About the Show

Directed by RTST Award-winner Tanuja Amarasuriya, this is a fresh take on Coward’s classic farce.

Noël Coward's Private Lives is a 1930s comedy of manners that explores the volatile relationship between Amanda and Elyot, a divorced couple who unexpectedly find themselves honeymooning with new partners at the same hotel. Their chance encounter rekindles old passions, leading them to abandon their new spouses and elope together. However, their renewed romance quickly descends into a series of comedic quarrels, highlighting the complexities of love and the fine line between passion and animosity.

This production is directed by Tanuja Amarasuriya, the recipient of the 2024 RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award. It is a collaborative effort between Rose Theatre Kingston, Octagon Theatre Bolton, and Mercury Theatre Colchester, in association with Northern Stage.

Critic Reviews (3)

"The production certainly looks the part, but – like its bickering, self-indulgent characters – it ultimately feels shallow and unsatisfying."
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"It's a shame that in this production, the passionately provocative feels rather pedestrian and prosaic."
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"This frothy, misguided Private Lives drains Coward of his bite, swaps elegance for farce, and ultimately reduces a great play to flat, joyless bickering."
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