'Full of flair and flamboyance, Laurence Boswell's splendid revival maintains a masterly control of the play's range of moods – the black humour and the moral horror of it…in the role of Livia, Penelope Wilton is a magnificently witty and amused predator'
Independent
'Dark and glittering…what's marvellous about Laurence Boswell's staging is that he catches the wicked fun at the heart of all this…Livia is superlatively played by Penelope Wilton…I would send anyone interested in theatre to study just how she speaks the language…a great actor on top form…you're engaged, with her, in humour, scheming, sin, cunning, lust, grief and, finally, vengeance'
Financial Times
'Sex, death and spectacular revenge…all wonderfully creepy stuff…an extravagantly pony-tailed Tim Pigott-Smith is in splendidly sinister form as the predatory Duke…there is a fabulously sexy performance from Hayley Atwell as Bianca'
Daily Telegraph
'Laurence Boswell's fine production…Tim Pigott-Smith's Duke…reminds us this is a play about male power as well as female guile…Peter Guinness shines as a bejewelled pandar, while Michael Thomas stoically embodies the cardinal virtues…in short, a high-grade revival'
Guardian
'Thomas Middleton's drama about innocents corrupted embraces some startlingly bold conjunctions of comedy and pathos…Elliot Cowan moves strikingly from newly-we buoyancy to bereft pain. Susan Engel and Julian Curry are touchingly sweet and well as foolish old parents'
Independent on Sunday
