Noël Coward's farcical comedy about a self-absorbed family who each invite a guest to their country house without telling the others, directed by Emily Burns.
Hay Fever is running at Wyndham's Theatre on Charing Cross Road, with performances from 22 September through to 12 December 2026. It's Noël Coward's old comedy, first staged in 1925, and it's a sharp farce about a family that simply cannot get enough of itself.
The Blisses are a household of self-absorbed individuals whose idea of hosting is anything but hospitable. Judith Bliss is a retired stage actress; her husband David is a reclusive novelist; their grown children, Sorel and Simon, are just as wrapped up in their own worlds. The chaos kicks off when each of them invites a guest to the country house without telling the others, and the weekend quickly spirals. It plays as a farcical parody of 1920s Britain, full of parlour games, put-downs and unrequested encores. Critics have called it a 'frivolous farce full of mayhem', a 'riotous new production' and a 'sparkling production'.
The cast is a big one. Christine Baranski plays Judith Bliss, with Richard E. Grant as David. Nancy Carroll is Myra Arundel, Will Close is Simon Bliss, Charles Edwards is Richard Greatham, and Ophelia Lovibond plays Sorel Bliss. Ash Hunter is Sandy Tyrell, Lucy Karczewski is Jackie Coryton, and Jo McInnes is Clara, with Helena Antoniou, Charlotte Avery, Alan Drake and Shaun Mendum also in the company. Emily Burns directs, and the production is staged by Delfont Mackintosh Theatres.
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It runs Monday to Saturday at 7.30pm, with matinees on Wednesday and Saturday at 2.30pm. The running time is about two hours, including an interval. Tickets start at £107, with some dates listed up to £252.
