Review: Private Lives at Oxford Playhouse

Noel Coward's classic is delivered with sparkling wit and energy by some of Britain's most treasured actors

Noel Coward's Private Lives tells the story of Amanda and Elyot, two members of 1930s high society. Separated during an acrimonious divorce five years ago, they are reunited by chance during their respective honeymoons with their new spouses. A coincidental meeting on the balconies of their adjacent hotel rooms reveals that there is still a spark between them, and they are thrown into turmoil as they decide what to do next. To say any more would be telling, but suffice to say that all kinds of farce ensues after their reunion.

A quick note on Covid measures at the theatre: masks are still mandatory at the Playhouse and the bar is protected by a screen. I felt very safe with the measures they had put in place and they were hardly intrusive to me as I wear a mask every day anyway.

In this production Amanda and Elyot, originally written as characters in their 30s, are played by Nigel Havers and Patricia Hodge, two treasures of British theatre. I was initially slightly sceptical about the decision for Havers and Hodge to play the leads: much as I love Patricia Hodge in Miranda, I wasn't sure that the premise would translate very well, being written for actors in their thirties. The play involves extended fight scenes, which I thought they might struggle to maintain the energy to execute convincingly. On the contrary: they more than pulled it off. The script has been tweaked to accommodate the age change, but only slightly, as almost no reference is made to ages or dates in the original. Their brilliant energy and characterisation make them utterly believable as the young-at-heart lovers. And the darker undercurrent of their fear of loneliness in Act 3 certainly rings true when the characters are somewhat older.

The standout performance for me was Patricia Hodge as Amanda. Wonderfully acerbic, she embodies the sharp, elegant Amanda with flair and delivers Noel Coward's witty lines with perfect comic timing. She also plays Amanda's softer, more vulnerable side with honesty, making her character three-dimensional and compelling to watch. Personally, I felt that Amanda was the best-drawn character, showing more conflicting emotions than the charmingly roguish Elyot. Amanda's wavering over whether to elope with Elyot is played with subtle brilliance by Hodge, and you get a sense of the true force of her emotions in that moment.

Elyot, played by Nigel Havers, exudes a charmingly raffish air, a contrast to his straightlaced new wife Sibyl. He plays Elyot as an exaggerated and exuberant character, hamming up his fits of temper at Sibyl when not getting his way. Havers manages to keep the audience firmly on his side, even gaining loud laughs for his more vicious insults to Sibyl. Havers delights in one of the fight scenes, grinning as he bounces on his heels, throwing dummy punches at the ruffled Victor. He is clearly enjoying himself immensely, bringing a joy to the performance that the audience shares.

The supporting cast consists of Natalie Walter, Dugald Bruce-Lockhart and Aicha Kossoko, each working hard to keep the pace and the laughs going. Walter's shrill, whiny Sibyl is delightful; in particular, her facial reactions to some of Elyot's pronouncements are hilarious. Bruce-Lockhart's "cotton wool Englishman" Victor is hilariously dim and pompous, a stark contrast to the razor-sharp Amanda. Aicha Kossoko deserves congratulations for her performance as Louise, the maid who only speaks French - to my (admittedly non-French) ears, her accent sounded spot on. More importantly, her performance made the lines funny, even if I personally couldn't understand the literal meaning. Her reaction to Sibyl speaking English to her - a loud "Eh??" - is very French and very funny.

The set is gorgeous as well. Act One showed the two neighbouring balconies of the Deauville hotel where the newlyweds are honeymooning, and Acts Two and Three take place inside Amanda's stylish Art Deco flat, complete with red and gold walls, grand piano and sofa. The costumes are beautifully designed, ranging from Sibyl and Amanda's lavish evening dresses to Elyot's cosy dressing gown. One more nice surprise in the show was Patricia Hodge's singing - I had no idea she had such a good voice! Her bio in the programme tells me that she has extensive experience in musical theatre, including the 1995 National Theatre revival of A Little Night Music and the original West End run of Pippin, so I shouldn't really be surprised. The music that appeared in the show - all written by Coward - was beautifully sung and danced to by Hodge and Havers. Truly multitalented!

A post-show talk with the director Chris Luscombe also shared an insight into the production and the ideas behind the staging. One woman asked about their approach to cutting the text - as well as the references to the length of the marriage, a few more controversial lines have been removed. The director explained that they didn't want any lines that would remove the audience from the world of the play by their jarring sexism or racism. I found some of these lines in the original script afterwards, and personally agree with the director's decision; lines like those, which are gratuitously sexist or racist, would be better off being cut if they would only detract from the audience's enjoyment of the show.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the performance. The top-notch cast expertly trod the line between playing for laughs and showing the humanity of the characters. The script truly shows Coward's insight into the human mind. The words, though written 90 years ago, still explore the absurdity and complexity of human nature as much as they ever did, and seem just as relevant as ever.