Christopher Hampton
- Writer
Press clippings
The Philanthropist review
Across the board, supposedly soul-searching scenes often come to sound more like shallow, self-centred millennial whines than the intended existential angst.
Steve Bennett, Chortle, 27th April 2017Review: The Philanthropist
The audience liked it, and though it won't be remembered as one of the year's great plays, it was good to see a work by a classic playwright in a new production with a cast not used to this form.
Beatrix Swanson Scott, A Younger Theatre, 25th April 2017The Philanthropist review
This is dated beyond belief and either needs urgent freshening up or leaving it to its past.
Carns Theatre Passion, 24th April 2017Review: The Philanthropist
A combination of bad casting and lacklustre directing from Simon Callow leads to an ultimately disappointing evening; the greatest act of philanthropy would be to scrap it and start again.
Danny Coleman-Cooke, BritishTheatre.com, 22nd April 2017Review: The Philanthropist
So as a period piece, it rang true; and Bird's and Cole's performances in particular left me convinced and rather sorrowful.
Libby Purves, My Theatre Mates, 22nd April 2017Review: The Philanthropist
The Philanthropist isn't a bad show. There are some very funny moments and the concept of the piece is an interesting one. Definitely worth going to see if you like the sound of it.
West End Wilma, 22nd April 2017Review: The Philanthropist
You'd have to be a very generous philanthropist to recommend it as a night out.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 22nd April 2017The Philanthropist review
A strange play to unearth now.
Paul Taylor, The Independent, 21st April 2017London attack prompted The Philanthropist rewrite idea
The Oscar-winning writer of West End play The Philanthropist contemplated rewriting his 1970 comedy in the wake of last month's Westminster attack.
BBC, 21st April 2017The Philanthropist review
The Philanthropist was written when Christopher Hampton was only 23 - and here gets a revival that for once casts actors in their late-twenties, early-thirties, as intended. But it's not revelatory: these academics act like old fogeys who sleep about a bit.
Holly Williams, What's On Stage, 21st April 2017