“Private Lives,” Noël Coward's 1930 comedy about a divorced couple honeymooning with their new spouses, will return to Broadway for the 2026-27 season. The revival will be produced by Jeffrey Richards, Playful Productions (Matthew Byam Shaw, Nia Janis, Nick Salmon), Rebecca Gold and M/B/P Productions. No additional production details have been announced.
“We are thrilled that this sparkling new production of this iconic comedy will be coming back to Broadway in 2026/27," said Alan Brodie, chair of the Noël Coward Foundation, in a statement. "The Coward Estate will work with closely with the producers and creative team and open their extensive archive to them as well as providing support from its social and marketing team. All the royalties received by the Coward Estate on this production will go to the charitable Foundation set up by Coward’s partner Graham Payn and will be used to support educational and development projects across the performing arts.”
“Private Lives” premiered on August 18, 1930 at the King’s Theatre in Edinburgh, debuting on Broadway at the Times Square Theatre on January 27, 1931. The story follows the once-married Elyot and Amanda, now honeymooning with new spouses at the same hotel. What happens when they meet in these new circumstances results in a sparkling roundelay that results in what critics and audiences consider Coward’s greatest comedy.
The play has been produced on Broadway eight times. It's been performed by a starry roster of actors including Coward himself, as well as Gertrude Lawrence, Laurence Olivier, Tallulah Bankhead, Tammy Grimes (Tony Award, 1970), Brian Bedford, Maggie Smith (Tony Award-nomination, 1975), Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Collins and Kim Cattrall. Its Tony-winning 2002 revival co-starred Lindsay Duncan (Tony Award winner) and Alan Rickman (Tony Award nomination) under the direction of Howard Davies.
This article previously appeared on Broadway.com.
