No longer booking
  • Venue Ambassadors Theatre, London
  • Performance dates Booking to 25 November 2023
  • Running time 2 hours (including interval)
  • Age guidelines 8+

★★★★ “Christopher Luscombe’s fizzing revival” – Telegraph

Noel Coward’s classic comedy Private Lives comes to the Ambassadors Theatre this autumn 2023.

Nigel Havers and Patricia Hodge star in this sparkling new production of Noel Coward’s comedy of bad manners, first staged at the Theatre Royal Bath.

Directed by Christopher Luscombe (The Madness of George III, Spamalot), this acclaimed production stars Nigel Havers (Downton Abbey, Chariots of Fire and The Charmer), Patricia Hodge (A Very English Scandal, Downton Abbey and Miranda), Dugald Bruce-Lockhart (The Last Temptation of Boris Johnson, The Crown) and Natalie Walter (Pack of Lies, Jerusalem).

Noel Coward’s Private Lives runs at the Ambassadors Theatre for 12 weeks from 31 August to 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…

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Performance Information

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Stars and Creatives

Patricia Hodge
Patricia Hodge

Who is in the cast of Private Lives?

Nigel Havers as Elyot, Patricia Hodge as Amanda, Dugald Bruce-Lockhart as Victor, Natalie Walter as Sibyl.

Who are the creative team of Private Lives?

Written By Noel Coward, directed by Christopher Luscombe.

Set & Costume Design by Simon Higlett; Lighting Design by Mark Jonathan; Sound Design by Jeremy Dunn; Composer – Nigel Hess.

Venue Information

Ambassadors Theatre , West Street, London, WC2H 9ND

Nearest Tube or Train: Leicester Square (Northern line, Piccadilly line)

Nearest Buses: 14, 19, 22, 24, 29, 38, 40, 176

Directions

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Critics' reviews of Private Lives

★★★★ "A retro treat" - The Sunday Times

★★★★ "Nigel Havers and Patricia Hodge on consummate form" - The Evening Standard

★★★★ "Nigel Havers and Patricia Hodge give Noel Coward a wintry poignancy" - The Telegraph

★★★★ "Private Lives…a temple to Noel Coward’s genius. Havers and Hodge are perfect" - Telegraph (Theatre Royal Bath)

★★★★ "Hugely amusing…an elegant period design, a woundingly witty evening" - The Times (Theatre Royal Bath)

Also see: Private Lives Reviews Round-up

Frequently Asked Questions

Private Lives is playing at the Ambassadors Theatre in London
The running time of Private Lives is 2 hours (including interval)
The age recommendations for Private Lives are: 8+
Yes, Private Lives has matinee performances on the following days: Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday
No, sorry, Private Lives has now completed its run and is no longer on sale.

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