Critics have been largely won over by Darren Raymond’s audacious reimagining of Tartuffe at the Marylebone Theatre, with reviews ranging from a highly-approving four stars down to a more mixed three.
Every review agrees that Mark Rylance is on magnificent, scene-stealing form as the scheming Pastor Blake, and that Raymond’s rhyming couplets, blending Jamaican and Nigerian patois with Molière’s original structure, represent a genuine feat of writing craft, even as one review questioned whether the political sting of the original has survived the transplant.
Written and directed by Darren Raymond in his directorial debut, the production transplants Molière’s 1664 satire of religious hypocrisy into the week before a Nigerian-Jamaican wedding, largely drawing its company from Raymond’s own Intermission Youth Theatre. The consensus: a warm-hearted, riotously funny and genuinely moving production, even where critics differ on how deep its satire cuts.
The verdict: An exhilarating, big-hearted remix anchored by a magnificent Mark Rylance: critics differ only on whether the political bite of Molière’s original has translated to its new setting.
| Publication | Rating | The Key Takeaway |
|---|---|---|
| West End Theatre | ★★★★ | Pure joy built on real craft, with genuine tragedy beneath the farce |
| The Stage | ★★★★ | An exhilarating, explosively human production with sensational design |
| WhatsOnStage | ★★★★ | Funnier and more relatable than the National’s recent Misanthrope |
| The Guardian | ★★★ | Enjoyable and cleverly written, though the political sting is diluted |
The reviews: what they loved about Tartuffe (Remixed)
- Mark Rylance’s performance. Universally praised. The Stage called him “a reptile on legs,” while WhatsOnStage found him “a barnstorming” presence and “utterly fabulous theatrical company.” Even the Guardian, more critical elsewhere, relished his “false teeth so bucked they might enforce a liquid diet.“
- The rhyming couplets and language. The Stage was struck by Raymond’s “elaborate rhythms and rhyming couplets,” which it said “easily stand comparison with Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton,” while the Guardian admired inventive pairings like “immorality/normality.“
- Morenike Onajobi and Nakeba Buchanan. Both singled out repeatedly. WhatsOnStage called Onajobi’s professional debut “fiercely funny,” while The Stage praised Buchanan’s performance as bleeding “with authenticity.“
- The design. The Stage called Ultz and Maybelle Laye’s Yoruba-inspired costumes “nothing short of sensational,” praising the set’s “retro classical elegance.“
- The blend of cultures. West End Theatre felt the mix of Caribbean and Nigerian culture was “handled here with real specificity rather than as mere backdrop,” a sentiment echoed by WhatsOnStage, which called it “an affectionate love letter” to both traditions.
The reviews: what fell flat for Tartuffe (Remixed)
- A diluted political edge. The Guardian’s central reservation. Mark Lawson argued that uprooting Molière’s satire of church and monarchy from its original context risks losing “political sting and comic logic,” questioning why the families would hire “this creepy white guy” as their pastor in the first place.
- An overlong second act. Both the Guardian and WhatsOnStage flagged pacing issues, with the Guardian noting the evening pushes “close to three hours,” and WhatsOnStage finding the scene changes “interminable.”
- A lack of subtlety. WhatsOnStage felt “the acting overall has little truck with subtlety,” though it argued this suited Raymond’s “broad, warm-hearted adaptation.“
- Uneven comic discipline. West End Theatre felt the script “leans a little too heavily into the jokes at times,” the one place the production’s ambition slightly outpaced its discipline.
The back story
Tartuffe (Remixed) reimagines Molière’s 1664 comedy about a religious fraud who infiltrates a devout family, relocating the action to present-day London on the eve of a wedding between Adanna, from a Nigerian family, and Sinclair, from a Jamaican one. As the families gather in celebration, the scheming Pastor Blake insinuates himself into their trust, exploiting the unwavering faith of patriarch Oga to pursue money, property and seduction.
Written and directed by Darren Raymond in his professional directorial debut, the production retains Molière’s structure of rhyming couplets throughout, fusing them with Jamaican and Nigerian patois and Multicultural London English. Much of the company are alumni of Raymond’s own Intermission Youth Theatre and Intermission Ensemble, which brings performing arts opportunities to young people who don’t otherwise have access to them.
Where to see Tartuffe (Remixed)
- Venue: Marylebone Theatre, London, until 24 October 2026
- Runtime: 2 hours 30 minutes
What are the critics saying about Tartuffe (Remixed)?
"Darren Raymond's Tartuffe (Remixed) is pure joy, built on real craft. The skill of mixing Jamaican patois, Multicultural London English, Queen's English and Nigerian slang into iambic pentameter can't be underestimated, and Raymond pulls it off with aplomb"
"It's rare to see an audience enjoying itself so thoroughly."
"Particular praise goes to Morenike Onajobi, who commands attention throughout, with each lifted eyebrow and every gesture turning her Kemi into a larger-than-life character"
"The knave-crossed couple at the heart of it, Adanna and Sinclair, played by Sara Mokonen and Ivandro Da Cruz Leite, are charming together"
"Fun but not quite as lighthearted as it first appears, Raymond deals with grief, family tension, generational difference, devotion and manipulation, all while keeping the audience laughing in their seats, which is no easy task."
"With a set of protuberant false teeth and an oleaginous manner that crosses Alec Guinness with Derek Nimmo, Rylance’s pastor is a reptile on legs, who weaponises God and faith in his pursuit of money, property and sex."
"To take Molière’s 17th-century Parisian farce and thrust it into present-day London is one thing; but to put a post-colonial spin on it takes real moxie. Writer and debut director Darren Raymond achieves both."
"Raymond makes a good fist of first-time directing duties, balancing the abundant wit with the physical farce."
"Written entirely in iambic pentameter, Raymond’s elaborate rhythms and rhyming couplets have a musicality that rarely seems forced (the rhyming of Jamaican sorrel and family quarrel is inspired)"
"Molière’s Tartuffe here becomes scheming, hypocritical Pastor Blake (a barnstorming Mark Rylance, sporting a pair of false teeth that would be better suited to horse than human, and all bent out of shape like a broken coat hanger, endlessly preening as he casts stricken sidelong glances and mirthless smiles at the audience)."
"That culture clash between the two families is a fertile ground for humour and intrigue"
"Morenike Onajobi delivers a fiercely funny professional debut as Adanna’s BFF Kemi (formerly the meddling maid Dorine in the original Molière), an irrepressible young woman never afraid to involve herself in everyone else’s business."
"If the acting overall has little truck with subtlety, neither does Raymond’s broad, warm-hearted adaptation"
"Tartuffe (Remixed) works for a number of reasons: it honours the beats and intentions of the original play, but reinvents them in a vibrant new way."
"Spitting posh platitudes through false teeth so bucked they might enforce a liquid diet, raking one hand across an oily comb-over while the other holds a Bible as tight as a manbag stuffed with gold, Mark Rylance extends the long English tradition of comedy vicars to a French source: Molière’s 1664 comedy Tartuffe"
"it’s unclear – other than to allow Rylance to be cast – why these proud families would hire this creepy white guy to preside rather than someone from London’s Black clergy."
"Until stymied by an overlong second act, pushing the evening close to three hours, the cast achieves the speed farce needs."
"Engaging and likable performances include Usifu Jalloh as the bride’s father Oga and Nakeba Buchanan as stepmother Elmire, the characters who remain closest to Molière’s naming. As bride and groom, Sara Mokonen and Ivandro Da Cruz Leite sparkle together and apart"
Marylebone Theatre, London
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