Theatre Royal Windsor – until Saturday 11th July 2026
Reviewed by Andrew and Kate Lawrence
5*****
“A funny story, made so much funnier”
Whilst we’re not about to complain about the inhuman, unbearable heat of these barmy summer evenings, the thought of spending a Wednesday night inside a historic Grade II-listed theatre with no air conditioning did fill us with some trepidation. Fortunately, by the time we arrived at the Theatre Royal Windsor for Our Man in Havana, our Hawaiian shirts, chino shorts and open-toe sandals felt entirely appropriate for an evening in 1950s Cuba.
Originally a novel by Graham Greene and adapted for the stage by Clive Francis, Our Man in Havana transports us to pre-revolutionary Havana. James Wormold (Jack Ashton) is a struggling vacuum cleaner salesman who is unexpectedly recruited by the British Secret Service. Reluctant by nature and keen to avoid conflict—even with his own daughter—Wormold is tempted by the generous salary on offer. Rather than become a genuine spy, he decides to fabricate intelligence reports, inventing a network of fictional agents and passing off imaginary stories as fact. What begins as a harmless deception soon spirals beyond his control, as his inventions start to take on a dangerously real life of their own.
The production makes excellent use of a deceptively simple set, cleverly transformed into a variety of locations through the seamless movement of rolling panels and furniture. In much the same way, the story features more than thirty characters, but the entire production is performed by just four exceptional actors: Jack Ashton, Bob Barrett, Leon Ockenden and Jodie Steele.
There is a brief initial period of adjustment as the actors repeatedly reappear in different costumes, accents and personalities, but it quickly becomes part of the fun. Before long, you find yourself admiring not only the versatility of the performances but also the astonishing speed of the costume changes—Jodie Steele manages one such transformation in around three seconds, which felt nothing short of miraculous.
The original book by Green is a funny story, made so much funnier by the adaption to the stage by Clive Francis using just the four actors and maximised by the superb comedy acting quartet.
We left the theatre elated, grinning from ear to ear, and maybe just a little sweaty from an evening spent in Havana. Another must-see play in Windsor, it closes on Sat 11th July, go see it.