A witty comedy

Noël Coward’s witty study of romantic entanglement

The Compte Raoul de Vriaac has betrothed his only daughter, Adrienne, to Miguel, the only son of his best friend, Esteban. Adrienne doesn’t want to marry Miguel, though, because she’s in love with her father’s secretary, Jacques Rijar. Miguel is also in love, with an actress. They make a pact not to marry, but instead to help each other. But then, the Marquise Eloise de Kestournel, a former lover of Raoul’s, strides in, intent on marrying him. And everything is turned on its head.

Coward’s early comedy about romantic entanglements and misunderstandings - complete with old secrets and impulsive young lovers - shows us that age really is a state of mind and that if we have the energy, we could all be eternally youthful like the Marquise.

This production transposes the action from the 18th-century to the art deco 1930s, highlighting Coward’s very personal study of finding love in a post-war world.