Private Lives

At the Gate.

Shrill upper class English accents. Now I expected fake upper class accents but not to the point of hearing impairment. Private Lives is a good play and given the right circumstances would work. It is the kind of comedy I enjoy as a rule.
The performance at The Gate is mediocre and at times becomes irritating. The relationships are unbelievable as there is a complete absence of sexual tension between the people playing the divorced couple. The two others are just written as two dimensional anyway so do not count.
One of the women thought it wise to scream loudly and at lenght everytime she was upset which was often. The slapstick was badly done exceot for one of the dance scenes set late into the play.
The costumes were excellent though and had been put together with love and care. They evoked a sense of glamour and occasion. They completely overshadowed the play.
What a pity.