in a fun and exciting way. It highlights how The Constant Wife is still relevant in today’s society, even 100 years after it was written. Overall, it was an amazing production that completely surpassed my expectations. Catch it at the Liverpool Playhouse until the 14th March.
Tickets for The Constant Wife are available here: https://everymanplayhouse.com/event/the-constant-wife/
For other reviews, please click here – https://www.liverpoolguildstudentmedia.co.uk/category/reviews/
