Patricia Hodge and Nigel Havers in PRIVATE LIVES. Photo: Tristram Kenton
Glamorous, witty, and fast-paced, Nigel Havers’ new production of Noel Coward’s PRIVATE LIVES is as bubbling as a glass of champagne.
In the 90 years since Noel Coward wrote PRIVATE LIVES, society has changed, yet the basics of love, marriage and human nature still ring true, as demonstrated in this new production by Nigel Havers’ new theatre company.
Havers and Patricia Hodge square up as the warring ex-couple Elyot and Amanda, brought together by fate on adjacent balconies in Deauville. The premise is that their turbulent past catches up with them. The love/hate they once felt has not quite died from their former marriage, as they meet again on their respective honeymoons, throw their new spouses aside and set up home together. How scandalous!
Alas, the past cannot be recreated, and the established patterns reach their own inevitable conclusion in a rather explosive second act. A leopard does not change its spots no matter how great the passion.
Patricia Hodge and Nigel Havers in PRIVATE LIVES. Photo: Tristram Kenton
PRIVATE LIVES unfolds brilliantly in a frothy confection of fast-paced dialogue. It’s a verbal tennis match as the insults flow thick and fast, the barbed put-downs and the throw away remarks.
You don’t want to like the central characters. They are selfish and childish, none more so than in the case of Elyot, played by Havers, who has a touch of the spoilt toddler complete with foot-stamping tantrum. Yet, for all their faults, the comic timing of Hodges and Havers, along with their perfect delivery, help makes their characters seem less troublesome.
As Amanda, Hodge is the epitome of elegance and grace straight from the 1930s, with a very modern view on life, much to Elyot’s disgust. Both actors have a nice line in physical comedy, and it is no wonder that a dance scene garners a round of applause. Their portrayals are nuanced, measured in their delivery and above all, perfectly suited to Coward’s work.
Dugald Bruce-Lockhart and Natalie Walker in PRIVATE LIVES. Photo: Tristram Kenton
Plaudits must also be given to Natalie Walter as Elyot’s new wife, Sybil, and Dugald Bruce-Lockhart as Victor, the latest husband of Amanda. Both have great comic timing and portray their characters with energy and no hint of pastiche. Delicate Sybil and the solid plain Victor are the antitheses of their new spouses, but we leave them at the end of the play, morphing into the new Elyot and Sybil.
Finally, although she has only a brief role as Louise, the French maid, and all her dialogue is in French, Aïcha Kossoko makes a most memorable entrance and certainly is the centre of attention on her first appearance.
A special mention must also be given to the set design by Simon Higlett, which sees the balcony of the hotel in the first act changed into a Parisian flat for the second and third acts. It is a huge set change and places the play firmly in the art deco era.
In short, this new production of PRIVATE LIVES is as bubbling as a glass of champagne, as sparkling as Amanda’s dress and a perfect light-hearted romp through the social lens of the 1930s. It is glamorous, witty, and above all, a delightful reminder of how razor-sharp Coward’s comedy is.
PRIVATE LIVES runs at The Lowry, Salford, until 19 February 2022.
Gillian has a Masters degree in Film Theory and a background in music journalism. A veteran of gig promotion, she loves nothing more than a darkened room, a packet of Revels and a good play. By day she works in medico-legal administration, by night she escapes into theatre for relaxation.
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