Critics Are Pretty Much All Saying The Same Thing About James Corden's Return To The West End Stage

After eight years spent in Hollywood hosting The Late Late Show and belting out the hits with pop legends in Carpool Karaoke, James Corden has returned home.

The Gavin & Stacey actor is now back at work on the London stage more than a decade after his award-winning role in One Man, Two Guvnors.

James stars opposite Line Of Duty’s Anna Maxwell Martin in Joe Penhall’s The Constituent, which focuses on a backbencher MP whose “ideals of public office are tested by the demands of a man in crisis”.

Critics have almost unanimously been impressed by James’ performance at The Old Vic, praising the Emmy winner’s interpretation of a character that is “dark” and “complex”.

Here’s what the reviews are saying so far…

The Guardian (4/5)

“James Corden’s ex-soldier shows he can be dark as well as funny… Corden’s last stage role, the farcical Francis Henshall in One Man, Two Guvnors, was well within his comfort zone. His character here is far more complex, although given some great funny lines at the start, but that playfulness takes us unsuspectingly into darker psychological territory.”

Broadway World (4/5)

“It would have been easy for [James Corden] to take on another cheeky chappy role, but he embraces this much darker character. As Alec, Corden pours his heart into the role; his rapid delivery reveals an intelligent and intense man who aspired to boring normality, but found himself at the mercy of both his mental health and, what he sees, as the victimisation of men in the legal system.”

The Evening Standard (3/5)

“James Corden makes a strong return to the London stage in political drama…[he] does a strong job, capturing the character’s intensity and increasing desperation. He makes the most of the material.”

The Telegraph (3/5)

“James Corden impresses as a sobbing emblem of Broken Britain…Corden reintroduces himself as a dialled-down funnyman, all fixed intensity and hunched affability, then moves across 90 minutes to reveal a more bellicose side to the blustering persona, before showing us a sobbing emblem of broken Britain, alienated from the system.”

The Independent (3/5)

“James Corden proves himself as a truly great actor in [a] flawed political play…By the final scenes, he gets to do the other end of the emotional spectrum, with a poignant breakdown that almost allows the play to land what it’s trying to say.”

Gay Times (4/5)

“We were genuinely impressed with The Constituent – it’s a slight play, but one that really packs a punch. There’s some great writing in here and fantastic acting to boot. It’s a compelling social commentary, and one that’s opened at The Old Vic at a rather opportune moment. Well worth checking out.”

The Times

“Part of the problem here is that Corden, a likeable enough presence, can’t bring enough depth to Alec’s sense of anguish. Instead, his tone runs all the way from aggrieved to mildly aggrieved. He gets the most out of some gently comic asides early on, but even the most accomplished actor would struggle to inject conviction into lines as leaden as ‘Every man I know is a victim of violence and abuse’.”

The Constituent is running at The Old Vic until 10 August 2024.