A major revival of Noël Coward’s fabulous masterpiece, Private Lives will commence a National Tour ahead of a West End transfer, starring stage and screen stars Tom Chambers (Top Hat, Strictly Come Dancing) as the loveable and charming Elyot and Laura Rogers (Tipping The Velvet, An Ideal Husband) as the unconventional and vivacious Amanda, alongside Charlotte Ritchie (Call The Midwife, One Night in November) as Sybil and Richard Teverson (Downton Abbey) as Victor.
The production is generally acknowledged as being one of the greatest plays of all time, and will begin at the New Victoria Theatre, Woking, from 11th January 2016, directed by Tom Attenborough, with designs by Lucy Osborne, lighting by Oliver Fenwick and sound by Gregory Clarke.
Other confirmed venues for this major new production of Private Livesinclude the Churchill Theatre, Bromley (18-23 January), Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent (25-30 January), Theatre Royal, Brighton (1-6 February), New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham (8-13 February), Richmond Theatre (15-20 February), Theatre Royal, Glasgow (22-27 February), Princess Theatre, Torquay (29 February – 5 March), Waterside Theatre, Aylesbury (7-12 March) and Theatre Royal, Bath (14-19 March).
Private Lives, written in just three days, remains Coward’s greatest success and the play that marked the peak of his career. Elyot (a role originated by Coward himself) and Amanda are a gloriously selfish divorced couple who, by a quirk of fate, meet again on their honeymoons with their new spouses and reignite their old spark,. The revival of their fiery romance, alternating between heated rows and passionate reconciliations, reminds them that although they cannot live with each other, nor can they live without.
A masterpiece of 1930’s high comedy full of razor sharp wit and sparkling dialogue, Private Lives remains one of the most sophisticated, entertaining plays ever written, offering an evening of acutely sharp, divinely decedent, and unashamed humour.
Tom Chambers’ (Elyot Chase) most recent stage credits include the West End production of White Christmas at the Dominion Theatre, and the Olivier and Evening Standard Award winning musical Top Hat, for which Tom was nominated for the Olivier and WhatsOnStage Award for Best Male Performer In A Musical. Tom is popular for his leading roles in television dramas Holby City and Waterloo Road as well as winning the 6th season of Strictly Come Dancing in 2008.
Laura Rodgers’ (Amanda Prynne) stage credits include the World Premiere of Tipping The Velvet at the Lyric Hammersmith, An Ideal Husband, Blue Remembered Hills and Hay Fever at Chichester Festival Theatre, Pressure for Royal Lyceum Theatre, Masterpieces at the Royal Court, 55 Days and Revelations at Hampstead Theatre, The Comedy of Errors on USA Tour and Shakespeare’s Globe, The 39 Steps at The Criterion Theatre, West End, The Philosophers at the National Theatre of Wales, Macbeth, As You Like It, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Timon of Athens, The Taming of the Shrew and Richard III at the Shakespeare’s Globe, Gloucestershire at the Arcola Theatre, See How They Run at the Royal Exchange, Bad Girls – The Musical at the Garrick Theatre and West Yorkshire Playhouse, The Three Musketeers and The Barber of Seville at the Bristol Old Vic, Celestina at the Birmingham Rep and on UK Tour and Jamaica Inn at the Salisbury Playhouse. Laura’s screen credits include New Tricks, The Smoke, Law and Order, Dates, Twelfth Night, Dark Matters, Doctor Who, Midsomer Murders, Missing, Albert’s Memorial, Holby City, Bad Girls, Rock Face, Running Scared, Relic Hunter, Pleasure Beach, The Sins, Love Me Do, The Right Hand Man, Nylon Ghosts and In Two Minds.
Charlotte Ritchie (Sibyl Chase) is best known for her roles in Call The Midwife as series regular Barbara Gilbert, the role of Oregon in Channel 4’s Fresh Meat, which has recently completed filming their 4th and final series, and Siblings for BBC 3. Charlotte’s other screen credits include Open Doors, Princess Daffodil, Life Of Riley, Outsiders, Undercover, Doctors, Jolene: The Indie Folk Star and The Portrait. Charlotte is also a founder member of All Angels, a British classical crossover choral group formed in 2006. All Angels have released 4 albums and have sold over a million albums across the world. Charlotte’s stage credits include One Night In November at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry.
Richard Teverson’s (Victor Prynne) stage credits include Handbagged on UK Tour, How Many Miles To Babylon at the Lyric Theatre, Belfast, The Schoolmistress at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, The Winslow Boy and Cause Célèbre at the Old Vic, Somersaults at the Finborough Theatre, The Doctor’s Dilemma and After The Dance at the National Theatre, The 39 Steps at the Criterion Theatre, When Harry Met Sally and A Woman Of No Importance at the Theatre Royal Haymarket,The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre, Private Lives, Tons Of Money and Hobson’s Choice all for the Freud Company, The Singing Group at Chelsea Theatre, Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle & Dick at the New Vic Theatre and A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Creation Theatre. Richard’s screen credits include Downton Abbey, Coalition, Jamaica Inn, The Bletchley Circle, Spies Of Warsaw, Dancing On The Edge, Upstairs Downstairs, The Roman Mysteries, Private Peaceful, Brideshead Revisited and Workhorse.
Tom Attenborough (Director)
Noël Coward (Writer)
The major production of Private Lives is produced by Ambassador Theatre Group.
LISTINGS
PRIVATE LIVES
11 JANUARY – 19 MARCH 2016
WRITTEN BY NOËL COWARD
DIRECTED BY TOM ATTENBOROUGH
NATIONAL TOUR
General Onsale from Monday 26 October 2015
New Victoria Theatre, Woking
11 – 16 January
0844 871 7645
Churchill Theatre, Bromley
18 – 23 January
0844 871 7620
Regent Theatre, Stoke
25 – 30 January
0844 871 7649
Theatre Royal, Brighton
1 – 6 February
0844 871 7650
New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham
8 – 13 February
0844 871 3011
Richmond Theatre
15 – 20 February
0844 871 7651
Theatre Royal, Glasgow
22 – 27 February
0844 871 7647
Princess Theatre, Torquay
29 February – 5 March
0844 871 3023
Waterside Theatre, Aylesbury
7 – 12 March
0844 871 7607
Theatre Royal, Bath
14 – 19 March
01225 448844
Tickets On Sale Soon
Tickets via http://www.atgtickets.com/