Written in 1939, at the height of Noël Coward’s career, Present Laughter is a stylised comedy filled with laugh-out-loud lines with delicious subtext.

The English playwright and composer famously described his work as “light comedy played with absolute seriousness,” and while he writes that actors are creatures made up of “tinsel and sawdust” his witty dialogue gives every performer room to shine.

The story centres on a self-obsessed actor Garry Essendine, a successful matinee idol who believes the world revolves around him: “Everybody worships me; it’s nauseating.” Considered semi-autobiographical, Garry is the writer’s own comic mirror; in fact, Coward played the role in numerous productions across the UK, Europe, and the USA.

Just as Garry is preparing to leave for Africa, his life spirals when a series of admirers, lovers, and ardent fans begin demanding his attention.

Peter Eyers brings debonair charm to Garry, leaning into the role’s exaggerated emotional flourishes, espousing “Everyone is tortuous,” before collapsing flamboyantly onto the couch, hand to forehead. “I’m always acting. I belong to the public and to my work.”

Professing her love for Garry is Daphne Stillington, a young debutante who conveniently loses her latch (house) key and spends the night, then awakes determined to hook the star. Larissa Turton, with her breathless Marilyn Monroe-like laugh, plays Daphne’s melodrama with broad gestures and amplified vocal delivery, befitting the character’s exuberant nature.

Revolving around him are Liz (Molly Haddon), Garry’s not-quite-ex-wife, both practical and glamorous; Monica (Emily Weare), the unflappable secretary who cuts through the chaos with dry humour; Joanna (Lib Campbell), a riot whose high-pitched voice and perfectly timed pouts culminate in the delicious line: “I can’t guarantee we’ll be domestically happy but we’ll have a very good time,”; and fan-obsessed Roland (Luke Visentin), who earns frequent laughs from the crowd.

Strong supporting performances also come from Oliver Harcourt-Ham as Fred the butler, Reuben Solomon as Garry’s manager Morris, and Michela Noonan as agent Hetty, alongside Liz Grindley as Garry’s shaky old housekeeper, Mrs Hamilton.

Structurally, running for almost three hours, the play moves at a vigorous, sometimes chaotic pace. The doorbell rings constantly, with someone always arriving at Garry’s apartment. With a heightened farce interpretation, director Louise Fischer includes a brief music interlude that amusingly descends into madness.

Set Design by Tom Bannerman places the story in the forties era, with an old dial-up phone, an all-important bar stocked for much-needed brandy, and comfortable Art Deco-style couches to accommodate Garry’s many guests. Co-costume Designers Helen Kohlhagen and Megan Wray transport us back to a time of stylish fashion and when hats were de rigueur. The palette leans into black and white: Liz in sleek pencil skirts, Joanna in a dramatic evening gown with platinum blond hair, and Garry spends most of the show swanning about in a series of silk dressing gowns.

Watching Present Laughter, I couldn’t help thinking back to Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime. Both share the same mix of satire, farcical exaggeration and swift word play wrapped in the glamour of high society.  

Frivolous, madcap and genuinely hilarious, Present Laughter delivers a buoyant theatrical comedy.

3.5 stars

Running for 2 hours 50 minutes (including one 20-minute interval).

Present Laughter is playing at Newtown, New Theatre until 13 December 2025.

For tickets visit: New Theatre