private lives tour 2023

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Private Lives

Closed: 25 November 2023

Private Lives with Patricia Hodge and Nigel Havers to open in the West End

The show runs at the Ambassadors Theatre

Noël Coward’s  Private Lives  will open at the newly refurbished Ambassadors Theatre late next month.

Christopher Luscombe’s revival of the comedy, presented by Theatre Royal Bath Productions, is set to star Nigel Havers ( Downton Abbey ) and Patricia Hodge ( Calendar Girls ) alongside Dugald Bruce-Lockhart and Natalie Walter.

The show, which follows ex-es honeymooning with their new partners (at the same location!) will play for a limited 12-week run until 25 November 2023, with press night on Wednesday 13 September.

Due to the refurbishments at the venue, there are now six wheelchair spaces, accessible toilet facilities, and improved audio access to support the hearing impaired.

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Gloucester Stage Company Will Kick Off 2023 Season With PRIVATE LIVES

The production will run from Friday, June 2 - Sunday, June 25.

GLOUCESTER STAGE COMPANY has announced the opening of its 44th Season with a fresh take on Noël Coward's iconic 1930's comedy, PRIVATE LIVES. Directed by award-winning director, educator, and actor, Diego Arciniegas, this Tony Award and Drama Desk Winner for Best Revival will run from June 2 through June 25.

Set in a sophisticated world of cocktails, glamour, and sparkling repartee, PRIVATE LIVES, one of Noël Coward's most brilliantly realized plays, is an uproarious romantic comedy that follows the ups, downs, and all-around of passion and betrayal. In this wildly entertaining revival, once-married Elyot and Amanda cross paths on their unexpectedly adjoined honeymoons - the same hotel, same resentments, but with new spouses. Sharp words evolve into fresh sparks, followed by an endless roundabout of chaos and romance where enemies become lovers and lovers become fools.

Making his Gloucester Stage directorial debut, Diego Archinegas brings a unique perspective to this beloved classic, infusing it with a modern sensibility and fresh energy. PRIVATE LIVES' accomplished cast includes Jennifer Bubriski (Louise), Katie Croyle (Amanda Prynne), Gunnar Manchester ( Elyot Chase ), Stephen Shore (Victor Prynne), and Serenity S'rae (Sibyl Chase).

"I'm ecstatic to be launching my first season at Gloucester Stage with the hilarious antics of these Noël Coward couples," said Rebecca Bradshaw, the theater company's new Artistic Director. "Under the helm of Diego Arciniegas, I cannot wait to see how the play explores new realities behind Coward's past while infusing these performances with a new mystery. It'll surely be a wild ride!"

"We are thrilled to be opening our 44th Season with PRIVATE LIVES," said Christopher Griffith, Managing Director of the Gloucester Stage. "Noël Coward's comedy is a timeless classic, and we are excited to present it to our audiences in a new and innovative way."

"There is an intriguing dimension to Coward's impossible and restlessly smart characters. I've always thought I detected darker, truer people lurking beneath the effervescence of his allegedly and admittedly glib comedies," shared PRIVATE LIVES' Director Diego Archinegas. "Time has revealed Coward engaged in espionage on behalf of the British Government. If the plays, the international tours, and the cabarets were the cover, I wonder if there might not be more than personal frailty lurking beneath the shallow mask of his character's manners."

PRIVATE LIVES will run from Friday, June 2 - Sunday, June 25. All performances, unless noted, are Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 pm, Friday and Saturday at 8:00 pm, and Saturday and Sunday at 3:00 pm at Gloucester Stage Company located at 267 East Main Street, Gloucester. Tickets are now on sale and available at GloucesterStage.com.

The 2023 Season at Gloucester Stage has been made possible by the Shubert Foundation and the Applied Materials Foundation. PRIVATE LIVES is made possible with support from The Hamilton Group and Andrée Robert at Engel & Völkers.

For additional information, contact The Box Office, located at 267 East Main Street, Gloucester, or can be reached at 978.281.4433 or [email protected].

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Private Lives starring Nigel Havers and Patricia Hodge announces West End transfer

The West End transfer of Noël Coward’s Private Lives starring Nigel Havers and Patricia Hodge has been announced at the Ambassador’s Theatre in August 2023.

Noël Coward’s scintillating comic masterpiece Private Lives starring Nigel Havers and Patricia Hodge heads to the West End’s Ambassador’s Theatre this Autumn.

