The Wife of Willesden (Brooklyn Academy of Music) NYC Reviews and Tickets
About the Show
Production Covid-19 Safety ProtocolsShow-Score Member Reviews (47)
See it if you like fast paced show that has something to say.It says it well without hitting us over the head with the message.Brilliant performances.
Don't see it if you want froth.This has some froth mixed in with a powerful message.The acting is perfection.My objection is that there is no program.
See it if This outstanding play with engaging actors, wonderful staging & direction is a definite must see! Bravo to the entire cast.
Don't see it if No negative comment.
See it if / for a powerhouse performance by Clare Perkins in a very funny, and faithful (in spirit) adaptation of Chaucer by Zadie Smith.
Don't see it if you’re a prude, or if you’re thinking of bringing a pre-teen child. Read more
See it if Youre bookish and open to appreciating Chaucer in a contemporary context. It's not a play, but a one-woman show plus ensemble.
Don't see it if Fast text and rapid movement distracts you
See it if (Wo)manifest of what coupled women want in a their relationships via a sexually awakened 55 year old Black Jamaican woman of 5 husbands.
Don't see it if Revisionist Chaucer, Black intersectional feminist voices, some meandering parts of original piece (75% prologue) aren't your thing. Read more
See it if you like creative, multi-cultural, intersectional characters playing a version of Chaucer's story. It is funny, feminist, with great staging
Don't see it if you have trouble listening to accents, it's ok if you miss a word or two. If you only like a traditional cast and interpretation of Chaucer.
See it if you like to see updated works that bring new life and relevance in entertainment. This is a great cast with a dynamic performance by Perkins
Don't see it if the combination of old British and Jamaican dialects and vocabulary make it difficult to grasp everything even with a translation card.
See it if If you like a modern adaptation of Chaucer that isn’t going to shy away from critiquing the patriarchy on a blunt scale. Very clever updates
Don't see it if Sexual themes. If you struggle too much with rhyme couplets or London/Jamaican accents. They do give you a glossary of phrases. No break. Read more
Critic Reviews (7)
“The ‘Wife of Bath’ is an everywoman, but she’s also a singular literary creation, a character who transcends her moment.”
Read more
“...‘The Wife of Willesden’ can seem more of Chaucer’s time than our own, despite its modern trappings.”
Read more
“This is no one-woman show: Alvita gets plenty of support from her squad...But Alvita drives the narrative from start to finish. It’s a mammoth, hugely challenging role, and Perkins is phenomenal—hilarious, sexy, shattering, and one heck of a dancer. And she does it all in heels!”
Read more
“ ‘The Wife’ in essence espouses the view that men ought to respect their wives to the point of allowing women to rule the roost...Most of us, I’d venture, would be content with equality and mutual respect...In this instance, the best response might be to sit back and enjoy it as the playwright goes her clever, merry way.”
Read more
“ ‘The Wife of Willesden’ is a proudly local piece–I definitely felt like I was missing cues about relationships and class from details like accents and costumes and referents that went over the head of the American audience.”
Read more
“...Smith has transformed Alyson to Alvita, a Jamaica-born Londoner of today, in a comedy faithful to its source material yet discerning about contemporary social issues.”
Read more
“ ‘The Wife of Willesden’ emerges as more than just an academic exercise in precocity, thanks in part to director Indhu Rubasingham’s clever staging.”
Read more