Theater Review—

Westport Is Offering A Delightful Revival Of Maugham’s ‘Circle’

By Julie Stern

WESTPORT — Some years ago on a rainy afternoon I sat down on the couch with the collected short stories of Somerset Maugham and discovered, by the time it had grown dark, that they were like the fabled potato chips: too tasty to stop until they were almost all gone.

I’d forgotten about that when we went to Westport Country Playhouse recently to see their revival of his 1920s drawing room comedy The Circle, which is why (honestly) I was expecting to be a little bored. Not the case! In fact, it was witty, ironic, and totally delightful.

Somerset Maugham was a contemporary and rival of Noel Coward. They shared many similar traits and experiences. Prolific and commercially successful, they shaped the way the rest of the world viewed the British upper classes, they lived the high life in the south of France, and quietly, secretly, served their country in war time as part of British Intelligence.

But where Coward’s plays were essentially farces, Maugham used the same material to explore character in  greater depth. Without sacrificing the opportunity for a goodly number of droll one-liners,  his works have enough substance to make you think about them.

The plot in this case centers around an embarrassing family reunion, set in motion by a fanciful young woman whose idealized conception of romance is more attractive than the reality of her marital circumstances.

Thirty years earlier, when Arnold Champion-Cheney was only five years old, his mother, the beautiful Lady Catherine, ran off with her husband’s best friend, Lord Hugh Porteous. Since the first Lady Porteous refused to grant him a divorce, the couple were shunned by polite English society, and forced to live in Italy. Arnold, who never saw his mother again, grew up to become a renowned interior decorator, and a member of Parliament, married to the lively and spirited Elizabeth.

When she learns that Hugh and Catherine are back in England, Elizabeth impulsively invites them for a visit. Unfortunately, on the same weekend, Arnold’s father, Clive, turns up unexpectedly, and the house party from hell is set in motion. Where Elizabeth visualized passionate, star-crossed lovers, they turn out to be a pair of bickering old fools. Clive, who appears healthier and more contented than either of them, takes his long postponed revenge by teasing them unmercifully, and raising Catherine’s hopes that he might possibly be persuaded to take her back.

Even as Elizabeth is disillusioned by the reality of the older couple, she is being wooed by Edward Luton, a intense young colonial on home leave from Malaya, who wants her to go back with him and be his woman. Can stuffy, stodgy Arnold prevent the past from repeating itself and close the circle? Can Catherine, Hugh and Clive give them the benefit of their collective wisdom and experience?

Or, even if they will end up as diminished and foolish as Hugh and Catherine, will it still be worth it for Elizabeth and Edward to take their chance at happiness?

Westport has assembled a high-powered cast including some well known names. Marsha Mason, in heavy make-up, is the raddled Lady Catherine. John Horton and Paxton Whitehead are the old rivals, Hugh and Clive. Gretchen Hall is a charming Elizabeth, and Bryce Pinkham and Marc Vietor are their young counterparts.

As I said at the beginning, this was truly entertaining, old fashioned theater of the best kind. According to the program notes, The Circle is one of Maugham’s most frequently revived plays.  It’s easy to understand why.

(Performances continue only until Saturday, June 25. Call 203-227-4177 or 888-927-7529 or visit www.WestportPlayhouse.org for details on the final performances and ticket prices.)