It was rather spiffing to see such a high calibre piece of theatre playing to a very appreciative packed house Shrewsbury's Theatre Severn last night. The Royal Shakespeare Theatre's centenary production of W. Somerset Maugham's comedy of morals is adapted by Laura Wade and directed by Tamara Harvey.

The Constant Wife is still set 1926, in an elegant cream and lilac lounge peopled by society individuals in posh frocks and well cut suits, all politely deceiving each other. But there is a newness to the play as well. For example, it starts in the middle. Laura Wade has audaciously swapped acts 1 and 2, throwing the audience in at the deep end of the scandal and turning it almost into a detective story.

And, amidst the heightened comedy, the pain of betrayal and the avoidance of shame cuts through. Is it better to have a flawed marriage rather than none at all? Her husband may a cad, but Constance loves him. How can she pragmatically keep it working whilst enjoying a new found liberation? One hundred years later and we're still wondering.

Naturally the story centres on wronged wife, Constance Middleton. Kara Tointon puts in a stellar performance - like a poker player with all the right cards. She's sassy and conniving, organising her social circle like a ring master whilst getting the best resolution for everyone, especially herself. She attacks the Coward-like tittle tattle conversation with a waspish delight and the exchange of punchlines between her and Sara Crowe (as her mother) brought forth guffaws from The Gods.

Her husband seems a bit wishy washy until he's found out - at which point Tim Delap plays him like a spoilt terrier who knows he's been a bad boy and has had his favourite ball taken away.

Philip Rham is Bentley, Constance's confidential, stiff-upper-lipped butler with a secret to keep. His quick look of triumph when his mistresses' plot begins to work is a moment to savour.

Gloria Onitiri steals quite a few scenes with her hysterical histrionics as 'the other woman' and Jules Brown's entrance as Mortimer, her husband, arriving to publicly accuse her of infidelity is an icy blast across the footlights. The way that Maugham, Wade and Tointon ingeniously team up to deal with the pending calamity absolutely vindicates the decision to play with the story's time line. Jamie Cullum's specially commissioned period jazz score becomes amusingly etherial as we slide backwards and forwards through the year.

There's plenty of agreeable humour in this show (Wade has a neat way with double entendres). There are in-jokes about theatre (such as going to see a play called The Constant Wife) and about the attention span of the types that go there; which culminates in Amy Vicary-Smith - as Constance's sister - opening the second half with a rapid resume of the first half, for the benefit of those not paying attention. After a round of applause she turns to the audience and says, “Have I missed anything?”

It's an affable evening of well-honed comedy. But beware - the undercurrent provides plenty of food for thought for those who may stray!

Five stars

Reviewed by Chris Eldon Lee at Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, on Tuesday 7 April. The Constant Wife continues to show at the venue until Saturday 11 April.