The Constant Wife comes to Brighton ahead of the West End

Theatre Royal, Brighton Mon 23 Feb - Sat 28 Feb 2026

Prior to London’s West End. David Pugh and Cunard present The Royal Shakespeare Company production The Constant Wife.

Adapted by Olivier Award-winner Laura Wade (Home, I’m Darling; Rivals) from Somerset Maugham’s glittering comedy, originally opened in Stratford upon Avon to marvellous reviews and sold every seat.

It’s 1927. Constance is a very unhappy woman. “Nonsense” says her mother “she eats well, sleeps well, dresses well and she’s losing weight. No woman can be unhappy in those circumstances.” Constance is the perfect wife and mother, and her husband is as devoted to her as he is to his mistress, who just happens to be her best friend.

Directed by Co-Artistic Director of the RSC Tamara Harvey, this sparkling new version will star Kara Tointon (TV’s Mr Selfridge and Winner of Strictly Come Dancing) and features original music composed by multi award- winning jazz artist Jamie Cullum.

The cast for this new production includes; Kara Tointon (Mr Selfridge, Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, Twelfth Night for The Royal Shakespeare Company, and The Windsors: Endgame at the Prince of Wales Theatre) as Constance; Jules Brown (The Shawshank Redemption on a UK Tour and Ghost the Musical on an International & UK Tour) as Mortimer; Tim Delap (Jane Eyre at the National Theatre, Peaky Blinders) as John; Gloria Onitiri (Hadestown in the West End, A Christmas Carol at The Old Vic) as Marie-Louise; Alex Mugnaioni (The Taming of the Shrew at the Globe Theatre, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin at the Harold Pinter Theatre and on tour) as Bernard; Philip Rham (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Jane Eyre for Shared Experience in an International and UK Tour before the West End) as Bentley; Amy Vicary-Smith (The Duchess (of Malfi) at Trafalgar Studios and Machinal at The Orange Tree Theatre) as Martha; and Sara Crowe (Calendar Girls at the Noel Coward Theatre, Four Weddings & A Funeral and Private Lives at the Aldwych Theatre, for which she won an Olivier Award for best supporting actress) as Mrs Culver. Also joining the company are Sam Flint, Jocasta King and Jane Lambert.