Private Lives at the Royal Exchange Theatre is a theatrical masterclass!
- STEVE COOKE AATA
- 2 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Review by Steve Cooke
Noel coward’s Private Lives premiered in 1930 with a plot that revolves around Elyot Chase and Amanda Prynne, a divorced couple who find themselves staying adjacently in France while on their respective honeymoons with new partners. Despite their tumultuous past filled with passionate arguments, they quickly realize that their volatile feelings for each other have not faded.
Coward's work is characterized by sharp edged wit and sophisticated dialogue, making Private Lives a timeless examination of the pretensions of upper-class society while highlighting the chaotic and often contradictory nature of what we would now call toxic relationships with characters' interactions marked by a blend of caustic humour and not very passive, aggression.
Private Lives highlights that we never know what goes on behind closed doors and that there’s no such thing as a ‘normal’ relationship. In modern parlance - they can’t live with each other but can’t live without each other.
At the Royal Exchange, directed by Blanche McIntyre, the laughter far outweighs the sharp intakes of breath as Amanda [Jill Halfpenny] and Elyot [Steve John Shepherd] expertly deliver Coward’s lines with superb timing underlined and complemented by facial expressions that not only enhance the script but bring laughs on their own.
The supporting performances are just as strong with Daniel Millar’s Victor an effective mix of confidence and comic pomposity and Shazia Nicholls as Sibyl journeying from a witty and resilient partner to her collapse into hysteria. Both are sharply observed and very funny as evidenced by the almost continuous outbursts of laughter during press night.
Sara Lessore, as the exasperated French maid Louise, makes a strong impression in a brief role, stealing the scenes she appears in, highlighted by some expertly performed slapstick.
Dick Bird’s set design makes excellent use of the space, in the first half creating an impression of a sleek, art deco deck of a cruise liner encircled by chrome railings [hints of a fight cage?]. The stage revolves slowly with increasing speed mirroring the growing toxicit of the central relationship.
The minimal set in the first half is transposed to a detailed set for the second half in a Paris apartment offering up ample opportunity for destruction and chaos amidst Amanda and Elyot’s explosive relationship.
During the second half, the movement of the stage becomes more urgent, reinforcing the sense of emotional and psychological spiralling.
The brilliantly staged collapsing piano is especially effective, reflecting the shocking instability of Amanda and Elyot’s relationship.
The introduction of a thunderstorm, initially subtle and almost imperceptible, gradually builds into something more menacing, underscoring the violence beneath the surface. The audience at the Royal Exchange were previously relaxed and amused but now become less certain how to respond - tension that is crucial to making this play work so well.
This production, part of the Royal Exchange Theatre’s 50th Anniversary season, is a theatrical masterclass that celebrates the razor sharp wit and observation of human relationships of one of Britain’s most successful theatrical geniuses ever.
if you fancy an evening of art deco glamour that collapses underneath ugly insults, explosive love attempting to live in harmony with deceit, raw emotion, and out of place pleasantries of English pomp and circumstance then this is certainly for you!
On until Tuesday 5 May 2026 at Royal Exchange Theatre, St Ann’s Square, Manchester M2 7DH
Standard tickets from £12
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