Relative Values at the Little Theatre

Noël Coward’s comedy Relative Values interrogates the class system in post-war Britain through near-farcical melodrama. The verbose play, laden with Coward’s signature acerbic wit, is deftly navigated by the Leicester Drama Society’s talented cast in this production at the Little Theatre in Leicester.

The play takes place entirely in the living room of Marshwood House, a stately home presided over by Countess Felicity (Jane Durant). News of the engagement of the countess’s son, Nigel (Tom Young) to American actress Miranda Frayle (Nikki Favell) is the talk of the whole village and the staff of the house are no exception.

Dora ‘Moxie’ Moxton (Alex Elliott), Felicity’s personal maid, is particularly dismayed by the engagement much to the confusion of Felicity. When the truth behind Moxie’s apprehensions is revealed, Felicity enlists the help of butler Crestwell (Steve Elliott) to increase Moxie’s social standing to prevent embarrassment during Miranda and Nigel’s visit to the house.

The engaged couple’s arrival sets in motion a series of revelations, further complicated by the unexpected appearance of Miranda’s ex-lover and fellow American Don Lucas (Keir Watson).

Alex Elliott is wonderful as Moxie, portraying the character’s naivete well whilst delighting in her comedic struggle to keep up the appearance of being in a higher class than she is used to. She gets to showcase her accent work with a convincing Cockney and an enjoyable faux-upper class voice.

For Felicity, Durant channels her inner Maggie Smith (sadly now passed) for a performance that wouldn’t be out of place in Downton Abbey. She handles the voluminous script with a stiff upper lip and sharp tongue, delivering Felicity’s droll remarks with a waspish sting and a knowing smirk.

Frequently on the receiving end of such jabs is Favell’s Miranda whose exudes Hollywood charisma from the off with her scene-stealing entrance. The interactions between Durant and Favell send icy chills into the audience with their ever-growing resentment seething beneath a façade of civility.

The reverse can be seen between Favell and Watson. Their chemistry as will-they-won’t-they lusting ex-lovers is palpable and thrilling, with frequent fourth wall breaks into movie-land. They both garner much laughter from the audience through facial expressions and dramatic movements, bringing a lightness between the more dialogue-heavy scenes. Both of their American accents are superb and contrast well with the equally excellent received pronunciation from the Brits.

The butler Crestwell views the class system with a detached sense of amusement and is content with his place in it. Steve Elliott portrays Crestwell with a perfect level of nonchalance and delivers the butler’s philosophical musings clearly and with good humour. Steve and Alex Elliott’s strong chemistry lends believability to Crestwell and Moxie’s fond friendship with the two sparring well with excellent pacing.

The various pairs of relationships expound the central thesis of Coward’s play: that equality between the classes is impossible whilst the class system itself still exists. Even if Moxie and Felicity appear to have a friendship, it is one ultimately borne of Moxie’s service to the Countess—a truth that dawns on Felicity when she realises she knows very little about her friend’s life.
The play itself is rather long and, in my view, would benefit from a trim, especially to the opening scenes which take a while to get going and start tackling the key themes. However, given that the play was written in 1951, this is out of the control of the production team. Indeed, John Bale’s direction ensures that once the play does get going the momentum is maintained throughout. The show is well punctuated with character movement, preventing even the most dialogue-dense scenes getting bogged down.

The stately home that provides the backdrop for the drama is beautifully rendered by Phil Newman’s set design with the eye immediately drawn to the strikingly tall patio doors looking out into the garden. The furnishing and props well evoke the period, as do the wonderful costumes by director Bale.

The production is dedicated to John Henrie, who passed earlier this year. Henrie designed the set of the Little Theatre’s 1980 production of Relative Values and it is touching that several of his possessions are used in the set design for this production.