Private Lives | Concord Theatricals (original) (raw)
A SAMUEL FRENCH, LTD. TITLE
- Cast Size
Cast Size
3w, 2m
- Duration
Duration
120 minutes (2 hours)
- SubGenre
Subgenre
Romantic Comedy
- Audience
Target Audience
Adult, Senior
Accolades
Accolades
- Nominee: 2014 Olivier Award for Best Revival of a Play
Details
Summary
Revived in 2002 by the Royal National Theatre in a production that sparkled on Broadway, Private Lives is one of the most sophisticated, entertaining plays ever written. Elyot and Amanda, once married and now honeymooning with new spouses at the same hotel, meet by chance, reignite the old spark and impulsively elope. After days of being reunited, they again find their fiery romance alternating between passions of love and anger. Their aggrieved spouses appear and a roundelay of affiliations ensues as the women first stick together, then apart, and new partnerships are formed. A uniquely humorous play boasting numerous successful Broadway runs with stars like Coward himself, Laurence Olivier, Tallulah Bankhead, Gertrude Lawrence, Tammy Grimes, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor.
History
Private Lives premiered on 18 August 1930 at the King’s Theatre in Edinburgh, directed by playwright Noël Coward and starring Coward as Elyot, Gertrude Lawrence as Amanda, Laurence Olivier as Victor and Adrianne Allen as Sibyl. The play debuted on Broadway at the Times Square Theatre on 27 January 1931 with Coward, Lawrence and Olivier reprising their roles and Jill Esmond, who had married Olivier a few months earlier, as Sibyl.
SIBYL CHASE ELYOT CHASE VICTOR PRYNNE AMANDA PRYNNE LOUISE
- Time Period1930s
- Setting
A hotel terrace in France; Amanda's flat in Paris. 1930. - FeaturesPeriod Costumes
- Duration120 minutes (2 hours)
- Cautions
- Alcohol
- Mild Adult Themes
- Smoking
Media
“Gorgeous, dazzling, fantastically funny.” – The New York Times
“A gleaming and gleeful comedy.” – The New York Post
“A brilliant comedy. A very funny play.” – Newsweek
Photos
Image: 2010 West End Production (Tristram Kenton)
Image: © Justin “Squigs” Robertson
Licensing & Materials
- Minimum Fee: £85 per performance plus VAT when applicable.
Please submit a license request to determine availability.
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Authors
Noël Peirce Coward was born in 1899 and made his professional stage debut as Prince Mussel in The Goldfish at the age of 12, leading to many child actor appearances over the next few years. His breakthrough in playwriting was the controversial The Vortex (1924), which feature ...