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Set in a seemingly quiet and quaint English countryside house, Noël Coward’s classic comedy Hay Fever is anything but quiet; it roars back to the West End with a sensational cast playing the outrageous Bliss family and their unsuspecting guests. Written and set in the 1920s, this adaptation, directed by Emily Burns, feels surprisingly modern, fresh and relatable to today’s audience. Apart from the costumes, décor and certain language, that deliberately transports you back to the time period- there is little that makes the production feel dated. Remaining incredibly funny and chaotic, Hay Fever proves that Coward’s sharp wit and eccentric characters still have the power to entertain a modern audience nearly a century later.
At the centre of this chaos are the acting legends of stage and screen Christine Baranski and Richard E. Grant, who are quite simply a joy to watch. Baranski is perfect in the role of Judith Bliss, commanding the stage with an effortless confidence and gorgeously judged comic timing. She manages to make Judith completely ridiculous while still giving her a warmth that makes you want to watch her. Every look, pause and line delivery feels deliberate, and Baranski knows exactly when to hold a moment for the audience. She also gets the opportunity to showcase another side of her talent (as this is a play and not a musical) when Judith sits at the piano and sings. Her powerful vocals fill the theatre, and the audience’s reaction makes it clear just how much they enjoy hearing her sing. With her previous musical performances in productions such as Mamma Mia! and Chicago, it is hardly surprising that she can command a stage musically as effortlessly as she does comedically. It is a lovely change of pace within the chaos of the production and another reminder of Baranski’s ability to completely command the stage.
Alongside her, Richard E. Grant brings his own unmistakable energy to the Bliss household. My only criticism is that Grant is in the production considerably less than I expected, especially when compared with his top-billed counterpart, Baranski, and the rest of the cast. However, when he is on stage, he is a powerhouse. He completely commands the space, bringing a brilliant physicality and energy to the role that makes you wish there was even more of him. His ability to turn even a simple reaction into a comic moment makes his appearances particularly memorable, and his chemistry with Baranski creates one of the production’s most entertaining dynamics.
The Bliss children, played by Ophelia Lovibond and Will Close, are equally entertaining. They open the show and take the lead in their roles, immediately establishing the eccentric world of the Bliss family. Once Baranski joins them on stage from the garden, stepping out of her wellies to reveal a pair of silver stilettos(iconic), the tone is set perfectly. It is a moment that encapsulates the glamour, absurdity and sheer confidence of this family. Lovibond and Close do not simply fade into the background behind their famous co-stars; they bring their own eccentricity and comic energy to the family. Their performances help create the sense that the Bliss household operates according to its own completely bizarre rules. Watching the four members of the family interact is particularly enjoyable because there is a sense that none of them quite realise how unusual they are, making the reactions of everyone around them even funnier.
This is where the supporting cast of unsuspecting guests become so important. Ash Hunter, Lucy Karczewski, Jo McInnes and Charles Edwards, who are each invited separately by a different member of the family, provide the perfect contrast to the Bliss family. Their characters arrive expecting an ordinary, respectable country-house visit, only to find themselves caught up in the family’s extraordinary behaviour. Their increasingly bewildered reactions give the audience a way into the madness of the Bliss household, and the ensemble works particularly well when the chaos begins to escalate. The comedy depends not only on the Bliss family being outrageous, but on the guests reacting to them, and the supporting cast handle this brilliantly. Their performances allow the audience to experience the growing absurdity of the ever changing situation alongside them, creating a wonderful sense of shared amusement throughout the theatre.
The production design by Frankie Bradshaw also deserves recognition, particularly the incredible living room of the Bliss family. This is the only set used throughout the production, and you never feel that anything more is needed. It is polished to the nines, immediately establishing the world of the play and creating a beautiful 1920s country-house environment. At the same time, it provides the perfect space for the characters’ increasingly chaotic behaviour. The set feels lived-in and luxurious without distracting from the performances. The costumes are equally gorgeous, capturing the style of the 1920s while helping to establish the personalities of the characters. They develop from more casual loungewear into increasingly extravagant hosting attire, complete with glitter and jewels. This progression reflects the escalating absurdity of the evening, while the attention to detail makes the production feel visually rich. Costume Supervisor Natasha Ward and Head of Wardrobe Kate Hemstock deserve credit for bringing Bradshaw’s costume designs to life.
What makes Emily Burns’ production particularly successful is the balance between preserving Coward’s original comedy and allowing it to feel fresh. The performances never feel as though they are simply recreating a play from the 1920s; instead, the cast give the characters a modern energy while remaining faithful to Coward’s distinctive humour. The pace, performances and visual design work together to create a production that feels wonderfully chaotic without ever becoming difficult to follow. Burns allows the comedy to feel spontaneous and unpredictable, while the production remains carefully controlled underneath. Most importantly, the cast clearly understand that comedy is often at its best when played completely straight, allowing the ridiculousness of the Bliss family to speak for itself.
Ultimately, Hay Fever is a reminder that great comedy does not necessarily have an expiry date. A century after Coward wrote it, the Bliss family remain just as outrageous, self-absorbed and entertaining as ever. With an outstanding cast, beautiful production design and brilliantly energetic direction from Emily Burns, this is a production that embraces the madness of Coward’s world and invites the audience to enjoy every second of it. Leaving the theatre, it is difficult not to feel that Coward’s Bliss family have somehow managed to make nearly one hundred years feel like no time at all.
With Hay Fever currently booking at Wyndham’s Theatre until 12 December 2026, this is a limited West End run that deserves to be seen. Go see it, you won’t regret it. It is a glamorous, sophisticated and thoroughly entertaining evening that leaves you laughing, and perhaps wishing you could spend just a little longer in the wonderfully chaotic world of the Bliss family and the fact you’ve seen Christine Baranski in the flesh…
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Reviewed by Emma Knott
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