BOOK PRIVATE LIVES TICKETS

A dazzling comedy which is both a witty and scathing study of the rich and reckless in love, Private Lives is one of Noël Coward’s most beloved plays. Marking the 50 th Anniversary of Coward’s death, this acclaimed production is presented by Theatre Royal Bath Productions and will open at the newly refurbished Ambassadors Theatre in London on 31 August 2023 for a strictly limited 12-week run until 25 November 2023. Press night will be on Wednesday 13 September.

Ex-spouses Elyot and Amanda are honeymooning with their new partners in the South of France only to find themselves in adjacent hotel rooms. Their initial horror evaporates as, in no time at all, they’re rekindling their previous passion. But when they daringly elope to Amanda’s Parisian flat their lust thaws as quickly as it had reignited and they resume the slanging match which drove them apart in the first place…

One of the UK’s most popular actors, Nigel Havers has been a favourite with audiences for nearly four decades. His roles on screen have encompassed  Downton Abbey  and  Coronation Street ,  Chariots of Fire  and  The Charmer . Stage roles range from  Art  to  Rebecca , to  The Importance of Being Earnest  at the National Theatre and becoming a mainstay of the annual pantomime at Theatre Royal Drury Lane.

One of our best loved actresses, Patricia Hodge’s many theatre credits include Travels With My Aunt, Relative Values, Calendar Girls, His Dark Materials, Noises Off and A Little Night Music. Her recent television credits include  A Very English Scandal ,  Downton Abbey  and  Miranda .

Dugald Bruce-Lockhart’s recent West End appearances include  The Last Temptation of Boris Johnson, The Deep Blue Sea, Mamma Mia! and he toured the UK in  The 39 Steps . Television credits include  The Crown  and  Foyle’s War .

Natalie Walter’s most recent theatre credits include  Pack of Lies, Jerusalem  and  A Little Hotel on the Side . She was a regular performer in CBBC’s  Horrible Histories .

Private Lives will run at the Ambassadors Theatre from 31 August to 25 November 2023.

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REVIEW: Private Lives, Nigel Havers Theatre Company on tour ✭✭✭✭

Douglas Mayo has had a life long love affair with musical theatre. He has authored several books on publicity and marketing for amateur theatre groups. He is in the process of developing a musical based on his original story concept.

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PRIVATE LIVES

We were so ridiculously over in love. Funny wasn’t it? Horribly funny.

Elyot and Amanda; glamorous, rich, reckless… and divorced. 

A surprise encounter on adjoining hotel balconies rekindles their passion and they fling themselves violently into love once more, and their newly married lives into chaos.

Starring Stephen Mangan , Rachael Stirling , Laura Carmichael and Sargon Yelda this fiercely intimate revival of Noël Coward ’s dark comedy directed by Donmar Artistic Director Michael Longhurst , asks can you love someone too much, or too many times?

★★★★★ “This stylish, thought-provoking production is the Donmar at its very best” The New European

★★★★★ “A perfect rendering of a perfect play” Theatre Cat

★★★★★ All That Dazzles ★★★★ The Telegraph ★★★★ Daily Express ★★★★ Mail on Sunday ★★★★ Daily Mirror ★★★★ The Arts Desk ★★★★ Theatre Weekly

“It has an electricity that makes it feel more bracingly alive than many a classic revival” Metro

“Michael Longhurst’s sleek staging of Noël Coward’s intimate tragicomedy” Guardian

"Divinely inspired... the stuff of shockwaves" The Telegraph

“It’s a dark view of Coward, but it feels like truth” WhatsOnStage

"Mesmerising Intensity by Stephen Mangan and Rachael Stirling" The New European

“Coward knew how to show the rollercoaster ride of coupledom: jealousy, rage, giggles, desire, boredom, regret, teasing, closeness.” The Times

"Rachael Stirling and Stephen Mangan deliver" Time Out

“Carmichael brings a touching fragility to the jilted Sibyl and Yelda is appropriately pedantic as the upright, uptight Victor” Daily Express

This production is generously supported by Charles Holloway, Season Supporter. Additionally, we would like to thank our Production Supporters: Charles J Burdick, Helen Davies, Robert & Pirjo Gardiner, Ros & Alan Haigh, Crawford & Mary Harris, Tiina Lee, Mr Rajeev Philip, the Private Lives Production Syndicate and 2 Anonymous Supporters.

