Woman in Mind at Duke of York’s Theatre Review
Written by Philip for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Alan Ayckbourn’s darkly comic Woman in Mind returns to the West End, its first major revival since 2012, bringing with it a play that is at once witty, unsettling, and quietly tragic. This glossy revival stars the incomparable Sheridan Smith and Romesh Ranganathan in his stage debut.
At the centre of the story is Susan (Smith), a housewife trapped in the monotony of her daily existence. When she is knocked unconscious after standing on a garden rake, Susan awakens under the care of the well-meaning but ineffectual Dr Bill Windsor (Ranganathan). Left briefly alone, her mind slips into fantasy, and she is soon surrounded by the family she wishes she had: Andy (Sule Rimi), the perfect husband; Lucy (Safia Oakley-Green), the brilliant daughter; and Tony (Chris Jenks), the attentive brother. They dote on her, offer champagne and promise comfort and care.
This dream family, however, is an illusion—an escape from the bleak reality of Susan’s life. Her real husband, Gerald (Tim McMullan), is distant and emotionally neglectful; her sister-in-law Muriel (Louise Brealey) is neurotic and overbearing; and her son Rick (Taylor Uttely) is so weary of the family dynamic that he avoids it entirely. As Susan retreats further into fantasy, the boundaries between the imagined and the real begin to blur, and her grip on reality slowly unravels.
Sheridan Smith is the driving force of the production, and she is nothing short of extraordinary. Having recently portrayed other women on the brink—including Muriel in Opening Night and her electrifying turn as Shirley Valentine—Smith approaches Susan with remarkable precision. She is utterly captivating, revealing Susan as witty, sharp and increasingly defiant, a woman who has simply had enough. Smith captures every nuance of her psychological deterioration, charting Susan’s descent moment by moment, scene by scene. The result is a thrilling and deeply affecting performance.
Romesh Ranganathan makes a confident theatrical debut as Dr Bill Windsor. His Bill is cheerfully incompetent, bumbling yet endearing, and Ranganathan’s comic timing is put to excellent use. Tim McMullan is superb as Gerald, playing him with dry, clipped insensitivity that generates much of the play’s dark humour. His performance also subtly reminds us that Gerald, too, is emotionally ill-equipped, even if far less sympathetic. Louise Brealey’s Muriel is a chaotic, madcap presence, her nervous energy providing both laughs and discomfort in equal measure.
The fantasy family initially appear warm and idyllic, but as the play progresses, they take on a more sinister quality. Sule Rimi, Safia Oakley-Green and Chris Jenks work almost as a collective force, gradually tightening their grip on Susan’s psyche. Each finds moments of light and shade, with the darker undertones becoming increasingly dominant in the second act.
Soutra Gilmour’s set and costume design are particularly striking, especially in the clear visual contrast between Susan’s two worlds. The fantasy sequences burst with vivid oranges, reds, pinks and yellows, while reality is rendered in muted blues and browns. Floral motifs and greenery feature heavily, with Susan’s soft floral costume proving especially effective. Andrzej Goulding’s video design continues this aesthetic, adding a hazy, dreamlike quality during hallucinations, while Lee Curran’s lighting deftly shifts between warm and cool tones to reflect Susan’s emotional and mental state.
The production’s primary weakness lies in Ayckbourn’s writing itself. Although many of the play’s themes—loneliness, isolation, and mental health—remain relevant, the characters can feel trapped in their era. Susan, particularly as portrayed by the modern, formidable Smith, often seems too strong to tolerate the treatment she receives, which lends the piece a slightly dated quality. While the play clearly gestures towards its central themes, Ayckbourn tends to signpost rather than fully interrogate them. That said, for a play now 40 years old, Woman in Mind undeniably still holds its own.
This revival is glossy, compelling and packed with star power, largely thanks to Sheridan Smith’s commanding performance. While the production sparkles, it never quite escapes the limitations of its time, leaving the play’s most resonant ideas just shy of the depth they deserve.
Woman in Mind plays at Duke of York’s Theatre until 28th February before visiting Sunderland and Glasgow.
★★★★
