Podcast Summary: MickeyJoTheatre – “Woman In Mind” Review (Duke of York’s Theatre, West End)

Host: MickeyJoTheatre
Episode: Woman In Mind starring Sheridan Smith and Romesh Ranganathan (Duke of York's Theatre, West End) - ★★★ REVIEW
Date: January 11, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, MickeyJo (“Micky Jo”), seasoned theatre critic and YouTube creator, offers his candid review of Alan Ayckbourn’s Woman in Mind at the Duke of York’s Theatre. The production, celebrating its 40th anniversary, stars Sheridan Smith as Susan, with Romesh Ranganathan in his West End debut. Micky Jo explores his evolving relationship with Ayckbourn’s work, the curious challenges posed by this “puzzling piece of theatre,” and how the talent onstage and inventive design choices measure up.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Micky Jo’s History with Ayckbourn (02:41)

• Admits limited exposure to Ayckbourn’s plays—this is only his second.
• Recognizes Ayckbourn as “one of the most prolific playwrights of all time,” and reflects on his own lack of familiarity as “something of an indictment on my own theatre going experience.”
• Acknowledges Woman in Mind as a “star vehicle” for leading actresses, name-checking Julia McKenzie, Helen Mirren, Stockard Channing, Janie Dee, and now Sheridan Smith.

2. Play Summary & Interpretation (05:03)

• Woman in Mind is characterized by:
  • A domestic setting with “darker intrigue” lurking beneath the surface.
  • The protagonist, Susan, is a housewife “gradually unraveling,” torn between a neglectful real family and an idyllic fantasy family.
• Notable plot elements:
  • Play opens with Susan recovering from being knocked unconscious—a physical and narrative catalyst.
  • “The line between fantasy and reality is entirely blurred. This is essentially a story of a woman torn between two different families, the real one who don’t necessarily value or hear or respect her, and the fictitious one that she has invented.” (06:00)
  • Hallucinations adapt as Susan confronts real-life disappointments; for example, “she fantasizes about being mother to a daughter” in contrast to her estranged real son.
• Comparison to other works:
  • Draws parallels to the play O Mary (Cola Scola) and Shirley Valentine, noting a shared “overt disdain extended towards her husband and these passive aggressive digs.”
• The play’s depiction of a neglected wife/mother is rooted in “the feminism of the 1980s.”

3. Thematic Depth and Contemporary Resonance (10:50)

• Micky Jo suggests the play’s themes have aged:
  • “I do think if a play like this were to be written today, audiences would expect for it to be a more explicit conversation about mental health with a more recognizable diagnosis.”
  • Notes that, while the “cutting edge theatrical ideas... have been thoroughly done since,” the piece “has at the same time held up pretty damn well.”
• Critiques Susan's role: “She is, on occasion, less subject and more object... making sarcastic comments about scenes being played around and across her, which I guess is a necessity of conveying to us the extent to which she is ignored and overlooked in her own home.” (11:58)

4. Production & Design Analysis (13:49)

• Director Michael Longhurst is at the helm; Mickey Jo notes similarities to Longhurst’s work on Next to Normal, though, “utterly different techniques are used in order to depict and frame the hallucinatory happenings here.”
• Set & costumes by Sutra Gilmour:
  • Describes “a shallow, grass covered space, the backdrop of which is a lowered safety curtain... a fake one, utilised to depict the blurred line between fantasy and reality.”
  • Comments on the overused “overgrown grass” device in theatre design: “I keep seeing this overgrown grass on stage and I just don’t know what it’s doing.” (15:08)
  • Lighting (Lee Curran) and video design (Ange Goulding) skillfully differentiate reality and fantasy.
• Micky Jo questions whether the stylized design “looks striking and says little.”
• Finds the emotionally distant tone “typical” of late-20th-century British theatre, likening Ayckbourn’s evasiveness to Pinter.
• Suggests the direction is “slightly clinical, slightly crafted,” lacking the emotional urgency he craves: “There was a certain lack of emotional honesty, which I feel like your everyman theatre goer may find a little bit... distancing.” (18:48)

