Review: Private Lives by the Ditchling Players

Private Lives by the Ditchling Players was another outstanding demonstration of this group’s talents. They captured the romance and innocence of the era with dazzling costumes and effective scene sets – intricate but with a fast and organised crew. Dialogue flowed – flawlessly - and the writer’s humour was timed to perfection!

Humour relating to passionate love was acted beautifully by the main characters. The relationship between Elyot and Amanda was portrayed so well, with sexual tension, chemistry and humour. Jonny Idle gave a confident and hugely convincing performance of the suave and self-centred Elyot. Karinn Grierson encapsulated the era, including the glamour, with her pronunciation, elegant manner and body language portraying the cheeky, crafty Amanda. Debbie Dillon was adept with her comic performance as the simpering Sibyl who comes into her own in the end, sobbing desperately and hysterically (we weren’t sure whether to laugh or cry!) And poor old Victor was perfectly adoring yet protective of his wife Amanda. Jon Dall held his own in a strong cast, a fine achievement for someone making his debut.

Words that came to mind during the performance: Intrigue; Playful; Emotionally fraught and very funny all at once. There was never a dull moment. Some lengthy dialogue was cleverly executed and kept lively by overt facial expressions.

Thank you for a very entertaining evening!

REVIEW BY Jaki Watkins & Viv Chitty