Private Lives | Hope Mill Theatre

It is pretty well established that Noël Coward, a lifelong bachelor, was a staunch critic of the entire institution of marriage, as expressed by a rather considerable chunk of his published work in which he revelled in challenging and criticising the conventions of monogamy. HER Productions are the latest to take on the renowned wit, and this chaotic tale of how love and loathing are rarely complete strangers.

Private Lives follows a divorced couple on separate honeymoons with their respective new spouses, only they’ve somehow all accidentally booked their postnuptial getaways at the same time…in the same resort…in adjoining suites. This is all you need to know to understand the degree of cynicism, almost ridicule, in Coward’s attitude towards matrimony, underscoring the feeling of individual freedom being stifled, making it feel like a vicious trap rather than a joyful union. This is rather a stripped back staging, with director Amy Gavin keeping the focus firmly on Coward’s text, razor sharp wit and fast paced banter. 

The central themes of love, marriage, marital disharmony, and the fine, often blurred lines between passion and contention, are all well explored through some tremendous acting from our keen quartet. That said, the visual contributions, especially from set designer Jenny Holt Wright, are beautifully balanced, and video projections are particularly effective in grounding us contextually.

Reunited divorcees Elyot and Amanda are portrayed with great astuteness and terrific humour by Charlie Nobel and Hannah Ellis Ryan respectively, depicting a relationship that is somehow both hilariously exaggerated and uncomfortably real, particularly as we enter the third and final act. Ryan, in particular, exudes charm and eloquence, and at times fierce fervour, finding ease of delivery in even the most challenging of scenes, and showcasing her considerable comic prowess to the delight of all present.

Alongside their new respective partners, we have a range of personalities that provide a great deal of intrigue, and how they all interact and play off one another makes for some brilliant exchanges. Hope Yolanda as Sybil is the perfect antithesis of the seasoned, headstrong Amanda, depicting with wonderful deftness all of her character’s qualities of conventionality and naivety, and what Elyot describes as being a “completely feminine little creature”. Completing this foursome is Jack Elliot as Victor, Amanda’s fiercely loyal and well-meaning, but rather ordinary new husband. His precise, controlled performance contrasts deftly with the more fiery, self-indulgent Elyot.

Though there were moments when the action feels a touch melodramatic, when one takes into consideration the tone established early on, this actually contributes marvellously towards the feeling of manic energy. This also, however, balances perfectly with the darker and more serious, uncomfortable content, with undertones of domestic abuse and emotional manipulation very well handled. From the scene where Elyot becomes forceful in his wishes to end the honeymoon with Sybil early, to he and Amanda’s physical altercations, we never lose sight of Coward’s insistence that there is no possibility of a happy ending. This production is a gleeful blend of humour, hedonism and hostility, that will equally make you laugh uproariously and squirm uncomfortably.

Private Lives runs at Hope Mill Theatre until 08th February. You can find tickets and more information here.

★★★★☆ (4*)

Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | Photography by Shay Rowan