During the 1996 revival, critical reception was more mixed. Some critics commented on how the play had aged; both rugby league and the global politics mentioned in the play had moved on a long way in the intervening two decades. Many women's publications criticised the macho nature of the play. In contrast, Paul Taylor of "The Independent" wrote, "..."The Changing Room" seems, in 1996, at once a timeless study of male bonding rites and a preservation in art of a fast-vanishing culture."