Present Laughter – Richmond Theatre

There is something wonderfully appropriate about a comedy concerned with theatrical excess being given a production that barely seems willing to sit still. Lindsay Posner’s ‘Present Laughter’ arrives at Richmond Theatre with energy to spare, giving Noël Coward’s comedy a confident contemporary shake-up without losing the delicious absurdity at its heart.

At the centre is Tracy-Ann Oberman as Geri Essendine, a celebrated actress whose success has brought her everything except the possibility of being left alone. Her home is less a sanctuary than a human traffic junction, with friends, employees, admirers, lovers and unwanted visitors passing through while Geri attempts to maintain control over a spectacularly crowded life.

The production’s most significant departure from Coward’s original is its gender switch, transforming Garry Essendine into Geri. It could easily have felt like a concept imposed upon the play, but instead works remarkably naturally. Seeing Geri surrounded by younger admirers, navigating an unconventional relationship with her estranged husband and displaying the glorious self-importance traditionally afforded Coward’s male protagonist gives the comedy a fresh perspective. Crucially, the production never labours the point. It simply allows this new dynamic to exist, and that confidence is precisely why it succeeds.

Oberman seizes this new opportunity, her Geri is flamboyant, demanding and magnificently aware of her own importance, capable of making an interruption feel like a personal betrayal and an inconvenience resemble a constitutional crisis. Yet there is enough warmth beneath the theatrical temperament to explain why this extraordinary collection of people continues orbiting her.

Her command of Coward’s dialogue is matched by wonderfully expressive physical comedy. Geri may complain endlessly about everyone invading her life, but there is always the suspicion that complete peace would be her idea of hell

James Dreyfus is an inspired comic partner as Monty, Geri’s secretary. While Oberman fills the room, Dreyfus often earns his biggest laughs by appearing thoroughly unimpressed by whatever catastrophe is unfolding. Dreyfus understands that Monty does not need to compete with Geri for comic oxygen, his restraint becomes the joke: a look, a pause or a flicker of disbelief can puncture one of Geri’s grand pronouncements before she has barely finished making it.

Adrian Lukis brings warmth as Len, Geri’s estranged husband, creating an appealing familiarity that suggests a relationship beyond conventional definitions without losing its affection. Eva Feiler makes an entertaining impact as Rosina Maule, while Kit Young brings considerable presence as Johannes. Charlotte Randle (Henrietta) and Jonathan Tafler (Morris) further strengthen the complicated web surrounding Geri.

Posner keeps proceedings moving at an impressive pace, understanding that Coward’s comedy thrives on entrances, exits, overheard conversations and people arriving at precisely the worst possible moment.

The move to 1970s New York gives the production a stylish identity, while the sophisticated apartment set (Peter McKintosh) with lighting by Richard Howell, becomes the perfect playground for escalating chaos. Geri may have created a beautiful home, but she appears completely incapable of preventing half of Manhattan from wandering through it.

Present Laughter continues its run at Richmond Theatre until 26th September 2026. Tickets are available at https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/present-laughter/richmond-theatre

Reviewer: Alan Stuart Malin

Reviewed: 22^nd September 2026

North West End UK Rating: