Private Lives at Octagon Theatre Bolton

Octagon Theatre Bolton launches its Autumn/Winter season in sparkling style with a bold new revival of Noël Coward’s Private Lives. Directed by Tanuja Amarasuriya, winner of the 2024 RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award, this is one theatrical highlight you won’t want to miss.

Love, lust and wit combust in this glittering comedy about two honeymooning couples who find themselves in hotel rooms next door to their exes. Emotions run high and egos run riot in this razor-sharp, sexy staging. Set against a backdrop of 1930s glamour, Coward’s revered comedy of manners gets a spicy, modern makeover. Expect a punchy, elegant show full of romantic tension, brittle sophistication and champagne-fuelled mayhem.

Amanda and Elyot are glamorous, wealthy, and recently divorced. Now honeymooning with new partners, they’re horrified to discover they’re staying in adjacent hotel rooms on the French Riviera. One moonlit evening is all it takes to rekindle the flame…and launch a whirlwind of passion, slanging matches and scandalous behaviour. As their fiery chemistry explodes into chaos, Coward’s wickedly funny tale becomes a delicious tug of war between love and self-destruction.

The play’s mix of sharp wit, emotional violence and romantic absurdity has kept audiences hooked for decades – and this production is dialling up the tension. What makes it truly stand out is the distinctive directorial hand of Tanuja Amarasuriya. Fresh from winning the 2024 RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award – a prestigious prize that champions emerging directors with bold vision – Amarasuriya brings a striking visual style and a talent for reimagining classic texts. Best known for her interdisciplinary work with acclaimed company Sleepdogs, Amarasuriya makes her mainstage debut with a bold creative approach that leans into Coward’s emotional intensity, sexual tension and scathing wit – while exploring gender, sexuality and ethnicity through a fresh, contemporary lens.

The cast includes Pepter Lunkuse (Noises Off, Theatre Royal Bath, West End & UK Tour) as Amanda, and Chirag Benedict Lobo (Life of Pi, West End) as Elyot. Sade Malone (Lord of the Flies, Leeds Playhouse) and Ashley Gerlach (Coriolanus, National Theatre; Patriots, West End) play their unsuspecting new partners, Sibyl and Victor, with Jodie Cuaresma (Love’s Labour’s Lost, RSC) completing the cast as the ever-watchful Louise.

This is theatre that crackles with energy – visually bold, emotionally charged, and made to be experienced in the moment. With an award-winning director and a cracking cast, this Private Lives blends Coward’s timeless wit with a fresh, electrifying edge.