Hayfever - Wyndham's Theatre

4/5 Stars

There are dysfunctional families, and then there are the Blisses, who seem to have turned dysfunction into something of an art form.

Noël Coward's Hay Fever, directed in this revival by Emily Burns, stars Christine Baranski and Richard E. Grant as Judith and David Bliss, a wonderfully eccentric married couple whose idea of a relaxing weekend in the country is probably enough to send most people running for the nearest railway station. They're joined by their equally theatrical grown-up children, Sorel and Simon, played by Ophelia Lovibond and Will Close.

Set in the family's country house beside the Thames in the 1920s, the story follows a weekend in which each member of the Bliss family has independently invited a guest to stay, without bothering to tell anyone else. What follows is an increasingly ridiculous collision of flirtation, misunderstandings, bruised egos and spectacularly bad hospitality. The Blisses, of course, are having a wonderful time. Their unfortunate guests are rather less enthusiastic.

Frankie Bradshaw's set is absolutely beautiful. Opulent without feeling unnecessarily extravagant, it captures the comfortable wealth of a 1920s riverside country house, with furnishings that suggest nobody living there has ever worried much about the electricity bill. It's exactly the sort of home you can imagine a retired actress choosing to live in. Although, as we soon discover, Judith Bliss has never really embraced the idea of retirement.

I wasn't entirely convinced by Baranski at first. Her performance seemed ridiculously over the top, even for Noël Coward. Yet the longer the play went on, the more I began to understand that embracing this exaggerated style was the key to understanding Judith. Her emotions are genuine, but she experiences and expresses them through performance. She doesn't just feel anger, grief, or excitement; she immediately turns each feeling into a public display, making a spectacle of what might otherwise remain private. Her theatrics reveal how intensely she feels, but they also let her control the situation and avoid facing those feelings too directly. Once I recognised that Baranski's apparent overacting was precisely Judith's way of moving through the world, my initial scepticism gave way to appreciation, and I thoroughly enjoyed every absurdly exaggerated moment

Richard E. Grant is equally entertaining, if not groundbreaking, as David Bliss, the family's patriarch and a novelist who seems to inhabit a world only loosely connected to reality. Grant brings a wonderful sense of flamboyance to the character, delivering even the most ridiculous flights of fancy as though they are entirely reasonable. Having watched him on The Traitors, I did find myself wondering quite how far he'd needed to stretch himself to play David. There's something about his natural eccentricity that makes the character's behaviour seem perfectly plausible, even when it really shouldn't.

Ophelia Lovibond is particularly good as Sorel, matching her mother's energy with an almost effortless sense of chaos. She's almost Judith's protégé, having seemingly inherited not only her theatrical instincts but also her complete disregard for how her behaviour appears to anyone outside the family. To Sorel, it all seems like one enormous game.

Close's Simon takes the family's eccentricity to another level with a performance that is gloriously chaotic and, at times, almost absurdly theatrical. His exaggerated mannerisms and unpredictable outbursts fit perfectly into this extraordinary household. Although, with Judith and David as parents, I suppose neither child ever stood much chance of being normal.

The chemistry between the four is excellent, and their comic timing makes even the most ridiculous exchanges feel completely natural.

The four unsuspecting guests, played by Nancy Carroll, Charles Edwards, Ash Hunter and Lucy Karczewski, provide the perfect contrast. Their mix of politeness, bewilderment, and growing desperation is wonderful to watch as they try to navigate a household where the usual rules of social interaction have apparently been abandoned.

Charles Edwards is particularly good as Richard Greatham. He brings a wonderfully reserved, almost painfully polite English quality to the character. His understated, buttoned-up performance is the perfect counterbalance to the Bliss family's relentless theatrics and over-the-top expressions. There's something deliciously funny about watching a socially awkward man desperately try to maintain his dignity in a house where everyone else seems determined to abandon theirs.

There's a scene midway through the production in which the family and their guests play a parlour game. For me, it was one of the most enjoyable sequences in the entire show, with the comedy suddenly finding another gear. The more I thought about it, the more I realised that, for the Bliss family, their entire lives are essentially one enormous game. Their guests are merely pawns, and the family seem blissfully unaware and unconcerned that anyone else might not be enjoying themselves quite as much.

