Tanuja Amarasuriya, as the recipient of the annual Peter Hall Director Award, won the chance to direct a production at a regional mid-scale theatre and was asked to consider Noël Coward’s Private Lives as their piece – a play first performed 95 years ago. This then prompted a producer to refer to the play as a “dusty old monument” and Amarasuriya hopes her interpretation will change the audience’s mind. Private Lives follows a divorced couple, Amanda (Pepter Lunkuse) and Elyot (Chirag Benedict Lobo), who, separately, are on their honeymoons with their new respective partners, Sibyl (Sade Malone) and Victor (Ashley Gerlach). As you can tell from the synopsis, the play is satirical but also has undertones of tragedy. This production embraces that duality, leaning into physical comedy while allowing the underlying tensions of Coward’s world to simmer beneath the surface. 

At times, issues with intonation, pacing and diction cause the sharpness of Coward’s wit to blur, and some dialogue feels overly rehearsed, with actors waiting for their cue rather than responding naturally. Yet, even when the rhythm falters, the cast throw themselves fully into their roles. Their humour is played with broad, physical energy – occasionally hammy, occasionally bizarre (the dance sequence most of all) – but it keeps the production lively and engaging. 

What elevates the performances is the sense of journey: each actor digs into their character’s insecurities and shows a transformation from placid restraint to something more unhinged. The psychological fragility Coward described is certainly present, and though the play tips into slapstick at times, the actors’ commitment ensures the audience still glimpses the darker heart beneath the comedy. 

Set and costume design by Amy Jane Cook is a joy throughout: costumes are refined and elegant whilst the set is purposeful to start and transforms into a bold Parisian apartment for Act 2. The tonal distinctions of blue and pink through the design bring forth the themes of Coward’s exploration of conventional gender norms and bring a modernity to the piece, still relevant almost a century on. 

Sound design, while not flawless (a few cues were missed), charms with its use of period music and is particularly effective in the final fight, where a rising underscore builds to a thrilling crescendo. Lighting, too, is subtle and quietly confident, shaping the mood of scenes without intruding on the action. 

Described by the playwright himself as “psychologically unstable,” Amarasuriya’s Private Lives emerges here as a spirited if not always fully-realised and safe revival. It may lean towards the slapstick rather than the tragic, but with strong performances, clever design, and flashes of genuine wit, it succeeds in breathing life into a so-called “dusty old monument.” 

Private Lives plays at the Octagon until Saturday 27th September. Further information and booking can be found here.

Tickets received in exchange for an honest review. #AD

Photography by Pamela Raith.