Woman in Mind

Woman in Mind description

In real life Susan is bored and frustrated. But her fantasy world is completely different. This is the latest production of Alan Ayckbourn's classic Woman in Mind, his thirty-second play and a legend in its own lifetime. Susan is married to a vicar who doesn't notice her any more. She may as well be invisible. She's bored stiff, fed up with her humdrum life, sick of being neglected, taken advantage of, and ignored. So she builds a perfect fantasy life to escape into, a place where she's rich and happy, everyone loves her and eveything is perfect. As Susan daydreams in the garden her two lives begin to merge with disturbing yet hilarious consequences. Do you laugh or cry? Probably a bit of both!

The play premiered in 1985 and has appeared regularly on stages across the world ever since. Last revived in 2009, now it's back in the capital, given a fresh new face and an extra-haunting spirit thanks to clever staging and lighting that veers between dark and eerie, bright and joyous. No wonder this wonderful play is just as popular now as it was forty years ago. Showcasing Ayckbourn at his finest, it's a real treat for lovers of serious theatre and those of you who thrive on the unexpected. Susan's bizarre attempt to escape from the grim reality of her dreary domestic life will captivate you.

Playing at Duke of York's Theatre (venue info)