private lives on tour

Private Lives

Noel Coward’s best loved and multi-award winning comedy.

Elyot and Amanda, who were once married to each other, find themselves on honeymoon with more...

Follow Private Lives on Ents24 to receive updates on any new tour dates the moment they are announced...

• Be the first to know about new tour dates
• Alerts are free and always will be
• We hate spam and will never share your email address with anyone else
• More than a million fans already rely on Ents24 to follow their favourite artists and venues

Past Events

Here are the most recent UK tour dates we had listed for Private Lives. Were you there?

• 2023 Aug 31 Nov 25 2023 London, Ambassadors Theatre Private Lives Nigel Havers, Patricia Hodge
• 2022 Apr 19 Apr 23 2022 Nottingham, Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall Private Lives Nigel Havers, Patricia Hodge
• 2022 Apr 11 Apr 16 2022 Brighton, Theatre Royal Private Lives Nigel Havers, Patricia Hodge
• 2022 Mar 28 Apr 02 2022 Norwich, Theatre Royal Private Lives Nigel Havers, Patricia Hodge
• 2022 Mar 21 Mar 26 2022 Guildford, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Private Lives Nigel Havers, Patricia Hodge
• 2022 Mar 15 Mar 19 2022 Lighthouse, Poole Private Lives Nigel Havers, Patricia Hodge
• 2022 Mar 01 Mar 05 2022 Oxford Playhouse Private Lives Nigel Havers, Patricia Hodge
• 2022 Feb 21 Feb 26 2022 Sheffield, Lyceum Theatre Private Lives Nigel Havers, Patricia Hodge
• 2022 Feb 14 Feb 19 2022 Salford, The Lowry Private Lives Nigel Havers, Patricia Hodge
• 2022 Feb 08 Feb 12 2022 Torquay, Princess Theatre Private Lives Nigel Havers, Patricia Hodge

Private Lives image © John Swannell

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.

JOIN OUR MAILING LIST TO STAY INFORMED

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.

• Odnoklassniki
• Facebook Messenger
• LiveJournal

• Email Address * Enter Email Please Confirm Email
• Off West-End / Fringe
• Live Comedy
• Events / Festivals
• Family Shows
• LGBTQ Productions
• Alternative Theatre
• Comments This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

You can Update Your Preferences or Unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of any email we send you.

• In London or across the UK
• at Edinburgh Fringe
• List Your Show
• Advertising
• Ballet & Dance

• Off-West End
• Regional & Tours
• Digital Theatre
• Join us as a Reviewer

Patricia Hodge and Nigel Havers PRIVATE LIVES credit John Swannell

Further Tour Dates For Private Lives Starring Nigel Havers & Patricia Hodge

Following breaking box office records in Bath, Richmond, Chichester and Cambridge, Theatre Royal Bath Productions and Moss Empires have announced further tour dates for The Nigel Havers Theatre Company production of Noel Coward’s gloriously entertaining Private Lives . 

This will be 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 begin at Theatre Royal Bath on 28 October 2021 and go through to 23 April 2022, finishing at the Theatre Royal Nottingham.

The production stars Olivier Award-winning Patricia Hodge, one of the country’s most loved actresses, as Amanda and Nigel Havers, ever suave and thoroughly charming, 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.  Dugald Bruce-Lockhart plays Victor, Natalie Walter Sibyl and Aïcha Kossoko 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.

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.

You might also like

Further Casting Announced for 50th Anniversary Concert of Pippin

Private Lives starring Nigel Havers and Patricia Hodge to Open at Refurbished Ambassador’s Theatre

Theatre Royal Bath 28 October – 6 November 01225 448844 theatreroyal.org.uk

Richmond Theatre 9 – 13 November 0844 871 7651* atgtickets.com/Richmond

Chichester Festival Theatre 16 – 20 November 01243 781312 cft.org.uk

Cambridge Arts Theatre 22 – 27 November 01223 503333 cambridgeartstheatre.com

Canterbury Marlowe Theatre 17 – 22 January 01227 787787 marlowetheatre.com

Hall for Cornwall 25 – 29 January 01872 262466 hallforcornwall.co.uk

Cheltenham Everyman Theatre 1 – 5 February 01242 572 573 everymantheatre.org.uk

Torquay Princess 8 – 12 February 0844 871 7615* atgtickets.com/princess-theatre-torquay

The Lowry 14 – 19 February 0343 208 6000 thelowry.com

Sheffield Lyceum 21 – 26 February 0114 249 6000 sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

Oxford Playhouse 28 February – 5 March 01865 305305 oxfordplayhouse.com

Poole Lighthouse 14 – 19 March 01202 280000 lighthousepoole.co.uk

Guildford Yvonne Arnaud 21 – 26 March 01483 44 00 00 yvonne-arnaud.co.uk

Norwich Theatre Royal 28 March – 2 April 01603 630 000 norwichtheatre.org

Theatre Royal Brighton 11 – 16 April 0844 871 7615* atgtickets.com/brighton

Nottingham Theatre Royal 18 – 23 April 0115 989 5555 trch.co.uk

Staff Writer

At Theatre Weekly we are dedicated to giving theatre a new audience. Our News, Reviews and Interviews are all written with the audience in mind, helping you decide what to see next. And when you have decided, our great ticket deals will help save you money too.

