Private Lives
Private Lives holds a special place in the history of the Cape Playhouse. Noel Coward wrote the play in 1930, specifically with Gertrude Lawrence in mind to play Amanda (which she did, opening along side Coward, Laurence Olivier and Adrianne Allen). Lawrence would later come to the Playhouse in 1937 in the play Skylark which was doing the ‘straw hat circuit’ on its way to Broadway, where she met the then Artistic Director and Producer, Richard Aldritch. The two fell in love, were married and Lawrence would live in Dennis, MA until her death in 1952. In 1940, she reprised her role of Amanda in Private Lives on the stage of the Playhouse in 1940, much to the delight of a rapt Playhouse audience.
We were equally delighted to present the play in the 2022 season. They play was directed by Martin Platt and starred Charlotte Bydwell, Chris Thorn, Ali Rose Dachis, Duane Boute and Marceline Hugot. The critics loved the show saying “theatergoers who appreciate sophisticated and often withering wordplay with fast-moving verbal gymnastics will turn with glee to Coward’s classic 1930s comedy of manners, with the humor spinning out as Elyot and Amanda spontaneously combust. Martin Platt’s direction is spot on, capitalizing on the cast’s ability to deliver non-stop dialogue without batting an eyelash.”