TWO honeymooning couples had their ‘Private Lives’ and true colours exposed in this riotous Noel Coward farce.

The script may be over 80 years old, having first delighted audiences in the 1930s, but this production fizzed with humour and life.

A superb five-strong cast and a stylish but simple set worked wonders to whisk the audience away from the woes of the modern world.

Coward’s play opens with four newlyweds on their eagerly awaited wedding nights and throws their relationships into the spotlight as their plans go hopelessly awry.

Suave Elyot (Gareth Bennett-Ryan) and his naive bride Sibyl (Olivia Beardsley) discuss his ex-wife over drinks at their hotel - only to discover she’s next door.

Actress Helen Keeley put in an excellent turn as tempestuous femme fatale Amanda, who’s just re-married the seemingly straight-laced Victor (Paul Sandys).

Coward’s ageless sharp dialogue soon had the audience in stitches, with some declaring themselves exhausted with laughter by the end of the night.

Things go spectacularly wrong for the four Brits abroad in this thoroughly enjoyable, witty play about attraction, passion and the thin line between love and hate.

Each of the characters (with the exception of the minor French maid role) are richly developed and wonderfully contrast each other.

This fantastic revival of Coward’s battle of the sexes classic paid testament to his talent, and his well-deserved place as one of the nation’s greatest playwrights.

As a first trip to a live performance of his works, Private Lives was a real treat and definitely left me eager to see more.