Private Lives
- Steve Griffiths
- Sep 10
- 2 min read
Noel Coward
Bolton Octagon Theatre, Mercury and Rose Theatres, Colchester, with Northern Stage and Royal Theatrical Support Trust
Bolton Octagon
September 4-27, 2025; 2 hrs
The Octagon likes Noel Coward. Perhaps it’s the contrast with Bolton town centre - all Lidls, bare car parks and windblown rubbish - they seek. Or his souffle-like approach to life. In any case, the theatre regularly gives him a run round the stage, as it were, and with curate's egg-like results, as here...
The essence of Coward is a lightness of touch. He needs a small group of actors who can use his language with irony and charm. He needs a director who can ensure the pace is just right. Tanuja Amarasuriya is not that director. In her notes for Private Lives she says the traditional approach is that it should be clipped, stiff and "White". This clearly is not that; but does she manage to make it funny, entertaining or relevant? Making the point that Coward was a gay man from a working class background may chime with the current obsession with having working-class roots. But does it help in offering us a lightweight, humorous play?
Coward also needs actors who can say the lines and be heard by the audience. Sadly only half of the major figures can do that. Sade Malone manages to do it; convincing us she could take on a second-hand husband and win him over with aplomb. She can also drink a cocktail with the best. Malone is backed up by the other loser, Ashley Gerlach, who could be winsome if he wasn’t so needy. Both have a good time, though all the best lines are destined to be swallowed by the two leads, Chirag Benedict Lobo as Elyot and Pepter Lunkuse as Amanda.
As always the Octagon has wonderful sets. In this case by set and cotumes designer Amy Jane Cook, who clearly has a great eye for design. Pity she wasn't in charge of the choice of directors.
Despite the flaws this is a fun play which retains its souffle moments .
More info and tickets here