Photo of Stephen Mangan and Rachael Stirling by Helen Murray

Production photos by Marc Brenner

Useful Information

ESTIMATED RUNNING TIME About 2 hours 5 minutes including an interval

PLEASE NOTE This production features the smoking of herbal cigarettes

PERFORMANCE TIMES Evenings Mon – Sat: 7.45pm Tuesday matinees (2, 9, 23 May) 2.30pm Wednesday matinee (17 May) 2.30pm Thursday matinees (4, 11, 25 May) 2.30pm Saturday matinees (15, 22, 29 April, 13, 20, 27 May) 2.30pm

TICKET PRICES* £60 | £55 | £41 | £21 | £10 standing 

PREVIEW PRICES* (7 - 11 April) £50 | £38 | £19 | £10 standing 

Standing tickets are only released when all seats are sold 

*Tickets are subject to a £1.50 transaction fee, waived for Members

BARCLAYS UNDER 30s £10 TICKETS Under 30s tickets for Private Lives have now sold out apart from returns released online. There are tickets available for our next production When Winston Went to War with the Wireless .

YOUNG+FREE YOUNG+FREE tickets for 16-25 year olds will be released by ballot from two weeks before the first performance. Click here to find out more.

YOUNG+FREE is generously supported by IHS Markit.

CONTENT ADVISORY We produce a set of content advisories for each production. These detail any content that we think you should be aware of. We try to keep spoilers to a minimum on these advisory pages, but you may find out details that give away key elements of the plot if you read them.

Click  here to read the content advisory for  PRIVATE LIVES .

PLEASE NOTE there is smoking on stage.

For more information email [email protected]

The Donmar Warehouse is fully wheelchair accessible. Guide dogs and hearing dogs are welcome in the auditorium. There is a Loop system and a Radio Frequency system fitted in the main auditorium and there are also hearing loops at all the front of house counters.

ASSISTED PERFORMANCES If you require a companion to attend the Donmar, their ticket will be free. To book call 020 3282 3808 or email [email protected]

For all other access enquiries or bookings call 020 3282 3808.

CAPTIONED PERFORMANCE Monday 22 May 7.45pm (captioned by Stagetext)

AUDIO-DESCRIBED PERFORMANCE Saturday 27 May 2.30pm, touch tour at 12:45pm (audio described by VocalEyes)

BSL PERFORMANCE Saturday 13 May 2.30pm (interpreted by Sumayya Si Tayeb from THEATRESIGN)

More Information

Cast & creatives.

• Writer Noël Coward Read Bio
• Director Michael Longhurst Read Bio
• Designer Hildegard Bechtler Read Bio
• Lighting Designer Jack Knowles Read Bio
• Sound Designer Giles Thomas Read Bio
• Composer Simon Slater Read Bio
• Movement Director Chi-San Howard Read Bio
• Fight Director Kate Waters Read Bio
• Voice and Dialect Coach Charmian Hoare Read Bio
• Casting Director Anna Cooper CDG - for the Donmar Warehouse

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Script conversations.

'Private Lives' review – Nigel Havers and Patricia Hodge spar delightfully in this classic comedy

Read our three-star review of Noel Coward's Private Lives , about warring exes reuniting, now in performances at the Ambassadors Theatre to 25 November.

Fans of Miranda Hart’s self-titled sitcom might recall that many of the stories told by overbearing mum Penny, played by the fabulous Patricia Hodge, involve Nigel Havers and details that her daughter would rather not know about. Hodge and Havers, who have been friends for decades, first gave their septuagenarian takes on the lead characters in Noël Coward’s 1930 classic Private Lives in 2021 and now step into their velvet slippers again for a run in the ideal West End venue – the intimate, enchantingly pretty and freshly refurbished Ambassadors Theatre .

It's unusual to have two West End productions of the same play within months. Michael Longhurst’s production at the Donmar Warehouse emphasised the darkness of the dysfunctional central relationship and featured horror film-style touches.

In contrast, Christopher Luscombe’s winsome staging is a frothily amusing star vehicle that aims to please (the perfect production is probably somewhere in the middle). Simon Higlett’s cream-and-pink hotel façade is a perfect dolls’ house that ought to be ideal for a romantic honeymoon.

