Director Jonathan Church and a terrific cast have achieved another triumph for this outstanding 2008 season with a lustrous production of The Circle by W. Somerset Maugham.

A novelist as well as a dramatist, Maugham was a prolific writer who
became a legend in his own lifetime. But his popularity has slowly declined since his death 40 years ago.

Admittedly The Circle is somewhat dated now - but not as badly as much of his work - and remains very much of its era (the 1920s).

But as a period piece it can still work beautifully in the right hands and Church, his creative team and his formidable band of players allow their audience to luxuriate in nostalgic splendour.

I guarantee you won't find anything wittier or more elegant in the theatre nowadays.

Mixed in with the subtle humour evoked by this cleverly written piece are, quite properly, moments of poignancy, when leading characters take off their masks and bare their souls.

The comedy itself often has a sardonic edge, betraying the cynicism inherent in Maugham's own character. He dispenses quite a few home truths, too, but on the whole (to use the vernacular of the period) this is ripping good fun.

The setting - an impressive use of space by designer Simon Higlett - is a mansion in Dorset, home of wealthy, aristocratic types who are having a bit of a family reunion.

But someone has invited the black sheep in the person of the scandalous Lady Kitty who has been living in exile in Italy for 30 years since abandoning her husband Clive and son Arnold to run off with a pompous politician.

Her return puts the cat among the pigeons, especially as her daughter-in-law Elizabeth is herself planning to leave Arnold for someone younger and more exciting.

When Elizabeth turns to her for advice, Kitty reacts, "It breaks my heart that you are going to make the same pitiful mistake I did."

And before the play ends we learn: "What a splendid institution marriage is for women! What fools they are to meddle with it!" Not exactly 21st century sentiments!

The Circle was first performed at Chichester in 1976 with a star-studded cast that included one Susan Hampshire as Elizabeth.

Now Susan is back but this time to tackle the colourful role of Kitty, a woman trying to ignore the passage of time and clinging to her glamorous but rather shallow past.

Ms Hampshire does full justice to her assignment, presenting us initially with an extravagant and empty-headed creature but later allowing this facade to crumble as she opens her heart to reveal hidden depths.

Kitty has never been forgiven by her son who speaks of "growing up in the shadow of a terrible scandal." He wants Elizabeth to "take her proper place in society" and is appalled at the prospect of a divorce.

Richard Lintern elicits little sympathy thanks to his convincing portrait of a haughty, stiff-necked husband. One can understand why Elizabeth, played in straight-forward fashion by Charity Wakefield, is so bored she wants to leave him.

On the other hand, it's difficult to see why Teddy, her no-holds-barred lover - "my heart is thumping in my chest" - would be so passionate about her. But it's a lovely performance by Bertie Carvel, well judged in every way.

There's a fine contribution from David Yellen as Clive, the wronged man, who, after being deserted by Kitty, believes people make too much fuss about love.

He seems able to take misfortune on the chin. Contrarily, the bluff and bombastic Lord Porteous, who ran off with Kitty, regrets that in other circumstances he might have become Prime Minister. Here is a Dayglo character brought vividly to life in a scene-stealing turn by Philip Voss.

The Circle plays in repertoire with The Music Man at Chichester Festival Theatre from July 22 to August 29.

Tickets, £11-£33, available online by clicking here or from the box office on 01243 781312.


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