How the Other Half Loves review – Alan Ayckbourn’s ingenious farce brings the houses down
Why This Matters
Key context: <p><strong>The Old Vic, London</strong> <br>The suburban romp of envy and infidelity in two different homes comes bouncing back to life with a fizzing cast led by Roger Allam</p><p>Early in a career that reaches 92 plays with <a href="https://sjt.uk.com/events/the-trial-of-romeo-oscar">The Trial of Romeo Oscar</a> at his Scarborough home base next month, Alan Ayckbourn often spins titles from expressions: Absurd Person Singular, Relatively Speaking, Joking Apart and How the Other Half Loves, his ninth play.</p><p>In How the Other Half Loves (1969), the pun is doubled. Two couples – the Phillipses and Featherstones – envy how the well-to-do Fosters, boss Frank and wife Fiona, live. But structurally, the Phillipses and Fosters occupy half the set each, actors blanking out characters in the other house even while making phone calls to each other side by side. In the second scene, when the Featherstones – unwittingly used as adultery alibis by Mr Phillips and Mrs Foster – simultaneously attend dinner parties on consecutive nights with the other couples, the two actors in both scenes swivel their heads at tables laid across each other.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2026/aug/12/how-the-other-half-loves-review-old-vic-london-alan-ayckbourn-roger-allam">Continue reading...</a> This development from The Guardian highlights ongoing changes in the sector.
The Old Vic, London The suburban romp of envy and infidelity in two different homes comes bouncing back to life with a fizzing cast led by Roger AllamEarly in a career that reaches 92 plays with The Trial of Romeo Oscar at his Scarborough home base next month, Alan Ayckbourn often spins titles from expressions: Absurd Person Singular, Relatively Speaking, Joking Apart and How the Other Half Loves, his ninth play.In How the Other Half Loves (1969), the pun is doubled. Two couples – the Phillipses and Featherstones – envy how the well-to-do Fosters, boss Frank and wife Fiona, live. But structurally, the Phillipses and Fosters occupy half the set each, actors blanking out characters in the other house even while making phone calls to each other side by side. In the second scene, when the Featherstones – unwittingly used as adultery alibis by Mr Phillips and Mrs Foster – simultaneously attend dinner parties on consecutive nights with the other couples, the two actors in both scenes swivel their heads at tables laid across each other. Continue reading...
Curation & Context
This page summarizes a public news report from The Guardian. Global News Hub provides the "Why This Matters" takeaway using editorial insights and AI curation to give readers rapid, high-value context before they click through to read the full article.