Dreaming of Extra-Marital Affairs in the 1920s
“The real being in love part is dead!”
Julia Steroll

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.

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.

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.


Production Notes
Fallen Angels
Written by Noël Coward
Directed by Christopher Luscombe
Cast
Starring:
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