The roles of sparring exes Elyot and Amanda, who divorced after a highly turbulent marriage and find themselves honeymooning with their new spouses on neighbouring balconies, were created by Coward himself and his lifelong friend Gertrude Lawrence when they were in their thirties. Hodge and Havers are about four decades older than the roles as usually cast, but it’s played straight without an explanatory framing device and it actually works very effectively.

Being 70 in 2023 isn’t what it was 1930 when life expectancy was barely 60, but the ageing up lends additional poignancy to the prevailing sense of nostalgia and the fact that age isn’t necessarily accompanied by dignity or wisdom.

Changing bodies also provide comedy – Amanda isn’t keen on an afternoon tryst on the sofa so soon after eating and Elyot’s demand “Kiss me before your body rots” feels particularly ungallant and morbid. Much of second act in Amanda’s Paris flat is spent elegantly pottering about in pyjamas, suggesting a sweeter, gentler kind of interlude – until the problematic violence, of course.

Havers, better known to my generation as a celebrity than an actor, still seems to be a heartthrob; his first appearance and his re-emergence in evening dress were met with audible sighs at the final preview. His Elyot has plenty of twinkly charm and seems to have never outgrown his petulant and self-dramatising man-child tendencies.

The regal Hodge, who was Olivier-nominated for her performance in Sheridan Morley’s biographical revue Noël and Gertie in 1990, is a goddess of high comedy with her perfect posture and beautifully modulated voice.

Amanda, who has been “jagged with sophistication” from birth, loses her composure with an expression of sheer horror at spotting her ex-husband through her compact mirror. The character will never feel remorse for her behaviour but Hodge shows that she does have the maturity to be aware that her actions have implications for other people’s lives.

Dugald Bruce-Lockhart has the thankless role of the stolidly masculine Victor (originated by Laurence Olivier) but Natalie Walter shows that the schoolgirlish Sibyl (who gets the best frock of the show) is just as volatile as Amanda in her way. Excerpts of Coward’s songs are performed in a manner that acknowledges Hodge and Havers’ vocal limitations and shows how much pleasure can be found dabbling in “the potency of cheap music”.

It’s probably heresy to suggest that this play might not always be quite as witty as it thinks it is. To paraphrase, too much flippancy can be annoying, but stuffiness is worse. For Amanda and Elyot, at their age, life is too short to take things seriously.

Privates Lives is at the Ambassadors Theatre through 25 November. Book Private Lives tickets on London Theatre.

Photo credit: Private Lives (Photo by Tristram Kenton)

Originally published on Sep 13, 2023 23:00

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Private Lives tickets

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Private Lives tickets are on sale now for the show in London’s West End in 2023.

Noël Coward’s iconic play Private Lives will begin performances at Ambassadors Theatre on 31 August 2023 with tickets on sale now here .

Nigel Havers and Patricia Hodge will star in the brand new production, which transfers from the Theatre Royal Bath.

Ex-spouses Elyot and Amanda are honeymooning with their new partners in the South of France only to find themselves, to their horror, in adjacent hotel rooms. As their passion rekindles, they decide to elope to Amanda’s flat in Paris only to resume the vicious slanging match that drove them apart in the first place.

Also on the cast are Dugald Bruce-Lockhart and Natalie Walter.

Christopher Luscombe directs the production which is the first at the newly refurbished Ambassadors Theatre with improved facilities and accessibility including an access lift and wheelchair spaces.

Private Lives will play at London’s Ambassadors Theatre from 31 August 2023 currently booking through to 25 November 2023.

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Private Lives at Ambassadors Theatre

Private Lives

31 st August - 25 th November 2023

Private Lives – one of Noël Coward’s finest and most absurd plays – is a love story riddled with chaos, alcohol and unmatched wit, which audiences will find as fresh now as they did at its premiere in 1930. Director Christopher Luscombe’s production succeeds on all fronts, and much of its brilliance stems from the unmatched pairing of Patricia Hodge and Nigel Havers.

The plot centres around Elyot (Havers) and Amanda (Hodge), who are on their respective honeymoons with their new partners five years after they have divorced each other, where they discover that they are in adjacent hotel rooms. After the initial shock, they realise that they are inexplicably attracted to each other and end up dumping their respective partners only to hide away in Amanda’s flat in Paris – resulting in a twisted dance of passion and chaos. Luscombe transports the audience to 1930s Paris with exquisite sets and costumes that ensnare the senses.

