Alan Ayckbourn's Woman in Mind has returned to the West End, and this sharp, surreal comedy is once again getting critics talking. Now playing at the Duke of York's Theatre, the London revival stars double Olivier Award-winner Sheridan Smith alongside Romesh Ranganathan, under the direction of Michael Longhurst.

When Susan (Smith) suffers a seemingly minor bump to the head, her everyday life begins to fracture - giving way to a far more glamorous, comforting fantasy version of reality. 

Woman in Mind is now playing at the Duke of York's Theatre until 28 February 2026. Here's what the critics are saying.

Woman In Mind Critic Reviews

"Revived in its 40th anniversary year, the play stands the test of time for its originality and boldness: this is a critique of the emptiness of married life and the desperation that a woman feels inside it... When it works, it is unnerving." - The Guardian

"Sheridan Smith is hypnotic in Ayckbourn." - The Times

"Almost three years after her superlative Shirley Valentine at this theatre, Sheridan Smith shines as another trapped housewife, again elevating somewhat dated material in the process." - The Standard

"There are some really strong ideas in Longhurst's production, which tours to Sunderland and Glasgow following its West End run, and although Susan is never quite as sympathetic as perhaps her creator intends here a little callous, often dismissive rather than ground down Smith's control of Susan's changing states through the play is well considered." - The Reviews Hub

"This is an extremely handsome production: I loved Soutra Gilmour's lush but menacing garden set, and the way the two worlds are initially, jarringly divided by a partially raised safety curtain. For what it's worth, comic Ranganathan acquits himself well: the bumbling, posh, repressed Bill is a million miles away from the comic's sardonic stage persona it's a light turn, but it's proper acting. And then there's Smith, a wonderful and empathetic actor who effortlessly covers Susan's considerable emotional terrain and the requirement to play hero, villain and victim all at once." - Time Out London