Hugh Bonneville and Lisa McCune will star in a new Australian production of Noël Coward’s classic comedy Private Lives, opening at Theatre Royal Sydney in February 2027 for a limited five week season.
by Paul Cashmere
British actor Hugh Bonneville and Australian stage and screen star Lisa McCune will headline a new production of Noël Coward’s enduring comedy Private Lives at Theatre Royal Sydney from 6 February 2027. The production marks Bonneville’s Australian stage debut and pairs the Downton Abbey and Paddington actor with four-time Gold Logie winner McCune in one of the most frequently revived comedies in modern theatre.
The Sydney season brings together two of the most recognisable performers from British and Australian entertainment for a fresh interpretation of Coward’s 1930 comedy of manners. The play centres on former spouses Elyot and Amanda, who unexpectedly discover they are honeymooning with their new partners in adjacent hotel suites. Their chance reunion reignites old passions and familiar conflicts, setting in motion one of theatre’s most celebrated depictions of love and incompatibility.
Joining Bonneville and McCune are Australian actors Leon Ford, Claire van der Boom and Julie Forsyth. The production will be directed by acclaimed British director Christopher Luscombe, whose stage credits span the Royal Shakespeare Company, Shakespeare’s Globe, the National Theatre and London’s West End.
Bonneville said he had long hoped to play the role of Elyot.
“I’m thrilled to be making my Australian stage debut in Private Lives. Noël Coward’s writing remains as sharp, funny and insightful today as ever, and Elyot is a character I’ve always relished the idea of playing,” he said.
“To have the chance to bring this classic comedy to Australian audiences, and to work with such a talented cast is a genuine pleasure. I can’t wait to get to Sydney, my first visit to Australia, and begin rehearsals for this brilliantly funny play.”
Trafalgar Entertainment Joint CEO and Creative Director Sir Howard Panter described the work as “one of the greatest comedies of all time” and said the company was delighted to stage a new Australian production at Theatre Royal Sydney.
Private Lives occupies a significant place in twentieth century theatre. Written by Noël Coward in 1930, the play premiered at the King’s Theatre in Edinburgh before transferring to London’s Phoenix Theatre. Coward himself originated the role of Elyot opposite Gertrude Lawrence as Amanda. The play’s sophisticated dialogue and examination of romantic relationships quickly established it as one of Coward’s defining works.
Over the past nine decades, the play has attracted a succession of major actors. Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor famously played the lead roles in a Broadway revival in 1983, while later productions featured performers including Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Joan Collins, Kim Cattrall and Matthew Macfadyen. The play also introduced one of Coward’s best-known songs, Someday I’ll Find You, which has subsequently been recorded by artists including Mario Lanza, Doris Day, Perry Como and Julie Andrews.
Bonneville arrives in Sydney with an extensive career across film, television and theatre. In addition to the Downton Abbey and Paddington franchises, his screen credits include Notting Hill, The Monuments Men, The Gold, The Agency and The Gentlemen. On stage he has performed with both the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company.
McCune remains one of Australia’s most decorated television personalities and theatre performers. In recent years she has appeared in productions of The 39 Steps, Sweat and Steel Magnolias, while television audiences have seen her in Taskmaster, Big Miracles and Dancing With The Stars Australia, which she won in 2024.
The production’s creative team also includes set designer David Fleischer, costume designer Jennifer Irwin, sound designer Jeremy Dunn, dialect coach Charmian Gradwell, fight choreographer Scott Witt, resident director Andrew Bevis, choreographer Nathan Mark Wright and composer Nigel Hess.
Private Lives will run for a strictly limited five week season at Theatre Royal Sydney beginning on 6 February 2027. A priority waitlist has opened ahead of tickets going on sale to the general public on 16 July.
6 February 2027, Sydney, Theatre Royal Sydney
Priority waitlist open now: www.PrivateLivesPlay.com.au
Tickets on sale to the general public on 16 July.
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