| Private Lives by Noel Coward |
| First presented in 2001 by Volcano Theatre Company |
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cast size:4
synopsis: A radical and very physical re-working of this am-dram staple; guarenteed to irritate the middle classes |
There is 1 review of Volcano Theatre Company's Private Lives in our database:
| Entertaining, witty and insightful | |
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Private Lives
by Noel Coward
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[print] |
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venue New Theatre Cardiff |
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July 14, 2008 |
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After a hard day wrestling the credit crunch, battling recession and fighting the fuel crisis, there is no better anecdote than a crisp, refreshing cocktail - something plain, simple and to the point that pretends to be nothing more than what it is – a distraction. Noel Coward’s timeless Private Lives is a sparkling theatrical cocktail with as much depth as a martini glass. However, what it may lack in profundity it makes up for in wit, varnishing over any attempts at insightfulness with a comic glaze. Said to have been written in four days by an influenza struck Coward, Private Lives is an acerbic exploration of relationships and the violent chemical reactions they can create. Both remarried and enjoying the first night of their honeymoons, Elyot and Amanda find themselves not only staying at the same hotel, but sharing a balcony. Their new partners, clearly polar opposites of their predecessors, plan their futures, blissfully unaware of their soon-to-be fate. Minutes after being reunited Elyot and Amanda escape in search of their second chance, leaving the pitiful Sibyl and the pompous Victor to share a lonely cocktail. Now shacked up in a swanky Paris apartment, it doesn’t take long for the cracks to begin to show, as Elyot and Amanda quarrel, bicker and hit each other with all the passion that drew them back together. Casting is key to the success of this production – the comic dialogue risks irritation if devoid of timing and appreciation, but with a cast as experienced and talented as this, we were in good hands. Sara Crowe gives one of her best performances to date as the effervescent yet problematic Amanda. With some of the best lines of the play Crowe’s comic tone combined with her larger-than-life body language make hers a performance I could watch over and over again. Her equally confused ex-husband and lover Elyot is played with surprising conviction by silver fox Steven Pinder. The pair display electric chemistry, with Pinder executing his character’s passionate fatigue with a real sense of understanding. Newcomer Emily Pennant-Rea is suitably irritating as Elyot’s jilted wife Sibyl. She especially excels as the play concludes; with her rose-tinted glasses slipping off, Rea shows her characters more petulant side with ultimate conviction. The experienced Kevin Pallister gives a thorough performance as the reliable Victor, whilst Judith Rea’s old maid Louise was brought a more caricatured dimension to the play. Julie Godfrey’s twee, yet elegant set provides an excellent backdrop to the rather frantic action, with the essential exits effectively placed to contain the plays thrashing emotions. Whilst this play is not to be approached in anything but a jocular mindset, it’s a rewarding piece of theatre in its own right. Entertaining, witty and insightful, this light as a feather production is actually very refreshing. |
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| reviewer: Amy Stackhouse |
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