15 May – 24 June
Fittingly fifty years after the death of Noel Coward, the Barn Theatre has elected to bring this tragi-comic exploration of an abusive, obsessive relationship to a new audience….and the result is a performance which both shocks and delights in equal measure.
This enduring, but dark, comedy of manners hinges on the most unlikely of coincidences: that a bitterly-divorced couple, Elyot and Amanda, have each remarried, commencing their honeymoons on the same day, and in adjoining rooms of the same French hotel. But of course we willingly suspend our disbelief. Rather than this being a light, romantic comedy of coincidence and confusion, what ensues is a bittersweet depiction of a tempestuous, turbulent relationship in which the two main protagonists seemingly cannot live with, or without, each other.
Director Bryan Hodgson’s production bristles with brio and energy. There is a genuine sense of chemistry between Ricky Oakley’s arrogant Elyot and Lucy Dixon’s feisty, flawed Amanda; their dysfunctional relationship ranges from touching moments of affection and laughter, to savage, spiteful and surprisingly violent conflict. They are helped by the artistry and wit of Coward’s wonderful script, although whilst lines such as “Certain women should be struck regularly, like a gong” will jar with modern audiences, their vitriolic abuse of each other is at least reciprocal – both give at least as good as they get – so the farcical nature of their destructive relationship helps to offset the more shocking elements, and provides parity as both insults, slaps, cushions and glasses are regularly thrown.
Poppy Gilbert as Sibyl, and David Alwyn as Victor, are suitably insecure, shallow and superficial as the jilted newlyweds. Gilbert is guilty of slightly overplaying the insufferable Sibyl – at times we are unsure whether to laugh with her or at her, whereas Alwyn also hams it up delightfully as the hapless second husband, as well as showcasing his musical talents as the curtain rises on Acts Two and Three. However, this is unquestionably Elyot and Amanda’s drama, and it is delivered with relish by the two leads who, through Coward’s witty one-liners and the show’s rollicking pace and energy, successfully combine the lighter elements with the more withering dialogue and excessive cruelties of their toxic relationship, one which sees them trapped in a seemingly endless, repeating cycle of love and hate.
Alfie Heywood’s set design works well too, both during a claustrophobic Act One when the four leads are marooned in their hotel room and on their balconies, but especially in Acts Two and Three, set in the increasingly chaotic battleground of Amanda’s Parisian flat, complete with art deco touches, beautiful artworks and bold colours. The Barn’s small stage, a limitation perhaps for some shows, is a real strength here, lending itself well to the intimate, oppressive atmosphere which the drama creates. Furthermore, the proximity to the stage immerses the audience fully in the intensity of the human drama which plays out right before us, as feathers fly from those rather lovely, ornate cushions.
Described as “a play with teeth”, “Private Lives” succeeds in being hugely enjoyable fun, almost slapstick at times, and yet is simultaneously unsettling, shining a light into the dark, intimate corners of human emotions and relationships. There is much to recommend in this latest incarnation – it has real bite.
★★★★☆ Tony Clarke, 23 May 2023
Photo credit: Alexander Tabrizi
