The Rivals: a ‘lively’ retelling of the 18th-century comedy

Image of Patricia Hodge on stage performing

Patricia Hodge is ‘ever-elegant’ as Mrs Malaprop

(Image credit: Ellie Kurttz / Orange Tree Theatre)

Director Tom Littler brings a “sparkier” version of Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s first play to life at the Orange Tree in Richmond, southwest London, said Heather Neill on The Arts Desk. With the “ever-elegant” Patricia Hodge taking on the role of Mrs Malaprop and the “skipping pace” of this rendition, there is “never a dull moment”.

Instead of the original story’s 1775 set-up, Littler takes the action to 1927. This updated setting allows for references to “cars and a telephone box” and also lets set designers Anett Black and Neil Irish conjure a “fantasy Twenties world” with “attractive gilded art deco friezes and colourful period costumes”.

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The “slick and colourful” revival is a “more faithful update” than other adaptations, said Dominic Maxwell in The Times. The show is elevated by “savvy comic performances that largely stop short of caricature”. Robert Bathurst presents a “robust, unselfish” Sir Anthony Absolute, while Zoe Brough as Lydia Languish and Boadicea Ricketts as Julia Melville deliver performances that are “very now without feeling laboured”.

Sheridan’s work had a “sharp satirical bite” at the time, said Dave Fargnoli on The Stage, but the “social comedy” doesn’t hold as much weight today. Still, Littler makes up for it by “leaning into the farcical plot” and “amping up the silliness” with extra gags. With its “colourful costumes” and “Charleston-style choreography”, “The Rivals” is a “thoroughly entertaining” spectacle that makes for a “lively” evening.

At the Orange Tree Theatre, London, until 24 January, then Theatre Royal Bath (27-31 January) and The Arts Theatre, Cambridge (3-7 February).

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Deeya Sonalkar joined The Week as audience editor in 2025. She is in charge of The Week's social media platforms as well as providing audience insight and researching online trends.

Deeya started her career as a digital intern at Elle India in Mumbai, where she oversaw the title's social media and employed SEO tools to maximise its visibility, before moving to the UK to pursue a master's in marketing at Brunel University. She took up a role as social media assistant at MailOnline while doing her degree. After graduating, she jumped into the role of social media editor at London's The Standard, where she spent more than a year bringing news stories from the capital to audiences online. She is passionate about sociocultural issues and very enthusiastic about film and culinary arts.