University of Virginia Library

"How the Other Half Loves"

Another British comedy which
recently arrived on Broadway is
"How the Other Half Loves," in
which three couples of different
social strata become entangled in a
romantic mix-up. Author Alan
Ayckbourn has borrowed, in comic
theory, from Shakespeare, Moliere,
and God knows who else, and has
wrapped all the farcical elements
into a slick, contemporary package.

Where Mr. Ayckbourn is
innovative is in the lever duality of
time and place: one set serves as the
homes of two couples
simultaneously and, in the second
scene of the first act, the action
shifts between one evening and the
next with remarkable ease and to
humorous effect.

Phil Silvers and Sandy Dennis
head the cast, and both are in fine
form, he more so than she. They
are well supported by a talented
cast and all have been exceptionally
well directed by Gene Saks to milk
the madcap goings-on for all they're
worth. Like "The Philanthropist,"
it's but another example of British
trivia, yet for paper-thin, light
entertainment, you could do worse.