Video: Guthrie Theater's PRIVATE LIVES Director David Ivers Explains the Title
Director David Ivers ties the comedy's title to the secrets couples keep behind closed doors.
Guthrie Theater posted a new video in which director David Ivers unpacks the title of Noël Coward's PRIVATE LIVES, currently running on the Wurtele Thrust Stage. In the clip, Ivers frames the phrase as a nod to the hidden dynamics between couples.
PRIVATE LIVES is Coward's classic comedy of manners, following divorced couple Elyot and Amanda, who split five years earlier after a relationship too volatile to sustain. Now each remarried, they discover they are honeymooning at the same French resort hotel with their new spouses, Sibyl and Victor, reigniting old tensions and rekindling their combustible chemistry.
The production is directed by David Ivers and runs through August 23, 2026, at the Guthrie Theater. Ivers has spoken in previous Guthrie videos about his affinity for British comedy and how that sensibility shapes his staging of Coward's dialogue-driven farce.
The title video follows other Guthrie releases tied to the production, including a first look at PRIVATE LIVES and a review of the current staging, both offering additional context on how the Guthrie's take on the 1930s script has landed with audiences.
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