Review: Impossible love in glittering 1920s comedy at Leamington’s Loft

‘Stylish’, ‘fabulous’, ‘sophisticated’ and ‘glittering’ are among words used by the Loft director of this Noel Coward classic to evoke the atmosphere created by the celebrated playwright.

And sitting in the audience at the opening night of this production in Leamington, we understand exactly what director Vanessa Comer means as we are willingly swept along on this evening of fun and frivolity.

Private Lives zooms in on the lives of the ultra privileged in 1920s England. They have everything they want - except for a fullflling and loving relationship with a partner. The result, of course, is that they cannot find happiness. But this simple message is conveyed in a comically convoluted way.

Divorced couple Elyot (Peter Ward) and Amanda (Ruth MacCallum) have both remarried - to the very irritating Sybil (Julie-Ann Randell) and the rather boring Victor (Michael Barker) and, inevitably, both newly-weds choose the same hotel in France to go to for their honeymoons, which happen to fall on the same day. When Elyot and Amanda set eyes on each other again, their love is rekindled and they hatch a worldwind but wicked plot to run away together and forget about their respective new spouses. But a guilty conscience and the temptation to slip back into their former squabbling ways make for a far-from-smooth escape for the pair.

The selfish and spoilt attitudes of Elyot and Amanda are deliciously portrayed by Peter Ward and Ruth MacCallum, who we at times despise. But they also act so very naturally like a couple who are very much in love, that our hearts melt a little and we feel sorry that they are unable to just live happily together, as they clearly are trying very hard to do. Julie-Ann Randell also does a good job of making the audience laugh with Sybil’s awful tantrum-like squealing when upset.

Sundari Cleal