5. Performance Highlights (21:59)

• Sheridan Smith (Susan):
  • Praised for stage and screen success; noted for “combining strength and vulnerability.”
  • Micky Jo resists labeling her a better screen or stage actress: “It’s very much her theatricality that she brings to the small screen that makes her so brilliant and so beloved.”
  • Notes slight miscasting: “I don’t know truthfully, that I really buy into the idea of her ever having become the wife of this Reverend character... She feels more like somebody who’s woken up and is having this kind of a Groundhog Day experience... I don’t recognize this woman in this house.” (22:56)
  • Wishes Smith’s Susan had “a little more agency,” though admires her “wholehearted commitment to vulnerability” and “emotional honesty,” calling it her greatest strength.
  • Critiques the performance’s temperature: “She sort of walks between fantasy and reality quite calmly, even as it begins to move beyond her control.”
• Romesh Ranganathan (Doctor):
  • Stage debut receives praise: “A really brilliant debut performance... He, for the majority of the thing, is sort of a hapless clown, the hilarity of which is only exceeded by some unexpectedly forthcoming romantic remarks.”
• Supporting Cast:
  • Saul Rimmy (fantasy husband Andy): Provides intensity and threat.
  • Tim McMullen (real husband Jerrold): Portrays “a necessarily one note characterisation who perhaps becomes a little more frenzied” as the play progresses.
  • Louise Brearley (Muriel): “A standout supporting performance,” bringing “bitterly sorrowful characterization” and comic relief with kitchen mishaps.
  • Taylor Uttley (son Rick): Captures a “very uncomfortable, emotionally reluctant conversation with his mother,” revealing the “pain of an irretrievable mother son relationship.”

6. Reflections & Final Thoughts (27:46)

• Mixed critical response: “It has already proven divisive among many other critics... there was an awful lot that I did admire and enjoy and respect about it... but... it didn’t really, to me feel like much of a substantial hit.”
• Applauds the “disorientating” experience: “Too little of the new writing we experience these days is genuinely challenging and disorientating... and I appreciated the opportunity to do just that.”
• Invites listener feedback, especially from those familiar with Ayckbourn’s work or prior Woman in Mind productions.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Ayckbourn’s Repertoire:
  “He wrote so many [plays] over multiple decades, continues to write plays, the man is surely one of the most prolific playwrights of all time.” (03:21)

• On the Central Premise:
  “The line between fantasy and reality is entirely blurred. This is essentially a story of a woman torn between two different families, the real one who don't necessarily value or hear or respect her, and the fictitious one that she has invented...” (06:12)

• On Sheridan Smith:
  “There are qualities about this role that feel so perfect for Sheridan Smith. And at the same time there is an element of it that seems a little at odds with her inherently... She feels more like somebody who’s woken up and is having this kind of a Groundhog Day experience...” (22:56)

• On Staging Trends:
  “I keep seeing this overgrown grass on stage and I just don’t know what it’s doing.” (15:08)

• On Emotional Distance:
  “There was a certain lack of emotional honesty, which I feel like your everyman theatre goer may find a little bit disorientating, a little emotionally distancing.” (18:48)

• On the Value of Challenging Theatre:
  “Too little of the new writing we experience these days is genuinely challenging and disorientating and encourages you to try and discern what it is that you're looking at rather than just telling you. And I appreciated the opportunity to do just that.” (28:54)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time | Segment Description | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------| | 02:41 | Micky Jo’s introduction, personal Ayckbourn history | | 05:03 | Detailed summary of the play and its themes | | 10:50 | Modern resonance, mental health, feminism | | 13:49 | Production and design analysis | | 21:59 | Cast performances, spotlight on Sheridan Smith | | 27:46 | Final reflections and call to listeners |

Summary & Takeaway

Micky Jo’s review is a thoughtful, nuanced exploration of Woman In Mind. He offers historical context, plot analysis, and assesses the staging and design, while critically appraising Sheridan Smith’s nuanced but occasionally out-of-place lead turn and the strength of the supporting cast. Overall, while admiring the production’s ambition and complexity—and Smith’s signature emotional honesty—he finds it a touch “clinical” and emotionally aloof, ultimately awarding it a moderate three-star verdict. The episode is especially valuable for listeners intrigued by contemporary theatre trends, classic British plays, and star-driven West End revivals.