Critical Review
Although the original Scarborough production ran to full capacity, the reviews in the national papers were very mixed. Martin Hoyle for the Financial Times praised the play for Ayckbourn venturing into new darker territory (citing touches of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Blithe Spirit and The Exorcist) whilst remaining a uniquely Ayckbourn play. Robin Thornber for The Guardian, meanwhile, was particularly positive with about the way Ayckbourn combined the character's ideal fantasy world with her bleak real word. At the other end of the scale, however, Martin Cropper, writing in The Times derided the play for all characters, real or pretend, being Ayckbourn stock characters.
However, the West End production had a much better reception, with critics agreeing the play had matured and - in spite of Ayckbourn's views to the contrary - that the play worked better in the Proscenium than the Round. Julia McKenzie was especially singled out for praise and won the Evening Standard award for best actress for her portrayal as Susan .Roger Glossop's set design also received praise for its J. M. Barrie-esque sinister and seductive ambiance. In addition, Julia Mackenzie also received many anecdotal stories of how members of the audience had been affected by the play, including a woman who couldn't leave at the end whilst her son said "Mum, Mum," a father and daughter who spoke afterwards about things they had kept silent for years, and an actor who came to her dressing room and cried. Alan Ayckbourn's own anecdote was of two women competitively boasting of how the play represented their lives.
The American première was also successful, with Stockard Channing winning a Drama Desk Award for best actress.
The 2008-2009 revival was also generally received positively. In spite of this, the play closed one month earlier than originally intended and replaced with Duet for One by Tom Kempinski.
Read more about this topic: Woman In Mind
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