THE next production at The Chesil Theatre, Winchester, is a sparkling comedy of manners The Constant Wife by Somerset Maugham – with surprising twists and turns.

The play explores the dilemma of Constance, a deeply loyal wife to her blatantly unfaithful husband. She has her reasons for ignoring the obvious, despite her sister’s determined efforts to enlighten her. After all even the popular magazine, Woman’s Own, advised its readers not to divorce adulterous husbands: “Men get these attacks like kiddies get measles……let him have his fling and he’ll come back a thousand times more in love with you than ever.”

However, inevitably the affair becomes embarrassingly public.

What should she do then? Divorce him, forgive him or do what the magazine recommended and go on as before? But Constance has another more interesting strategy: an unconventional, indeed provocative one for the upper classes in 1930s England.

Director Caroline Helcke said: “This play crackles with irony and wit and, although it is set between the two World Wars, it presents ideas that are amazingly modern.”

Theatre-goers obviously agree as the production, which runs from Monday to Saturday, is already sold out.

■ For more details about Chesil Theatre, visit chesiltheatre.org.uk.