When Fiona Foster and Bob Phillips are accused by their spouses of having an affair, they recruit the unsuspecting Featherstones as part of an elaborate alibi. What begins as an attempt to avoid suspicion develops into a series of misunderstandings involving three couples whose lives become increasingly entangled. As secrets multiply and stories collide, the situation spirals into a carefully constructed farce built on deception, class tensions, and marital discord.

Written by Alan Ayckbourn, How the Other Half Loves is one of the playwright's best-known comedies and the work that established him as a major figure in contemporary British theatre. This production is directed by Phillip Breen. The staging returns the play to the in-the-round format for which it was originally conceived, emphasizing the interconnected lives and overlapping domestic spaces at the heart of the comedy.

The production runs at The Old Vic from 29 July to 19 September 2026 as part of the theatre's In The Round season. Access performances throughout the run include captioned, audio-described, British Sign Language-interpreted, and relaxed performances. Suitable for audiences aged 12 and above, the production revisits Ayckbourn's examination of marriage, social expectations, and middle-class domestic life through one of his most enduring comic works.