Private Lives

Private Lives is an illuminating, eighty-four year-old classic that bobs up in production, here and there, again and again.  It is the simple story of a divorced couple honeymooning, at exactly the same time, with new partners, in adjacent hotel rooms that share a connected balcony.  What ensues is emotional and physical mayhem that highlights the social mores of the 1930’s. At the same time it tenders more than a little insight into the nature of passionate love and its capacity to overwhelm and flail.

In its components there are mixed and subtle suggestions that allow this production to transcend from a mere ‘museum piece’ to something considerably more current and affecting.  Even though he barely tampers with the text, Director Sam Strong achieves a palpable connection with a present-day audience.  The overall design (costume and set by Tracy Grant Lord and music by Mathew Frank) is grand, spacious and predominantly of the 1930s, with a smattering of ‘post modern’ additions.  Most evident of these additions, incongruous to a purist, are in the form of contemporary love songs.

Somewhat surprisingly the work has allowed itself to be opened up and teased out by the present-day sensibilities of a well cast ensemble of actors.  It stands up to scrutiny from a contemporary audience and is engaging and often hilarious then sublimely poignant - in turns.

Nadine Garner fully embodies, with gusto and humour, a delightfully wicked and provocative Amanda Prynne. One of my highlights is her belligerent yet enthralling dancing of a ‘seemingly spontaneously improvised’ piece by choreographer Andrew Hallsworth.

Leon Ford displays split second comic timing and makes a very credible and engaging Elyot Chase.  He works superbly with Garner to convey a volcanic chemical attraction in Elyot and Amanda’s relationship that is fuelled by flights of fancy and willfully destructive narcissism. Both actors express this with well-matched, volatile high energy.

Lucy Durack’s Sibyl Chase is a lovely ‘well brought up gal’ who finds herself in a bafflingly, unexpectedly, unconventional situation.  The dulcet tones of Durack’s speaking and singing voices enhance her characterization. Sibyl’s journey of a very young and new wife who is a little too self-assured and un-spoilt to a maturing woman jilted and rendered vulnerable, is movingly portrayed by Durack.  Likewise John Leary as Victor Prynne ‘fits the bill’, firstly as little more than a foil to exposition then progressively to a more wholly realized self-assured and bumptious character.

In the first act the comic timing is beautiful, the jokes and one-liners come quick and fast. In that shocking moment when two ex-lovers are confronted by the unexpected embodied presence of each-other it feels as though the whole audience is sitting up and paying very close attention, and relating through their own experience.  On opening night the second Act lagged just a tad, in comparison to the first.  In the third act there is a sense of resolve.  This last act is enriched by Julie Forsyth’s interpretation of Marie the maid.  She just about brings the house down with witty physical buffoonery. 

The whole production displays thorough preparation and masterful management, particularly of the revolving stage.

A great start to the year for Melbourne Theatre Company.

Suzanne Sandow

Cast

Sibyl Chase – Lucy Durack

Elyot Chase – Leon Ford

Victor Prynne – John Leary

Amanda Prynne – Nadine Garner

Louise – Julie Forsyth

Production Team

Director – Sam Strong

Set and Costume Designer – Tracy Grant Lord

Lighting Designer – Paul Jackson

Composer and Musical Director – Mathew Frank

Choreographer – Andrew Hallsworth