Related Articles

Louis Gaunt And Frances Mayli McCann To Play Peter Pan And Wendy In The London Palladium Pantomime

Jennifer Saunders and Julian Clary to lead the cast of the London Palladium Pantomime, Peter Pan, this Christmas

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Privacy Policy Agreement * I agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy .

• Join Our Community
• Privacy Policy
• Cookie Policy
• Terms and Conditions

Recent News

Original Theatre’s Murder in the Dark to Stream on Original Online

First Look: Between The Lines at New Diorama Theatre in Rehearsal

© 2022 Theatre Weekly

• Off West End
• Regional & Tours

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

Related Events

Script conversations.

a fizzing revival

Havers and Hodge on consummate form

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.

Guys and Dolls

The mousetrap, fawlty towers, latest audience reviews.

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

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.

Latest Posts

Film Trailers

M. night shyamalan’s ‘trap’ trailer lands.

Anew experience in the world of M. Night Shyamalan.

First ‘Transformers One’ teaser trailer debuts IN SPACE!

The animated feature film is heading to cinemas this September.

Film Reviews

‘abigail’ review: dirs. matt bettinelli-olpin & tyler gillett (2024).

Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett direct this new horror/ heist hybrid.

New trailer for J.K. Simmons-led ‘You Can’t Run Forever’

A trailer has dropped for You Can’t Run Forever, a new thriller led by...

More in Theatre

Vanessa Williams is Miranda Priestly in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ stage musical

Vanessa Williams is set to play fashion magazine editor Miranda Priestly in the upcoming...

A Beginner’s Guide To Going To The Theatre For The First Time

So, you’ve decided to step out of your comfort zone and experience the enchanting...

Theatre Review: ‘Twelve Angry Men’ (Tour)

Following a West End triumph, Reginald Rose‘s timeless chamber piece takes to the road...

6 reasons to see stage spectacular ‘Wicked’ this Autumn

The smash hit West End musical that is Wicked has been running in London...

• West End & London
• Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2024

Private Lives tickets

Event passed

Genre: Play

Age recommendation and guidance: Not Available

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.

More shows in West End & London

Mean Girls The Musical

Hello, Dolly!

Devil Wears Prada Musical

Cruel Intentions musical

Romeo & Juliet

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.

Registered Address: 2nd Floor, Alexander House, Church Path, Woking, GU21 6EJ

London Unattached - Luxury London Lifestyle

Luxury London Lifestyle for Metropolitan Singles and Couples - food, travel, restaurant reviews - London Unattached

Private Lives – Ambassadors Theatre, London West End

September 14, 2023 by Lucy Foxell Leave a Comment

Last Updated on September 14, 2023

Noel Coward’s Private Lives Opens in The West End with a Cast of Consummate Pros

Theatre veterans Patricia Hodge and Nigel Havers have come together in Noel Coward’s absurdist comedy of manners in a fizzing production of Private Lives that highlights the author’s trade mark acerbic wit and eye for hypocrisy. Coward himself and Gertrude Lawrence originally played the parts of Elyot and Amanda when the play first premiered in 1930. Director Christopher Luscombe’s production has been on tour for two years and almost has a valedictory feel to it, as these two fine actors trade insults and blows, with a barbed sense of style that surely can’t be replicated by younger generations of actors.

This classic comedic play revolves around the turbulent love of lives Elyot and Amanda, who were once married to each other but have since divorced. They are unable to live together but can’t live apart. Each of them has just remarried – Elyot to the proper and conventional Sybil, and Amanda to the dependable Victor. The story unfolds as fate brings Elyot and Amanda, along with their new spouses, to adjacent hotel rooms while on their respective honeymoons in the South of France. Old sparks quickly rekindle between Elyot and Amanda, and they impulsively run away together to Amanda’s flat in Paris, leaving behind their bewildered spouses.

Reunited, Elyot and Amanda’s passionate love for each other reignites, but so does their propensity for fiery arguments and they engage in a series of snappy and scathing exchanges. The bemused Sybil and Victor, track them down in Paris, leading to a comical and tumultuous confrontation.

Havers and Hodge although older than the roles as usually cast, are well-matched as Elyot and Amanda with both having terrific energy, immaculate timing and an easy charm. Amanda’s volatile character is very much the focus of this production and she represents the modern independent woman of the time, showing disdain for social conventions, “I’m so apt to see things the wrong way round”, e.g. morals. When she asks Victor how he will feel about her in years to come he says he couldn’t love her any more than he does, Amanda retorts “I did so hope our honeymoon would be progressive”.

Dugald Bruce-Lockheart has a harder job on his hands, playing the staid, predictable, if somewhat dull Victor, but he makes a marvellous job of it. Victor often finds himself caught in the middle of the fraught interactions between Amanda and Elyot. His confusion and bewilderment in the face of their heated arguments and impulsive actions provide comic relief in the play. Natalie Walter’s Sibyl is suitably naive and prim, it’s her presence in the story that drives much of the comedic conflict.

