REVIEW - Private Lives is a theatrical masterclass celebrating Noël Coward's fabulous flamboyance and razor sharp wit

We were invited to the Royal Exchange Theatre to see Private Lives. Read what our reviewer Karen Ryder had to say about this amazing production...

Noël Coward!  Two words, one name that sums up a theatrical style, wit, and flamboyance, known and adored by millions across the globe.  His popularity hasn’t diminished at all with the passing years, and the mere fact that his plays are still produced, flocked to, and celebrated today speaks volumes as to his incomparable flare and talent.  A prolific writer of plays, songs, musicals, screenplays, poetry, short stories, novels, and autobiographies, Noël Coward has become a cultural icon, and it is believed that at any given time, at least one of his plays is being performed somewhere in the world.  Luckily for us, The Royal Exchange is currently our place in the world offering up a Coward classic, and with a fabulous cast and creative team turning this fierce comedy into their own unique offering, it is one not to be missed.

Private Lives takes us into the world of two intertangled couples.  Amanda and Elyot are divorced but both have gone on holiday with their new respective partners of Victor and Sibyl.  The issue is, they have chosen the same country, same town, same hotel, and have ended up with rooms nestled right next to each other!  Tempers flare and sparks fly when Amanda and Elyot are in close proximity, a fiery passion that Elyot is clearly missing whilst honeymooning with new wife Sibyl.  He has already grown bored of her and has no hesitation in letting her know with his venomous insults and put downs.  He wants a worthy opponent for his linguistic intellect, someone who is capable of stripping him down a peg or two, then making up with tenderness and love.  He wants everything Amanda is and everything Sibyl is not.  This same scenario is mirrored when we meet Amanda and her new partner Victor.  She gets a thrill from her own power, her sense of confidence and self-assured sassiness that possesses her to continually tease Victor.

Whilst it fascinates Victor, his gentil English upbringing means Amanda’s nature is the anthesis of everything he things a lady should be.  The destiny of these characters is clear from the off, Amanda and Victor will reunite, leaving Victor and Sibyl free to forge a much more suited partnership.  The clear outline of the story is its strength for it frees us up to become absolutely engrossed in the characters, their quirks, their flaws, their insecurities, and their unique and intriguing take on love.  It is the most unromantic play about romance you may ever see and this paradox is the sheer brilliance of Noël Coward.  Love is messy, it’s cruel, it’s harsh, brash, unpredictable, and often makes little to no sense, yet we are all driven by its power, its ferocious force to make crazy decisions that fill our hearts with joy.

As you’d expect in any Noël Coward play, the language is utterly delicious, brimming and overflowing with the expert use of linguistic tricks to make your head fizz and your heart take flight.  Not only are the one-liners plentiful, jam-packed with the most sophisticated insults you may ever hear, but the juxtapositions keep you on your toes throughout, especially the slicing insults from Elyot pitched against the innocence of Victor.  As impressive as the word play and language is in a Noël Coward play, it is equally genius to play around with the silences between these lexicon battles, giving them breathing space, time to fall and land, and making their next round of battle all the more impactful.  We see this played out wonderfully in the second act when Amanda and Elyot have a safe word to allow moments of ceasefire, but they fill the silence with such a tangible energy and anticipation, that the unspoken speaks volumes.  This is followed up by incorrigible facial expressions, yet again exploring communication on a whole other level, for a full conversation takes place without speaking a word.  Then the physical fighting follows in a superbly choreographed scene that incorporates slapstick techniques, punches, slaps, objects being used to smash over peoples heads, and a good dose of cushion whacking!

Jill Halfpenny (After The Flood, A Taste Of Honey, The Girl On The Train) is our gloriously glamorous and gratuitous Amanda who not so much owns the stage but owns the entire theatre whenever she appears.  A magnetic presence, this is an addictive performance and you simply cannot take your eyes off her.  Steve John Shepherd (Harry Potter & The Cursed Child, Tammy Faye, Much Ado About Nothing) is Elyot and for every part of you that wants to strangle him, another part of you wants to shake his hand at his quick wit and dry sense of humour.  He may have a foul mouth but at least he lives with his own authenticity, and this confidently charged performance is exquisitely executed. 

Daniel Millar (Twelfth Night, The Constant Wife, The Play That Goes Wrong) is Victor, our old school Englishman who makes you giggle in an entirely different way to Elyot and his outrage is so heartwarming that you can’t help but love him.  Shazia Nicholls (Speed, The Merry Wives Of Windsor, The Duchess Of Malfi) is our floundering Sibyl and resonated with so many in the audience at the start of the play as she tried to play a one-upmanship game against Amanda, something perhaps many of us relate to in regards our partners ex’s, even if we don’t admit it.  This was a performance full of wonderful dynamics and as much as you felt sympathy for her, you also felt Elyot’s frustration with her, meaning we were kept engaged throughout.  Sara Lessore (Land Of The Free, The Mousetrap, The Tempest) may have a small role as Louise the maid, but it was wonderfully memorable with brilliant timing and the resigned edge of someone who has seen it all before.  Her deliverance enabled us to understand her thoughts about these feuding couples with perfect clarity, despite the language barrier.   

This production of Private Lives is directed by Blanche McIntyre and we are treated to a feisty, powerful play with superb character interplay and development.  Coward’s stunning writing is giving star rating, and you can see the dedication and work that has gone into the precise and perfectly timed linguistics of the play.  His devilishly delightful script flows with unbelievable ease and the audience were lapping it up.  It’s worth remembering the period when this play was written as some language and themes are reflective of society at that time, so are now outdated and would not be tolerated today.  As such, they gained audible gasps from the audience, which heightened the intensity of the crumbling relationships in front of us. 

Designed by Dick Bird, the entire stage continually revolves throughout, speeding up to match the intensity of the arguments, particularly in the second half.  A minimally dressed set in the first half is transposed to a detailed set for the second half in the Paris apartment that offers up ample opportunity for destruction and chaos amidst Amanda and Elyot’s explosive relationship.

This production of Private Lives at the Royal Exchange is a theatrical masterclass!  It is a wonderful slice of life, highlighting that we never know what goes on behind closed doors and that there’s no such thing as a ‘normal’ relationship.  It is the epitome of they can’t live with each other but can’t live without each other scenario, and they bulldoze the mere suggestion of social convention for the dizzying intoxication of living by their own rules.  Theirs is a co-dependent toxic love that is stuck on a never ending cycle of love, hate, rinse, repeat.  Dripping with an art deco glamour that collapses underneath ugly insults, explosive love tries to live in harmony with deceit, raw emotion, and out of place pleasantries of English pomp and circumstance.  So, frolic in the shambolic, and if in doubt, shout Sollock!  And whether you’re team Amanda, Elyot, Victor, or Sibyl, one things for sure, you’ll definitely be team Noël Coward as we all rejoice in the fabulous flamboyance and razor sharp wit of one of Britain’s most successful theatrical geniuses ever!

WE SCORE PRIVATE LIVES...

Private Lives is on at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester until Saturday 2nd May 2026.

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