Dreaming of Extra-Marital Affairs in the 1920s

“The real being in love part is dead!”

Julia Steroll

Alexandra Gilbreath as Jane Banbury, Sarah Twomey as Saunders and Janie Dee as Julia Steroll (Photo: Manuel Harlan)

A hundred years is a long time in theatre history.  Noël Coward’s early comedy shocked people in the 1920s with its description of the premarital affairs of two society women.  As their rather staid husbands go off on a golfing expedition, staying away for the night, Julia (Janie Dee) and Jane (Alexandra Gilbreath) are left to their own devices.  They have a secret kept from their husbands.  Each has been married for ten years and each couple is childless, not that that seems to bother them.

Both of the women had a passionate affair with the same Frenchman Maurice Duclos (Graham Vicks) in Italy eleven years earlier.  Julia met him in Pisa first and later Jane had her torrid affair in Venice.  The crisis is that Maurice has contacted them and is visiting Brighton where they both live in large mansion apartments and the anticipation of his arrival throws them both into disarray.

Janie Dee as Julia Steroll (Photo: Manuel Harlan)

Instead of the seven year manifestation itch of desire, their decade years married to less than exciting men have taken their toll and both are ready to rediscover sexual excitement.  Simon Higlett’s set has all the elegance of art deco furniture and Fotini Dimou’s costumes are state of the art.  The two husbands wear plus fours with matching tweed jackets and Fred Steroll (Richard Teverson) has these really curious knee socks with flowers prominently on them.  Both have V-necked Fair Isle knitted slipovers.  But it is the women who embrace flapper wear with gorgeous beaded frocks and headdresses who change into evening wear for dinner. 

An additional character, the maid Saunders (Sarah Twomey) is an absolute treasure of knowledge and experience.  Her golfing advice is without parallel, she is musical, can play the piano, a mini grand in the apartment, and while dusting can dance as if in a ballet. Each fresh revelation of her talents brings laughter from the amazed audience.

Alexandra Gilbreath as Jane Banbury. (Photo: Manuel Harlan)

But the main accolade goes to Dee and Gilbreath for the comedy they magic up while inebriated. In waiting for Maurice to show up they have been pairing wines with each dinner course and as drunkenness takes hold, they first giggle and then bicker.  Alexandra Gilbreath has a very breathy delivery which contrasts nicely with Janie Dee’s elegance and facial expressions of anger.  In grand dudgeon, Jane takes off leaving Julia at home to greet Julia’s husband Bill Banbury (Christopher Hollis).  Bill and Julia go to Jane’s flat and Jane comes back and meets Fred. Multiple misunderstandings ensue and are further complicated by the entrance of Maurice.  The denouement is intriguing and Maurice shows intelligence as well as charm! 

This is not Coward’s best play, which may be why it hasn’t been on in London for 25 years, but Dee and Gilbreath are at the top of their comic game.

The Company. (Photo: Manuel Harlan)
Janie Dee as Julia Steroll (Photo: Manuel Harlan)

Production Notes

Fallen Angels

Written by Noël Coward

Directed by Christopher Luscombe 

Cast

Starring:

Janie Dee
 
 
Alexandra Gilbreath
 
 
Richard Teverson
 
 
Sarah Twomey
 
 
Graham Vick
 
 
Christopher Hollis

Creatives

Director: Christopher Luscombe

Set Designer:  Simon Higlett

 Costume Designer: Fotini Dimou

Lighting Designer:  Oliver Fenwick

Movement Director: Elly Green

Fight Director: Terry King

Composer:   Nigel Hess

Sound Designer:  Adam Cork

Information

Running Time: Two hours including the interval 

Booking to 21st February 2026

Theatre: 

Menier Chocolate Factory

4 O’Meara Street

London SE1 1TE

020 7378 1713

 

Tube: London Bridge

Reviewed by Lizzie Loveridge

at the Chocolate Factory

on 3rd December 2025