Last week, I travelled down to the Oxford Playhouse, in the centre of Oxford, to watch the Theatre Royal Bath’s  adaptation of Somerset Maugham’s “The Circle”. This play was first performed in 1921 and revolves around themes of infidelity, love and societal norms. 

There was a bustling atmosphere at the entrance with a large crowd gathered outside and nearly all the colourful seats inside of the Playhouse were taken. 

The production was  traditional and straightforward with simple setting and lighting. The elegant costumes fit perfectly with my idea of chic 1920s. With the simplicity of the staging, all eyes were on  the acting, which was brilliant. A stand out performance for me was Jane Asher, who played Kitty,  as she carried the character with bags of charm and wit. Her arrival really shifted the mood and the liveliness of her tragic-comic character sparked many pools of laughter throughout the play. 

It reminded me of a modern sitcom:  a lighthearted comedy with moments of high drama where a  group of friends are caught in a web of romantic entanglements in a living room setting. Initially though, I found it somehow hard, as a younger viewer, to connect with some of the situations especially those related to societal expectations for women and how trapped they felt with very few options beyond marriage- concerns which, thankfully, feel quite old fashioned to me. But as the play progressed,  I found myself more and more immersed in their love stories and could definitely relate to the difficulties of listening to sensible arguments and advice in the pursuit of love and happiness.


Overall, I spent a really enjoyable evening at the Playhouse and left with a renewed appreciation for the energy and dare of the women of the roaring 20s.