Noël Coward's vicious comedy of desire and spite, Private Lives, has been revived at Manchester's Royal Exchange theatre in a production that spins the drama into a dizzying merry-go-round of love and conflict. Directed by Blanche McIntyre, the play is staged in-the-round, with a revolve that gradually accelerates as acrimonious exes Amanda and Elyot collide on their honeymoons, mirroring the queasy effect of their destructive bond.
The first act opens in a sleek, monochrome French holiday resort designed by Dick Bird, where the reunited couple ditch their new spouses—pompous Victor and vapid Sibyl—and escape to Paris. However, in Amanda's cluttered apartment surrounded by booze and half-eaten food, the rekindled romance sours. Jill Halfpenny delivers an acidly poised Amanda, matched by Steve John Shepherd's dry, detached Elyot, both delivering Coward's bons mots with ease and delight in withering put-downs.
Yet, in the second act's extremity, the performances hold back, blunting the vicious climax. Daniel Millar's Victor is contentedly self-important, while Shazia Nicholls suggests hidden canniness beneath Sibyl's hysterics. Sara Lessore adds an enjoyable turn as Parisian maid Louise, underlining the privileged caprices of her employers. Despite the giddily spinning stage, the relationship feels like a capricious game between sophisticated players rather than a dangerous passion.
