Design for Living by Noel Coward opens at the Masque Theatre, Muizenberg, tomorrow, Friday March 3.
This wickedly witty dark romantic comedy, which was initially banned in the UK, portrays three amoral, glib yet stylish characters and their hopelessly inescapable, if also unconventional, emotional entanglement.
From 1930s bohemian Paris to the dizzying heights of Manhattan society, a tempestuous love triangle unravels between a vivacious interior designer, Gilda (Regina Malan), playwright Leo (Wayne Ronne) and artist Otto (Gary Green) – three people unashamedly and passionately in love with each other.
They are trapped in what Coward called a three-sided erotic hodge-podge.
The strong cast features many names that Masque audiences will be familiar with, including the two male leads Gary Green and Wayne Ronne. Mr Green was last on stage in The Real Inspector Hound and Mr Ronne was last seen as the romantic lead in Barretts of Wimpole Street.
Other Masque Theatre regulars include Tash Futeran, who played opposite Mr Ronne in Barretts, Thom von Zahn and Mark Wilkes.
Barbara Basel, an experienced Coward director, is in charge of bringing out the trademark piquant style of this great playwright and allowing the actors to shine within the hilarious script.
Presented by Constantiaberg Theatre Players – the society that brought you The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) and The Real Inspector Hound last year – Design for Living promises to make audiences laugh as they delight in the dazzling, egotistical creatures on stage and their self-destructive dependence on each other.
Design for Living opens at the Masque Theatre, Muizenberg, on Friday, March 3, and runs until Saturday March 11 – excluding Sunday to Tuesday. Book through Masque Theatre Bookings on 021 788 1898 (weekdays from 9am to 4pm and Saturdays from 9am to noon) or email bookings@masquetheatre.co.za Alternatively, you can book online at www.masquetheatre.co.za.
Follow the theatre on Facebook to find out more about this production: https://www.facebook.com/masquetheatre and https://www.facebook.com/ConstantiabergTheatrePlayers