There is an undoubtable pleasure in returning to the escapism of a less complicated world when audiences swooned at the antics of the educated wealthy. Coward’s propensity for fun and humour is endless, from the flirtations to the impromptu Charleston dances to the vicious fights. Elyot and Amanda are completely self-absorbed in their own needs and their world of privilege, and at no time do they show any remorse for their abandoning their spouses.

One can question what value is there in the piece apart from the sparkling dialogue, this very straight-down-the-line, light-hearted production doesn’t touch on the darker themes of domestic violence which were explored in Michael Longhurst’s recent production at the Donmar Warehouse. However, within its dissection of sex, marriage and monogamy, it does contain a bittersweet element to it and still uncovers some of the difficult, truths about relationships. There’s a lot of emotional honesty in Coward’s portrayal of the couples that rings true today. With dialogue that is as sharp as a rapier – even if the sum total of the drama doesn’t amount to much -it’s still a delicious and nostalgic ride.

Ambassadors Theatre , West St London WC2H 9ND

Until November 25

About Lucy Foxell

Lucy comes from a background in the Theatre. She loves to soak up the wealth of live theatre and cultural activities London offers. She's passionate about photography and an enthusiastic foodie and fervent traveller, keen to explore as much of the world as possible.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Patricia Hodge (Amanda) and Nigel Havers (Elyot). Photo by Tristram Kenton.

Patricia Hodge (Amanda). Photo by Tristram Kenton.

Nigel Havers (Elyot). Photo by Tristram Kenton.

Nigel Havers (Elyot) and Dugald Bruce-Lockhart (Victor). Photo by Tristram Kenton.

Private Lives

Noël Coward’s scintillating comic masterpiece Private Lives starring Nigel Havers and Olivier Award-winner Patricia Hodge heads to the West End this autumn.

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 and is playing for a strictly limited 12-week run until 25 November 2023.

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…

Elyot - Nigel Havers

Amanda - Patricia Hodge

Victor - Dugald Bruce-Lockhart

Sibyl - Natalie Walter

Unlike film, theatre doesn't have an official age classification organisation. That means all age recommendations are subjective and should be treated as guidelines unless otherwise stated. With this in mind, we ask you to use your judgement in regards to a show’s suitability prior to purchase. However, we are more than happy to help you make a decision. Please email our Customer Care team to find out more about your chosen show.

This show has now closed, however you may also be interested in:

Kiss me, kate, jonathan pie: heroes and villains, mind mangler: member of the tragic circle, get more from your ticket, stk steakhouse – free welcome drink, q-park – 50% off.

Unlike film, theatre doesn't have an official age classification organisation. That means all age recommendations are subjective and should be treated as guidelines unless otherwise stated. With this in mind, we ask you to use your judgement in regards to a show’s suitability prior to purchase. However, we are more than happy to help you make a decision. Please email [email protected] to find out more about your chosen show.

Official London Theatre New Year Sale With our annual Sale, you can get £10, £20, £30, £40 and £50 tickets to many of London’s biggest shows for performances from 1 January to 29 February 2024. Plus, there are no hidden costs so the price you see is the price you pay.

• Eat & Drink
• Get Creative

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.

Latest Posts

Karrasekare by igor x moreno - from the creators of beat, idiot-syncrasy and a room for all our tomorrows comes karrasekare, a contemporary ritual inspired by pagan carnival traditions  .

Thu 18 April 2024

The Lowry announces QUEENS the major new exhibition inspired by SIX the Musical

Kiss marry kill: the lowry brings the electrifying and intimate story of forbidden love from the critically acclaimed dante or die to the iconic hallé st peter’s this may.

Tue 16 April 2024

The full cast has been announced for Anna Ledwich’s new production of Coram Boy, running at Chichester Festival Theatre at The Lowry, Salford from 21 – 29 June.

Mon 15 April 2024

‘The Kite Runner’, the outstanding and unforgettable theatrical tour de force, is returning to The Lowry in May

Mon 8 April 2024

• February 2024
• January 2024
• December 2023
• November 2023
• October 2023
• September 2023
• August 2023
• February 2023
• January 2023
• December 2022
• November 2022
• October 2022
• September 2022
• August 2022
• February 2022
• January 2022
• December 2021
• November 2021
• October 2021
• September 2021
• February 2021
• January 2021
• December 2020
• November 2020
• October 2020
• September 2020
• August 2020
• February 2020
• January 2020
• December 2019
• November 2019
• October 2019
• September 2019
• August 2019
• February 2019
• January 2019
• December 2018
• November 2018
• October 2018
• September 2018
• August 2018

PRIVATE LIVES Comes to Marco Island in January

Performances run January 3-21, 2024.

Private Lives by Nöel Coward comes to Marco Island Center For the Arts in January 2024. Performances run January 3-21, 2024.

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 .

Ft. Myers/Naples SHOWS

Recommended For You