CHARLEY’S AUNT

Watermill Theatre

★★★★★

“Rob Madge’s adaptation is an education”

“Charley’s Aunt” is one of the most successful and enduring British farces of all time. Written by Brandon Thomas, it premiered in London in 1892 and has been hugely popular ever since. Its absurd plot, fast paced humour and clever use of mistaken identity and cross-dressing make it a hallmark of archetypal farce, influencing many later comedies, films and sitcoms.

In this joyous new adaptation, superbly directed by Sophie Drake, this classic Victorian play has been given a glow-up by Rob Madge, the award winning creator of My Son’s a Queer (But What can you do?). From the moment you enter the auditorium, the diversity of the audience, the outrageous pink set and the sound of Dora Jar, Doja Cat and Gil Berg leave you in no doubt where we are heading for the night. Rob Madge said ‘how do we tackle gender bending being used as a comedic trope in this current age?’ Well they have managed to recycle and repurpose a brilliant farce, bring it bang up to date and make Charley’s Aunt as relevant to our society as it was to the Victorians.

The plot remains roughly the same, ambiguously set in Victorian times, but with some amusing modern phrases and twists – satisfyingly stronger roles for the women being a positive addition. Two young Oxford Undergraduates, Jack Chesney (Benjamin Westerby) and Charley Wykeham (a quite hilarious performance by Jonathan Case), want to propose to their girlfriends Kitty Verdun (Yasmin Özdemir) and Amy Spettigue (Mae Munuo). Their proposal is thwarted by rigid social etiquette and the need to have a proper chaperone present – Charley’s wealthy Aunt, Donna Lucia d’Alvadorez (a fabulously restrained Maggie Service) is supposed to arrive from Brazil, but when she doesn’t show up, they have to find someone to dress up and take her place so they can entertain the girls.

This production is an absolute hoot with a very talented and strong cast. The whole concept and vibrant costume design (Alex Berry) has a distinctly ‘Bridgerton on steroids’ feel to it. The versatile set lends itself well to the farcical elements of the play, and everyone is scrambling to meet the standards of Victorian marriage and propriety, which are easily mocked and subverted.

At the heart is queering up Charley’s Aunt which is a fantastic idea – the play is already full of gender-bending, identity confusion and performative social norms, which makes it ripe for a queer reimagining. The casting of a non-binary actor (a sensitive yet riotous performance by Max Gill) as Babbs instead of a heterosexual actor explores how their identity makes the disguise both more complicated and yet more liberating – revealing layers the original play only hinted at.

Rob Madge’s adaptation is an education.. transforming a 19th century farce into a tool for contemporary social education, revealing how gender is performed, how identity is constructed and how joy and comedy can challenge outdated norms – all while inviting modern audiences to confront and celebrate the complexities of queerness. Charley’s Aunt is about putting on a role to gain love or acceptance – a deeply relatable queer experience. Queering it doesn’t just modernise this play – it unlocks what was already there, just beneath the surface.

CHARLEY’S AUNT

Watermill Theatre

Reviewed on 8th October 2025

by Sarah Milton

Photography by Mark Senior

CHARLEY’S AUNT

The Canterville Ghost

Unicorn Theatre

Reviewed – 20th November 2019

★★★★

“this spirited show in London Bridge is going to bring a smile to a good many people’s faces over the next few weeks”

Oscar Wilde’s 1887 short story is given a 21st century makeover at one of the capital’s leading theatres for young audiences.

Diplomat Hiram Otis is posted to England with his rabble family. They rent an old Gothic mansion that turns out to have a resident ghost, one Sir Simon Canterville. Attempts to spook the Otis’s by Sir Simon are ignored by the streetwise New Yorkers and this ghost who has been looking for a resting place for over three hundred years is in utter despair, until baby of the family Virginia, takes him seriously, listens to him and helps solve the riddle that will allow him to rest in peace.

This tale is presented with the aid of illusion and magic, Sir Simon having his head under his arm, objects appearing and disappearing, flying furniture and even a body being sawn in half. A simple set (Rosie Elnile) consisting of a blood stained carpet, two large tables and a model house symbolising the mansion are all utilised to the maximum and moved about with an impressive slickness. Lighting (Prema Mehta) is immensely impressive, the windows in the model house all lighting up and the illusions neatly disguised.

This is a highly amusing adaptation, every neatly constructed line seems to contain no words with less than six syllables and the characterisations are pitched perfectly for a young audience, with the humour appreciated greatly by the children, without it being childish. This is a thoughtfully directed piece by Justin Audibert, a huge amount of energy has been injected into the play and so much of the action is delivered with a real flourish.

All the cast are strong, the twin boys, played by girls (Rose-Marie Christian & Mae Munuo) always in unison, Nathaniel Wade enthusiastically playing elder son Washington who is inventing a hat containing an umbrella and Safiyya Ingar charming as green fingered Virginia. Maple syrup loving Dad (Nana Amoo-Gottfried) and interior designed obsessed Mum (Beth Cordingly) are spot on with their relationship and handling of their slightly troublesome offspring. Paul McEwan has a ball playing Sir Simon, I was concerned that the way he slurs a lot of his lines could make it difficult for youngsters, who are hanging on his every word, to decipher what he’s saying. Annie Fitzmaurice as the Scottish housemaid is a positive delight, it was like lifting Private Frazer from Dad’s Army into a female body, all doom, gloom and threats of varicose veins, she was hilarious.

The pace slackened a little in the second act, but the packed audience, consisting mainly of children, absolutely loved it. The young lad sitting next to me rushed back from the interval and announced that he couldn’t wait to see what would happen next.

With Unicorn’s magic and a ghost, I think that this spirited show in London Bridge is going to bring a smile to a good many people’s faces over the next few weeks and is perfect material for all the family.

CHARLEY’S AUNT

Watermill Theatre

★★★★★

“Rob Madge’s adaptation is an education”

CHARLEY’S AUNT

Watermill Theatre

Reviewed on 8th October 2025

by Sarah Milton

Photography by Mark Senior

Previously reviewed at this venue:

CHARLEY’S AUNT

CHARLEY’S AUNT

CHARLEY’S AUNT

Unicorn Theatre

Reviewed – 20th November 2019

★★★★

“this spirited show in London Bridge is going to bring a smile to a good many people’s faces over the next few weeks”

Oscar Wilde’s 1887 short story is given a 21st century makeover at one of the capital’s leading theatres for young audiences.

The pace slackened a little in the second act, but the packed audience, consisting mainly of children, absolutely loved it. The young lad sitting next to me rushed back from the interval and announced that he couldn’t wait to see what would happen next.

With Unicorn’s magic and a ghost, I think that this spirited show in London Bridge is going to bring a smile to a good many people’s faces over the next few weeks and is perfect material for all the family.

Reviewed by Chris White

Photography by Manuel Harlan

The Canterville Ghost

Unicorn Theatre until 5th January

Chris White’s last ten reviews:

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