The Wife of Willesden
Closed 1h 40m
The Wife of Willesden
85

The Wife of Willesden London Reviews and Tickets

85%
(5 Ratings)
Positive
100%
Mixed
0%
Negative
0%
Members say
Clever, Entertaining, Delightful, Absorbing, Raunchy

About the Show

Multi-award-winning author Zadie Smith's playwriting debut.

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Show-Score Member Reviews (5)

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54 Reviews | 2 Followers
80
Raunchy, Hilarious, Entertaining, Delightful

See it if you like different stories told in a venue around which many of the stories unfolded and are a fan of Zadie Smith's writing

Don't see it if you are prudish or looking for something classic or mind a bit of magical exploration

139 Reviews | 4 Followers
75
Reimagined, Wonderful cast, Daring, Loud, Witty

See it if You enjoy masterclass in a reimagined tale & ‘The Wife’ sharing her knowledge & her truth. Entertaining, unique & good fun.

Don't see it if you don’t enjoy reimagined/reinvented/remixed theatre. Contains adult themes/bad language

28 Reviews | 0 Followers
96
Absorbing, Clever, Delightful, Enchanting, Entertaining

See it if You like the diverse cultures of london the same way chancer intended with a modern language

Don't see it if You don't like chancer

20 Reviews | 0 Followers
80
Empowering, Clever, Adaptation, Funny, Raunchy

See it if you are looking for a comedic adaptation of the Wife of Bath, this play is a reimagination of the story that promotes female empowerment

Don't see it if you don't understand 90s British references, if you are not a fan of the Wife of Willesden book, and if you are put off by strong females

8 Reviews | 0 Followers
100
Absorbing, Ambitious, Enchanting, Entertaining, Clever

See it if you enjoy music and a good laugh. The cast was brilliant and the time went by so quickly. You must see it before it ends.

Don't see it if you are easily embarrassed. There are a lot of references in regards to sex. Everything was done in a nice way and there's no nudity.

Critic Reviews (4)

The London Evening Standard
November 18th, 2021
For a previous production

Indhu Rubasingham’s production is full of brio and unpretentiously immersive, the supporting ensemble enlisting our sympathy with sidelong glances and sheepish grins. This is a bizarre and uneven evening, but in a good way.
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Time Out London
November 19th, 2021
For a previous production

You could make a case for ‘The Wife of Willesden’ as the world’s coolest Middle English lecture: even if you don’t feel like you’ve learned about Chaucer, you will have done.
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The Guardian (UK)
November 18th, 2021
For a previous production

Presented in association with Brent Borough of Culture, The Wife of Willesden is a celebration of community and local legends, of telling a good story and living a life worth telling. Not bad for an original text that’s 600 years old.
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The Arts Desk
November 19th, 2021
For a previous production

In The Wife of Willesden, [Zadie Smith's] debut play, a modern version of one of the Canterbury Tales, Smith’s talent for mixing high and low is at full power.
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