by Ian Diddams
images by Josie Mae-Ross
Noel Coward is probably best known for “Blithe Spirit” but he in fact wrote sixty-five stage plays over a fifty year period. Bath Drama this week perform his excellent “Design for Living” – a comedy about a menage-a-trois, complicated by a fourth relationship set in Paris, London, and New York.
What is the secret to a successful community theatre show? It’s quite a simple answer in many ways – talented actors, inspired direction, dedicated crew all working to a vision. Topped off with an intimate space to share it all in. Bath Drama and the Rondo Theatre deliver this equation sublimely… from the wonderful sets, beautiful costumes, brilliant lighting, and the ability to be almost on stage with the action… for those in the front row in particular one is sitting in Otto, Leo, and Ernest’s abodes.
Three of the principals – Gilda (Elisabeth Calvert), Otto (Toby Skelton) and Leo (Richard Watkins) share a turbulent three way relationship – viewed afar with some consternation by the fourth principal, Ernest (Iowerth Mitchell). Ernest is also friends with the trio, but far more platonically. The story moves between Gilda’s affections at any one period; firstly with Otto, then with Leo, then with Ernest, until the play’s dénouement when the three embrace their shared loves and Ernest disowns them all.
Elisabeth Calvert as Gilda drives the show – she is on stage for the majority of the two and a half hour show (with over a thousand lines!). The entire story in many ways is about her inability to commit and/or her easily swayed attractions; she is also the instigator of all the arguments with her lover at any time hinting at a lack of happiness deep inside.
The one relationship in the play that Coward had to downplay when it was written in 1932 was the homosexual one between Otto and Leo. Even in today’s far more liberated times the dialogue still lends itself to a demure portrayal and little more than heavy hints that the two chaps in Gilda’s absence have a thing going on. A few draped limbs here, a shared pair of pyjamas there, and a liberal use of the word “gay” as a double entendre (I only learned today the term for homosexual was first widely used in the 1930s amongst the gay community!). Toby Skelton and Richard Watkins portray this subtle yet intense relationship supremely well, infinitely comfortable in each other’s company and arms.
The supporting cast is no less excellent – Lucy Perry a blaze of door slamming energy on stage as her portrayal of the clumsy Miss Hodge the domestic contrasts superbly with the subtle, suave sophistication of the principals. Tim Carter doubles-up as a photographer and the monied New Yorker husband of Lauren Arena-McCann as the Carver couple, while Lauren also doubles-up Miss Birbeck a reporter. More double-ups as Lucy a.k.a. Miss Hodge also plays the rather more up market Grace Torrence, with her dee-lart-furl Southern drawl. Segueing nicely in this review, Jim McCauley plays Matthew the somewhat stressed New York Butler to Ernest, as well as being Assistant to Gill Morrell as Director.
The set is delightful – simple yet elegantly portraying with not a little panache a studio in Paris, a flat in London and a suite in New York – step forward and take a bow to set crew Rich Canning (who else!), David Wood, Miriam Zaccarelli and Connor Palmer. The scene shifts between the three abodes are technical – which is a subtle way of saying they are long. However – this is not a negative; the choreography between the stage crew of Connor Palmer, James Dennis and Ellen Read is a delight to behold in itself more than ably abetted by the quite stunning 1920s soundtrack. Costumes by Scarlett Hayler-King and the cast were beautifully elegant … and of course, there was Miss Hodge’s rather more prosaic home help clobber 😊 Finally, but by no means least, Alex Latham provided tech as smoothly on the outside as we have all come to expect.
This is an exquisitely written play, performed well and is more than worthy of your attendance. “Design for Living” is performed at the Rondo Theatre from October 2nd-5th 2024.
Tickets from https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/rondotheatre/design-for-living/e-vllzbb
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