The Misanthrope at the National Theatre is Martin Crimp‘s bold new version of Molière‘s 17th-century classic, updated to the present day and starring Sandra Oh (Killing Eve, Grey’s Anatomy) in the title role – reimagined here as Alice, a brilliant novelist rather than Molière’s original male protagonist Alceste.
Bursting onto the stage, misanthropic Alice is furious with her best friend John, who has dared to ask her to calm down. The brutally honest novelist is soon approached by young aspiring writer Esmee, who asks Alice for an honest review of her writing – and Alice does not hold back from telling her exactly what she thinks.
At the heart of this play is a deceptively simple premise: what if someone just said what they actually thought? It is a question with no easy answer, and Crimp has the intelligence not to pretend otherwise.
Alice despises the performative parts of modern-day life, where people pretend to like each other, instead of telling them what they really think. She is outspoken, uncompromising and willing to lend her voice to causes others won’t touch. But the bolder she becomes, the more her colleagues distance themselves and her personal relationships begin to crumble.
The Misanthrope explores the price she has to pay, as both an artist and as a woman, for refusing to bow to modern-day demands of what is expected from someone in the spotlight.
The cast are fabulous. Paul Chahidi, as John (the voice of reason) is hilarious, unable to say anything right without being corrected because he is a man and so must think he is better than any woman. His banter with Esmee (Imogen Elliott) is glorious and she too is wonderful as the young wannabe writer and influencer, squealingly happy to be meeting her writing idol.
Tom Mison, as young actor and misanthrope’s lover, Stefan, gives off Tom Ellis and Jonathan Bailey vibes – a sexy, sultry, milk tray man who can make anyone swoon just by walking past them. But it is rightly Sandra Oh who steals the show with her judgemental looks and quips that slice through the air. She delves into the character who loathes the human race and appears to relish in doing so.
The set design is simple but lovely, seamlessly transitioning from one scene to another. The final scene is a beautiful fever dream that calls in to question the fragility of the human condition and how life is just one big game. It leaves you questioning what was real and what wasn’t.
The Misanthrope is a wonderfully fun piece that explores the human condition, asking questions about the world we live in and if we should perhaps be a bit nicer to our fellow planet dwellers. Or in this case, perhaps not.
★★★★★
Reviewed by West End Wilma
Photos by Marc Brenner
The Misanthrope is playing at the National Theatre until 1 August 2026
