Mercury Theatre presents Noel Coward's Private Lives

Starring Krissi Bohn and Pete Ashmore

Running Friday 20 May – Saturday 3 June  

The Mercury Theatre Colchester is bringing some unexpected twists this Spring, to one of Noel Coward’s most celebrated plays.  Pete Ashmore and Krissi Bohn star as theatre’s most volatile and passionate couple Elyot Chase and Amanda Prynne in the classic comedy of manners, Private Lives, which is taken out of the 1930s and brought into a modern day setting.  Joining the ever warring but hopelessly in love pair are Robin Kingsland as Victor, Olivia Onyehara as Sybil and Christine Absalom as the maid.

In a smart hotel in a fashionable French resort, two honeymooning couples share adjacent rooms. The only problem is that two of the newlyweds were married before … to each other. When they meet again, they throw themselves into a love affair without a care for the scandalous consequences. Running off together to a Parisian apartment, Elyot and Amanda’s stormy relationship reaches its climax as their respective spouses walk in. Coward’s passionate and witty love story, glinting with razor-sharp dialogue, and acerbic wit, remains one of the most successful and popular comedies ever written. Now a modern classic, Coward’s play exposes the perilous fragility of human emotions.

Pete Ashmore last appeared at the Mercury Theatre in the Summer as Grasshopper, in the acclaimed stage adaptation of Roald Dahl’s much-loved novel James and The Giant Peach.  He is a familiar face at the theatre, having appeared in numerous other productions including The Winters Tale, A View From The Bridge and Under Milk Wood.  His other work includes The National Theatre, The Citizens’ Theatre Glasgow and The Lyric Theatre Belfast.  Krissi Bohn is perhaps best known as Jenna Kamara in Coronation Street.  Her stage career has included work at Nottingham Playhouse, Theatre by The Lake Keswick and Northampton Theatre Royal.

Olivia Onyehara has appeared at Southwark Theatre, Nottingham Playhouse and New Vic Theatre.  Robin Kingsland created the role of Peter Lawford in the celebrated and long running Nottingham Playhouse, touring and West End Rat Pack Confidential.  He played Charley Malloy in the award winning Steven Berkoff stage adaptation of On The Waterfront as well as appearing in numerous other roles both in London and up and down the country

Joining the cast is Christine Absalom, a favourite of Mercury Theatre audiences during thirteen years in the Mercury Theatre Company. Christine has gone on to produce Merry It Was To Laugh There and Romancing Miss Bliss with her own production company, Jubilant Productions.

Esther Richardson, Director, said:

“Private Lives is a brilliant, much-loved comedy of manners and a firmly established favourite with audiences. It’s exciting to be working with such a talented team towards a revival that will be faithful, but also fresh and contemporary in spirit.”

Private Lives will be at the Mercury Theatre from Friday 20 May until Saturday 4 June. Tickets start at £10.

To book tickets visit www.mercurytheatre.co.uk or call 01206 573948.