“In this early 18th century comedy, a Prince is obliged by law to marry one of his subjects and so disguises himself as a cavalry officer in order to woo the peasant girl of his choice. Silvia is a northern lass with attitude, in love with Harlequin, a northern lad with attitude but they both end up destined to live happily ever after with the wily, bewigged aristocrats who have lured them away. The fun is in the excellent contemporary translation, relished especially by Kevin Drury as Harlequin in bubble-pricking comments like, “What a load of twaddle!” Abby Leamon ably rises to the challenge of the argumentative Silvia but the day is carried by Jonathan Ashley as Trivelin, a butler so comically servile that his knees are permanently bent. His anguished facial expressions are a delight. The concentrated dialogue is reinforced by Geraldine Bunzl’s majestic set. In this period drawing-room, the curtains are tattered and dry leaves have blown in through the partial windows, hinting at decay.”
Pat Ashworth – The Stage

“London Classic Theatre is a consistently impressive touring company, usually producing sharp productions of modern classics. Here, however, they’ve gone back to 1723 with a sumptuous production of a Marivaux comedy of manners. The first thing that hits the eye is Geraldine Bunzl’s elegant set, artfully designed to fool the eye into seeing it as more solid than it is. The costumes, too, are ravishing. As for the plot, well it’s a sort of fairy tale, a prince disguised as a soldier falling for a peasant girl, combined with commedia dell’arte (one of the characters is even called Harlequin). It’s full of talk, of schemes, of attitudes and of love. It must be played in a mannered style and it could fall very flat indeed. Happily there’s no chance of that with Michael Cabot’s excellent direction of his fine cast. Abby Leamon and Kevin Drury are robustly ‘oop North as feisty Sylvia and down to earth Harlequin. Tracey-Anne Liles is superbly aristocratic as the scheming Flaminia while Benjamin Warren radiates charm as the Prince. Jonathan Ashley is the wonderfully put-upon servant Trivelin, even being on the receiving end of a genuine slapstick – and a fine noise it makes too. It’s a shame that coquettish Lisette fades away just when we’re eager to see more of Georgina Landau’s flirty airhead. It took me a little while to adjust to its artificiality, but once adjusted, the understanding direction, clear speaking, expert comic playing and perfectly judged design make an 18th Century French play seem fresh and newly-minted in this elegantly enjoyable production.”
Victor Hallett – OnStage Scotland

“This rare opportunity to enjoy a play from the finest epoch of pre-revolutionary French culture, rewarded its audience with some highly unlikely but amusing intrigue between aristocratic and peasant characters, disarming tributes to Descartes’ logical philosophy, and a happy conclusion; i.e. A feast of fun, truly enjoyable, and an intelligent change from the usual stuff on telly. Michael Cabot has cleverly allowed his actors to abandon most of the ‘theatrical’ speaking style usually associated with the period, thereby probably helping today’s telly-attuned ears to follow the play’s fast-paced arguments more readily. Few opportunities are missed to deliver laughs and sense, with skilful changes of tone, timing and technique. Diction, body language and plot-laying are crystal clear, thus ensuring satisfaction for theatre-goers seeking joyous entertainment. All six actors deserve commendation. With The Double Inconstancy, London Classic Theatre is making a hugely valuable contribution to provincial culture, throughout Britain and the Irish Republic. Many more people would surely be enriched by these high quality performances if only they’d break routine and fill the auditoria.”
Arthur Duncan – Somerset County Gazette