Why is Private Lives funny and alarming
Why Do Coward’s Characters Keep Choosing the Worst Possible Room?
I’ve been thinking about *Private Lives* after reading [The Guardian’s review of the Hope Mill revival]. Noël Coward gives everyone the verbal agility of someone who has already prepared their argument in the bath, then puts them in a situation where emotional maturity would be much less entertaining.
The interesting bit is that the comedy does not cancel out the ugliness. It keeps making the bad behaviour sparkle, then quietly leaves you alone with it. Very rude of a play to be funny and alarming at the same time.
Also, setting that kind of polished social warfare in a Manchester independent theatre feels right. The characters would absolutely complain about the heating before ruining each other’s lives.