Director revives 'Private Lives'

Behaving badly in "Private Lives."

By Elysa Gardner

 USA TODAY 29th April 2002

 

NEW YORK — You could say Noel Coward was the Neil Simon of his time and social class.

Strip away the British sensibility and erudite wit coloring the former's plays, and you're generally left with a bunch of two-dimensional characters trading quips and barbs that often seem contrived and are seldom revelatory. And frankly, Simon's characters tend to have less free time to indulge in the sort of idle chatter that can get pretty tired over two hours.

But the right director and cast can work wonders with Coward's wry humor and elegant wordplay. Luckily, such a team was deployed for the U.K.-based revival of Private Lives ( out of four) that opened Sunday at Broadway's Richard Rodgers Theatre.

The key players here are Alan Rickman and Lindsay Duncan, the seasoned pros cast as Coward's most notorious ex-spouses. Elyot and Amanda — poor darlings — are both desperately trying to move on with their lives when, by a most unfortunate coincidence, they find themselves honeymooning with new mates in adjacent suites at a French hotel.

Brash, impetuous creatures that they are, the two throw caution and reason to the wind and dive into wanton bliss. But it's only a matter of time before their rekindled passion takes a sour turn, and matters get messy — as does Amanda's stylish flat in Paris, a stunning testament to scenic designer Tim Hatley's flair for structure and lush detail, even after it is trashed in one of the play's more amusing moments.

Rickman and Duncan manage this turbulent journey with perfect comic pitch. Expertly balancing brisk irony with unabashed goofiness, both reveal the sillier and more whimsical qualities underlying Elyot and Amanda's haughty airs, and illustrate how central this duality is to the couple's volatile chemistry.

Their rapport is complemented by deft supporting performances from Emma Fielding and Adam Godley as Elyot's perky young bride and Amanda's stiff, seemingly rather dim husband, who from the start seem much better suited to each other than either's demanding partner. Fielding's overenthusiastic ingénue is a bit cloying at first, but when called on to lose her composure, she proves winningly wacky.

Likewise, Godley's self-conscious suitor evolves from a droll distraction into a vigorously funny foil for both Elyot and Amanda, even as he tries to resist getting carried away with all the others. "I'm glad I'm normal," he tells Amanda at one point. "What an odd thing to be glad about," she responds.

Director Howard Davies handles such moments with playful precision, capturing the breezy and biting elements that continue to make the play thoroughly diverting. Private Lives may not be the richest biscuit as comedies go, but its cool charm has remained surprisingly fresh.

 

 

 

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