If you had walked into Richmond Theatre halfway through the performance of Private Lives, you would have been in no doubt who wrote it.
With its exaggerated 1920s British characters providing genuine guffaws and the glamorous backdrop of the south of France bringing the glamour, this is certainly a Noel Coward.
It is also just the second time Fresh Meat and Siblings star Charlotte Ritchie has trod the boards – and she certainly seemed comfortable.
A world away from her television alter-egos Oregon and Hannah, Ritchie’s Sibyl Chase is feminine and genuinely witty in her dialogue with her stage husband Tom Chambers, playing the eccentric Elyot Chase.
Elyot bumps into former lover Amanda Prynne while both are on their second honeymoons and it isn’t long before they inevitably fall back into each other’s’ arms.
And it is between Amanda and Elyot where the most captivating dialogue occurs – they are a car crash couple who wear their hearts on their sleeves.
The play begins fast-paced, with a slight lull before the interval but this is Coward close to his best and directed by Tom Attenborough, it makes for an enjoyable watch.
Private Lives plays at Richmond Theatre until Saturday before continuing on its nationwide tour.
For ticket information, visit atgtickets.com/shows/private-lives-2.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here