PRIVATE LIVES

7 April 2023 - 27 May 2023

BY NOËL COWARD

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

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 boxoffice@donmarwarehouse.com

Access

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 access@donmarwarehouse.com

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)