It’s a lively production to mark the 50 th anniversary of Coward’s death in 1973, and demonstrates how timeless some plays can be. Despite its humour, the topic is undeniably dark. It’s a challenging experience watching Elyot and Amanda tear each other to shreds over virtually nothing besides the absurdity of being obsessively in love and yet not being able to get along at all – not to mention the rotten way they treat their new spouses, Victor (Dugald Bruce-Lockhart) and Sybil (Natalie Walter), who mirror younger versions of Elyot and Amanda; but none of that takes away from the hilarity of the stupendous dialogue.

It’s the chemistry between Havers and Hodgevthat really sets the stage on fire. Every line spoken, each movement of the hand is so perfectly placed to emphasise the ridiculously sad relationship that their characters are living through; they exemplify love at its most hilarious and horrifying. This contradiction makes them difficult to pull off, but Havers and Hodge have such excellent comedic timing and rapport on stage that it matches the pair perfectly.

Even today, the play resonates hauntingly: the tale of a tumultuous affair that will never grow old. Private Lives is an easy recommendation for all, whether recovering after a tragic heartbreak or toasting to a new relationship.

Michael Higgs

Private Lives is at Ambassadors Theatre from 31 st August until 25 th November 2023. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here .

Watch a trailer for the production here:

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Private Lives Tickets

Nigel Havers & Patricia Hodge star in Noel Coward’s comedy of manners, back in London for the 50th anniversary of the playwright's death.

Private Lives Tickets On Sale Now

What is private lives about, the west end cast of private lives, don't miss private lives tickets at ambassadors theatre.

Sorry this show closed 25 November 2023, we recommend these similar productions.

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Written by Noël Coward in 1930, and commemorating 50 years since his death, this is a comedy in t... More

Loved the sets and the staging. Patricia Hodge and Nigel Havers gave stellar performances in this... More

Does exactly what says on can , thought they a little old for parts but proved wrong they looked... More

Knew nothing about the show but will give anything a go and this has two brilliant actors headlin... More

Excellent show, Nigel Havers & Patricia Hodge are just perfect for their roles. Quick witted resp... More

I throughly enjoyed this play. I didn’t know the story beforehand but within minutes it had me la... More

Private Lives

Ambassadors theatre.

Thu 31 Aug - Sat 25 Nov 2023

Book Private Lives Tickets at Ambassadors Theatre Official Box Office

Nigel havers and patricia hodge star in a sparkling new production of noel coward’s immortal comedy of bad manners in the parts originally played by coward himself and gertrude lawrence in the play’s 1930 premiere..

Ex-spouses Elyot and Amanda are honeymooning with their new partners in the fashionable belle epoque resort of Deauville only to find themselves, to their horror, in adjacent hotel rooms. As their passion rekindles, they decide to elope to Amanda’s flat in Paris only to resume the vicious slanging match that drove them apart in the first place.

Timeless in its witty dissection of sex, marriage and monogamy, Coward ’s masterpiece – staged now to mark the 50th anniversary of his death in 1973 -  continues to dazzle audiences throughout the world.

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Private Lives

Sunday, may 28, 2023 • 2:00 pm, center stage, $25.00-$64.00, presented by, arizona theatre company, all performances.

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Theatre Review: ‘Private Lives’ (Tour)

• Mar 16, 2022

Noel Coward’s Private Lives has come to Lighthouse, Poole with the Nigel Havers Theatre Company and went along to see the production with Nigel Havers and Patricia Hodges with great excitement. 

The show is a 1930s Noel Coward production about Elyot and Amanda who were both briefly married to each other five years previous and now are both honeymooning with their younger spouses in France, and low and behold are in adjacent hotel rooms.

They meet on the balcony of the hotel having both been quizzed about married life by their new partners who are keen to establish that they are more in love, happier with them than they were in their first marriage.   The puns and play on words are clever and had the audience laughing out loud. The chemistry between Nigel Havers (Elyot) and Patricia Hodge (Amanda) is palpable when they meet on the balcony and share a cocktail together. 

The second act follows Amanda and Elyot’s fleeing to a Parisienne flat where they spend time together holding up their end of their pact that they will not squabble, and the timeout phrase is Sollocks, a contraction of Solomon and Isaacs. Eventually, their new spouses catch up with them and stake their claims, which promotes much hilarity, and Amanda and Elyot are last seen slinking out with their suitcases as a new younger version of them fight each other.

