The reviews are in for Oscar-winner Florian Zeller’s play The Truth, which investigates all the ways we lie to others and ourselves, and the explosive cost of telling the truth. Critics felt that while the production was entertaining, it’s more light summer fare rather than a heavy hitter.
The play, translated from Zeller’s native French by Christopher Hampton, centres around Michel, played by Stephen Mangan, who is having an affair with his best friend’s wife. Critics agreed across the board that his performance was enjoyable, with Mangan managing to make the character endearing, despite his arrogance and hypocrisy.
Director Lindsay Posner was also praised in reviews for his handling of the work, but overall, critics agreed that The Truth, while enjoyable, is more easy viewing than a challenging or emotional theatre experience.
The verdict: Overall, critics enjoyed the production but described it as summer filler that doesn’t go in too deep.
Critic’s comparison
| Publication | Rating | The Key Takeaway |
| The Telegraph | ★★★★ | Summer filler but hugely entertaining |
| What’s On Stage | ★★★★ | A fun summer romp |
| The Times | ★★★ | Mangan brings buckets of sitcom charm |
The reviews: what they loved about The Truth
- Stephen Mangan: Critics all had nice things to say about Mangan as lead character Michel. Called ‘terrific fun’ by Dominic Cavendish of The Telegraph, Mangan’s performance was praised for making an at times appalling character appealing.
- Lindsay Posner: the director, who also directed The Truth in 2016, seemed right at home in this new revival. Theo Bosanquet from What’s On Stage praised Posner’s directing with ‘a light and lucid touch.’
The reviews: what fell flat for The Truth
- The text: while it doesn’t fall flat per say, critics did comment on the play itself. Dominic Cavendish of the Telegraph, called the play ‘flimsier fare’ than some of Zeller’s heavier hitting work. Theo Bosanquet from What’s On Stage found a few moments in the play felt more like they were ‘straying into farce’.
The back story
The Truth was originally written in 2011, making its UK premiere in 2016 at the Menier Chocolate Factory, which Lindsay Posner also directed.
The comedy centres around two married couples: Michel and Laurence, and Paul and Alice. Michel and Alice are having an affair, somewhat inconveniently considering Alice is married to Michel’s best friend.
Michel is so adept at lying that he has convinced himself it is a virtue, but is his wife as clueless as he thinks? Throughout the play, the four characters peel back the layers of their lives, blurring the lines between honesty and illusion.
The cast includes:
- Michel: Stephen Mangan
- Alice: Sarah Hadland
- Paul: Ardal O’Hanlon
- Laurence: Janie Dee
The company is rounded out by understudies Adam Morris and Roisin Rae.
Director Lindsay Posner is joined on the creative team by playwrights Florian Zeller and Christopher Hampton, as well as designer Lizzie Clachan.
Where to see The Truth
- Venue: Apollo Theatre, until 12 September 2026
- Age: 12+
- Runtime: 1 hour and 30 minutes (without interval)
- Full details on The Truth
What are the critics saying about The Truth?
“It’s flimsier fare, but this classy revival, led by Stephen Mangan as an adulterous businessman, elicits loud yelps of incredulous laughter and quiet stabs of pained recognition.”
“Sarah Hadland (Stevie in Miranda) gives an enjoyably nonplussed performance as Alice, who wants more commitment”
“Mangan makes this brazen liar sheepishly appealing even when he’s being frankly appalling.”
“There’s an underlying truth here to the way lies make the world go round, and an old-fashioned theatrical pleasure emerges from seeing yarns being frantically spun.”
“Lindsay Posner smartly directed the UK premiere production – using Christopher Hampton’s sleek translation – back in 2016; he does the honours again.”
“An obvious comparison is Pinter’s Betrayal, but here the tone is much lighter to the point of straying into farce, heightened by Mangan’s increasingly exasperated and frenzied performance.”
“Those expecting a drama akin to Zeller’s hits The Mother and The Father should prepare to be confounded; the fact that one of the biggest laughs comes from a joke about pretending to lose at tennis tells you everything you need to know.”
“Lindsay Posner, a veteran of West End comedy, directs with a light and lucid touch, as scenes jump around various swanky Parisian locations neatly rendered by designer Lizzie Clachan and given pointed subheads such as “tightrope walking”, “friendship”, or “an explanation”.”
“There’s a definite flavour of Ayckbourn as characters punctuate their domestic bon mots with ruminations on the nature of reality.”
“The French playwright has assembled a polished piece of machinery which, as it unfolds at the Apollo, resembles an old-fashioned English sex farce. The big difference is that nobody’s trousers fall down and the central character, a wayward husband, is more prone to musing about the meaning of honesty.”
“It’s a comedy which breezes along with a wry, occasionally self-satisfied grin on its face.”
“Director Lindsay Posner keeps the complications and deceptions bubbling along.”
“Do we ever feel much warmth for the couples? Not really, although, as ever, Mangan brings buckets of sitcom charm to the stage.”
Theatre Royal Haymarket, London
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