I did have a couple of reservations. The opening section could have been pacier. It takes a while to establish the characters. Although the dialogue is clever, the production doesn't really find its rhythm until the guests arrive and the evening's entertainment gets underway. Coward wrote Hay Fever in 1924, and his ability to observe human behaviour and the absurdities of social convention remains remarkable. Nevertheless, I couldn't help wondering whether, if the play were written today, the opening might be a little tighter.

My other reservation was the interval. The production with an interval runs for approximately two hours (roughly 1hr 40 mins without interval). Personally, I felt the interruption came just as the comedy was gathering momentum. I appreciate that costume changes and practical considerations may be involved, but I would have preferred a slightly shorter production without an interval to maintain the comedic flow.

That said, this is a thoroughly enjoyable revival, with some excellent performances and a beautifully realised setting. I wasn't laughing continuously, but when the comedy works, it works!

It's an entertaining evening with fabulously flamboyant over-the-top performances of a family whose chaotic company is considerably more enjoyable from the safety of my seat!

The Blisses are wonderfully chaotic company for an evening at the theater, but if any of the invited me for a weekend on the river, I think I’d suddenly remember a prior engagement. Preferably abroad!

Seen 15/10/26

⭐ 4/5 stars

Accessibility at Wyndham's Theatre

Wyndham's Theatre is generally a very accessible West End venue for wheelchair users. However, a few things are worth knowing before you visit.

The wheelchair-accessible entrance is via a platform lift at street level, which takes you directly into the wheelchair seating area at the rear of the stalls. The access team will meet you, operate the lift and help you into the auditorium when it's ready.

You can only use this entrance once the auditorium opens, usually about 30 minutes before the performance, though timings can vary slightly. I recommend arriving 15 to 30 minutes before the start, which should give you plenty of time to get in and settled. If you arrive earlier and the auditorium isn't open yet, the theatre can provide a ramp into the main foyer, so you don't necessarily have to wait outside.

I really cannot fault the access team at Wyndham's. They're excellent. They meet you on arrival, operate the platform lift, help you get settled and check whether you need anything during the interval.

The wheelchair seating area is essentially a box at the rear of the stalls. Previously, a substantial wall separated it from the auditorium, but this has now been removed, making the space feel considerably more open and connected to the rest of the theatre.

The theatre has two designated wheelchair parking or level-access transfer spaces and two companion seats, though the configuration is flexible. The theatre can accommodate four chairs instead for customers who require level access or prefer to transfer from their wheelchairs.

During our visit, there were two wheelchair users, including myself, and we both fitted comfortably with companions beside us. The other wheelchair user (using a manual chair) could move behind my chair to reach the accessible toilet with ease.The only complication arose when access customers seated elsewhere in the stalls needed to use the accessible toilet, as we had to move our wheelchairs to allow them through. It wasn't a major inconvenience, but it's worth bearing in mind, especially if you find moving difficult.

The wheelchair spaces are at the very back of the stalls and due to the dress circle overhang, your view of the upper part of the stage is restricted. For Hay Fever, this wasn't particularly problematic. There were a couple of moments when characters disappeared up the staircase, but nothing important happened out of sight. However, when we saw My Master Builder, starring Ewan McGregor, there was a scene involving him climbing to the top of the set that we couldn't see at all. It's therefore worth checking how a particular production uses the stage height before booking.

The accessible toilet is conveniently located beside the wheelchair seating area, but it's extremely small. It feels rather as though somebody found a broom cupboard and decided it would make a perfectly acceptable accessible toilet. Manoeuvring a larger power chair inside can be difficult, and if you need to side transfer, I would suggest that the toilet is unlikely to be suitable.

One possible alternative worth exploring is the accessible toilet at the Noël Coward Theatre, Wyndham's sister venue, which is just around the corner. I haven't confirmed whether this is an option, but if you know the toilet at Wyndham's won't meet your needs, I would suggest speaking to the access team beforehand to see whether they can make an arrangement.

Overall Wyndham's Theatre is somewhere I'm generally very comfortable visiting as a power wheelchair user. The wheelchair seating area is spacious, the sightlines are good for productions that don't make extensive use of the upper stage, and the access team are excellent. The main limitation is the accessible toilet, which is simply too small for some wheelchair users, particularly those requiring a side transfer.