Passion Play

This is a terribly grown up play. It also makes me feel old as I saw it when it was fresh to the West End stage  in the early 1980s aptly starring Leslie Phillips as the middle-aged Lothario, tempted into a bit of rumpy-pumpy with a much younger woman.

Its grown up as its all on the theme of middle-aged infidelity and betrayal. It is about some our most used fundamental human weaknesses - lust, revenge, deception - getting in the way of some of our finer virtues - loyalty, love, honesty. If that all sounds terribly heavy, well yes it is, but there are plenty of laughs in this play too. And some extremely clever devices. Well one in particular. The two main protagonists have their alter egos on stage, so as we watch the main players in active dialogue, we have their thoughts being played out as well as their words. You really have to see it. But it is just very clever, and totally engrossing.

The big name in the cast is Zoe Wanamaker and she is every bit as good as one could hope for as the put upon middle-aged wife who suddenly finds that her husband is having an affair, in the most humiliating fashion, from a letter intercepted by her friend. One sees the sneaking enjoyment of her friend in being able to bring the devastating news. She in turn decides to tell her husband of her own previous infidelity, not in a bout of honesty but to get back at him. And so a long-standing marriage all unravels. Yes pretty grown up themes. A powerful play, but what ought to be rather too grim is lightened by a lot of humour, and by this brilliant "doubling-up" of the actors on stage.