Private Lives at Theatre Royal Nottingham Review

Reviewed by Louise Edwards

Acting royalty appear at the Theatre Royal in Nottingham this week with the arrival of Private Lives starring Nigel Havers and Olivier Award-winning, Patricia Hodge. The production is the first from the Nigel Havers Theatre Company and has been touring the country since last year, after being postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Private Lives is a comedy of manners, written by Noel Coward and first performed over 100 year ago! It tells the story of Amanda (played by Hodge) and Elyot (played by Havers) a divorced couple for whom fate works it’s wicked magic when they find themselves in adjacent balconies on their honeymoon with their new spouses. Clearly these two have a chemistry and magnetism that no one can get between as the drama unfolds.

The first half opens with the hotel balconies of each couple on the French Riviera. We meet Sybil (played by Natalie Walter), who is like an excitable puppy on her honeymoon with new husband Elyot. She can’t help quiz him on his first wife, Amanda, however, which he finds irritating. On the adjacent balcony, in perfect comic timing we meet ~Victor, played by Dugald Bruce-Lockhart, also on his honeymoon with Mandy. He is outraged about her violent ex husband and promises to put him in his place should he meet him.

Eventually the ex’s realise they are in such close confines and try to persuade their new partners to move elsewhere, which neither are prepared to do not fully realising the circumstances. After two blasing rows, when Sybil storms off for dinner and Victor to the bar, Amanda and Elyot reignite the flame that they have kept burning for each other and decide to flee to Paris together.

The second half opens in the Paris apartment belonging to Amanda, with more comedy and, of course, fiery tempers and passions as the pair debate what will happen when they have to face reality and their own spouses again.

The acting in the production is just incredible and this is live theatre at its very best.

Noel Coward wrote this play in just four days when he was convalescing after a bout of influenza in Shanghai. He chose Gertrude Lawrence to play Amanda, with himself as Elyot and Adrianne Allen as Sybil and Lawrence Oliver as Victor and it opened in Edinburgh in August 1930 going on to a brief tour and sell out shows in London’s West End. Since then the play has been revived countless times around the globe with some incredible acting talent starring such as Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and Joan Collins to name just a few.

The production is directed by Christopher Luscombe, with set and costume designs by Simon Higlett, lighting design by Mark Jonathan, music by Nigel Hess, sound design by Jeremy Dunn, fight direction by Malcolm Ranson and casting by Sarah Bird.

If you fancy spending an evening with this masterclass of acting then do yourself a favour and book your tickets now. A fantastic flavour of an era forgotten but with many common themes we can all relate to that will have you laughing in the aisles.

Rating: 5/5

Tickets cost from £17.50

Private Lives is at The Theatre Royal, Nottingham until Saturday 23 April 2022

For more information or to book tickets visit https://trch.co.uk/whats-on/private-lives-22/ or call the box office on 0115 989 5555

Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall, Theatre Square, Nottingham, NG1 5ND