The play does have moments when Elyot hits Amanda and Amanda breaks a gramophone record over his head, the responses of the audience perhaps represent the age of the piece, however, generally, the play is as relevant and funny today as it would have been 92 years ago. 

This is an excellent production that is slick and well-cast, the set was clean and elegant showing the refined delights of a French hotel, and the coziness of a Parisienne flat. 

Private Lives played to a very full house in Poole on a Tuesday evening, and received lots of laughs and applause, so, if you want a timeless classic evening’s entertainment then this is brilliant production to watch.

Private Lives plays at Lighthouse, Poole until 19th March before continuing on its nationwide tour.

Private Lives

Katey Thompson

A classic play with five superb performances, particularly from the impressive Nigel Havers and Patricia Hodge. A brilliant night out at the theatre.

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November Theater 2023: Private Lives

Fri, Sat, & Sun, Nov. 10th - Dec. 3rd, 2023

$49+ service fees

Performances in the Grand Picture Gallery Dates: Friday, November 10 through Sunday, December 3

A gleaming gaze into a delightfully kooky couple by the acclaimed author of Blithe Spirit. Expect madcap mayhem in this fantastically, funny and furiously frenetic comedy produced by M&M Performing Arts and performed in the Grand Picture Gallery this November. The cast includes Sean Coffey, Kathy Files DiBiasi, Michael Muldoon, Melinda O’Brien, Emmy Schwartz, and Nan Weiss.

Important Information:

• Tickets are $49, general admission.
• There is no late seating. 
• There are 25 steps up to the Picture Gallery; it is not handicapped accessible.
• You must check in at the Welcome Center at least 15 minutes before the show’s start time. 
• The play runs about 80 minutes without an intermission.
• Appropriate for ag es 12 and up.
• Parking is free at Lyndhurst Welcome Center.

Purchase your tickets at the button above. To purchase tickets by phone: Call 1-888-718-4253 opt. 1 (please note that additional fees apply on phone orders.) Visitor Information: Lyndhurst.org.

The Noël Coward Foundation

In the lead-up to Noël Coward’s 125th birthday in December 2024, we are celebrating the life and work of the legendary playwright! #Coward125 is a two-year campaign commemorating all things Coward, from his most beloved plays to famous quotes and more.  Sir Noël Peirce Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, producer, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called “a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise.” Join the Noël Coward Foundation throughout this celebration to learn more about one of the most important artists of the 20th Century.

Season presented by:

This program was made possible in part by:

General Admission: $49

Online ticket sales close at 8 am on the day of the show. Purchase by phone: Call 1(888)718-4253  opt. 1 (additional fees apply to phone orders).

Tickets are non-refundable and non-exchangeable .

Lyndhurst’s Theater In The Mansion program is made possible, in part, by ArtsWestchester.

Show Schedule

Performance Schedule:

November 10th – December 3rd, 2023.

Accessibility

Lyndhurst welcomes all visitors, but the second floor of the historic Mansion is not ADA accessible.

Check-in is at the Welcome Center, where there are restrooms.

No children under 12 years of age will be admitted.

Plan Your Visit

Please check-in at the Welcome Center, the brick complex located just past the Lyndhurst mansion. No large bags or backpacks will be permitted in the mansion. Plan to arrive at the Welcome Center 20 minutes prior to your show to check-in.

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Explore Lyndhurst’s 67-acre Estate

Purchase a Daily Grounds Pass to explore Lyndhurst’s majestic Hudson River setting at your own pace.

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Patricia Hodge and Nigel Havers to star in Noël Coward's dazzling comic masterpiece Private Lives at the Lowry in February

Tue 1 February 2022

Following breaking box office records in Bath, Richmond, Chichester and Cambridge, Theatre Royal Bath Productions and Moss Empires are delighted to announce 2022 tour dates for The Nigel Havers Theatre Company production of Noel Coward’s gloriously entertaining Private Lives . This is the inaugural show for The Nigel Havers Theatre Company, which will be touring the country with a wonderful line-up of theatrical gems. The UK Tour of Private Lives will tour to The Lowry  from  Tuesday 15 February .

