★★★☆☆ The witty wordplay of Stoppard is always something to look forward to. His playful anachronisms and deftly placed Shakespearean quotes litter the stage for those with a tuned ear. They were, one suspects, no small reason for the success of the film which is progenitor to this stage version.

★★★★★ It would be difficult to fault this play in any particular: the writing, acting, directing, setting and lighting are all of the highest order. There are playwrights who, having reached a kind of mastery over their art can begin to play with the audience’s expectations.

★★★★☆ Director Lindsay Posner ensures the combatants are never still for long on Peter McKintosh’s simple circular living room set, skilfully bringing insulted guests back into the fray just when you think they are gone for good, and always keeping an edge to the night that stopped just short of face scratching!

★★★★★ As the poet considers the weight of every word so great acting considers each gesture and inflection. It operates in a realm beyond mere excellence, where it illuminates at the same time as exciting a delight for its own sake . . . If David Suchet is exceptional that is only because the level of everything else in the production is excellent.