The production stars Olivier Award-winning Patricia Hodge as ‘Amanda’ and Nigel Havers as ‘Elyot’, the role taken by Noël Coward himself in the original production in 1930. Astonishingly, it is the first time Nigel Havers has appeared in a Coward play on stage. The cast is completed by Dugald Bruce-Lockhart as ‘Victor’, Natalie Walter as ‘Sibyl’ and Aïcha Kossoko as ‘Louise’.

Coward’s dazzling comic masterpiece is both a scintillatingly witty and scathingly vitriolic study of the rich and reckless in love. Elyot and Amanda, who were once married, find themselves in adjoining rooms in the same hotel on the French coast, both on honeymoon with their new partners. Their initial horror quickly evaporates and soon they’re sharing cocktails and a romantic serenade.

Patricia Hodge ’s many theatre credits include A Day in the Death of Joe Egg at Trafalgar Studios, Copenhagen at Chichester Festival Theatre, Travels With My Aunt at Minerva, Chichester, Relative Values at the Harold Pinter, Calendar Girls at the Noel Coward Theatre, The Country Wife at Theatre Royal Haymarket, His Dark Materials , Noises Off , A Little Night Music , and Money all at The National – the latter for which she won the Olivier for Best Supporting Actress. Her recent television credits include ‘Ursula Thorpe’ in A Very English Scandal and ‘Penny’ in Miranda both for the BBC, and ‘Mrs Pelham’ in Downton Abbey for ITV.

Nigel Havers ’s television credits include ‘Roger’ in Finding Alice for ITV and ‘General Ransom’ in All Creatures Great & Small for Channel 5. Other recent television credits include ‘Lewis Archer’ in ITV’s Coronation Street , ‘Stanley Keen’ in Benidorm and ‘Lord Hepworth’ in Downton Abbey also for ITV. Theatre credits include ‘Serge’ in the UK Tour and West End productions of Art , ‘Algernon Moncrieff’ in the UK Tour of The Importance of Being Earnest and ‘Maxim de Wynter’ in the UK Tour of Rebecca . His film credits include playing ‘David Niven’ in The Life and Death of Peter Sellers , ‘Hofstadter’ in Paradise Lost , ‘Dr Rawlins’ in Empire of the Sun and ‘Lord Andrew Lindsay’ in Chariots of Fire.

Dugald Bruce-Lockhart most recently appeared as ‘Michael Gove’ in The Last Temptation of Boris Johnson at Park Theatre. He has also played ‘David Cameron’ in The Three Lions at the St James Theatre and Edinburgh Festival, for which he was nominated for Best Actor in The Stage Awards. Other theatre credits include ‘Bill Austin’ in Mamma Mia! at the West End’s Novello Theatre, ‘David Hart’ in Wonderland at the Hampstead Theatre, ‘Richard Hannay’ in The 39 Steps on UK Tour and, for Ed Hall’s Propeller Theatre Company, he has played the title role in Henry V , ‘Antipholus of Syracuse’ in Comedy of Errors and ‘Ratcliffe’ in Richard III .

Natalie Walter ’s most recent theatre credits include Pack of Lies and Smash , both at the Menier Chocolate Factory, Jerusalem at the Watermill Theatre, 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover at the Bush Theatre, 39 Steps at the West End’s Criterion Theatre, Hay Fever at Chichester Festival Theatre and, for the RSC, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Love’s Labour’s Lost . Natalie was a regular performer in the CBBC series Horrible Histories .

Aïcha Kossoko ’s most recent theatre credits include playing ‘Alia Aminu’ in Josie Rourke’s production of The Vote at the Donmar Warehouse, Antony & Cleopatra at Chichester Festival Theatre and Liverpool Playhouse, The Taming of the Shrew for the Royal Shakespeare Company, Welcome To Thebes and The Observer at the National Theatre and La Dispute at the Abbey Theatre Dublin. Television credits include Skins , In Deep , Coronation Street , Casualty , EastEnders and Kingmakers . She played ‘Lady Detective’ in BBC Radio 4’s dramatization of The Number One Ladies Detective Agency .

Private Lives will be directed by Christopher Luscombe, with set and costume designs by Simon Higlett, lighting design by Mark Jonathan, music by Nigel Hess, sound design by Jeremy Dunn, fight direction by Malcolm Ranson and casting by Sarah Bird.

The Nigel Havers Theatre Company’s Private Lives is produced by Theatre Royal Bath Productions and Moss Empires.

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