Laughter, chaos, and the existential weight of haddock: Exeter students take on Noël Coward

The thing about Noël Coward is that even at his most farcical - doors slamming, lovers hiding in closets, voices raised in perfectly enunciated outrage - there’s an underlying depth. The characters laugh because the alternative would be far too serious. 

Exeter University Theatre Company’s latest production of Present Laughter embraces this spirit with gusto, delivering a play that is both wildly entertaining and quietly poignant.  

Set just before World War II, Present Laughter follows Garry Essendine, a self-absorbed, ageing stage star who has spent so long performing that he’s forgotten where the role ends. Seb, who plays Garry, describes him as “a man who thrives on attention but is also completely trapped by it.” Izzy, playing Liz, his ex-wife and the one person who truly understands him, adds, “He’s got this effortless charm, but underneath it, he’s a bit of a mess. The people around him see right through it, though, which makes for some brilliant clashes.” 

The production leans into the play’s physical comedy while also teasing out its more introspective moments. “You get all the slapstick you’d expect - people bursting in and out of rooms, frantic phone calls, exaggerated sighs - but also these really tender moments where you see who these characters really are,” says Izzy. 

Of course, it wouldn’t be Present Laughter without Coward’s razor-sharp dialogue. “She has as much sex appeal as a haddock!” Garry exclaims at one point, railing against an unfortunate casting choice. The insult has taken on a life of its own during rehearsals. “We’ve started measuring scenes in haddocks,” laughs Izzy. “If something isn’t working, we’ll say it needs three more haddocks’ worth of energy.” 

That chaos has bled into behind-the-scenes moments as well. A particularly memorable mishap involved an old-fashioned telephone prop. “Monica hands Garry the phone, but the cord got wrapped around her, so she had to do this bizarre shimmy to get free,” Izzy recalls. “It was so ridiculous, we kept it in the show.” 

While Present Laughter is a riotous comedy, it also carries weightier themes. “It’s about celebrity and identity - how when you become famous, people stop seeing you as a person and start seeing you as a character,” says Seb. “It’s something we see all the time now, even more than in Coward’s day.” 

The play also explores the emotional cost of constant performance. “Gary is always ‘on,’ even around the people he loves,” Izzy says. “And that’s quite a lonely thing. It asks: When does the performance end? And who are you when no one’s watching?” 

Directed by third-year student Fern, with assistant direction from Orla, the production showcases the energy and talent of Exeter’s student theatre scene. “Fern strikes the perfect balance between letting us explore freely and keeping a clear vision for the show,” says Izzy.   

The cast, a tight-knit group of ten, bonded over an intensive ‘boot camp’ rehearsal process. “We played this ridiculous game involving tennis balls and animal noises,” Izzy recalls. “People in the next room were genuinely concerned. They were like, ‘Who was the seal? Why were there pig snorts?’” 

As for the future, both Seb and Izzy are applying to drama schools, hoping to take their love of theatre beyond Exeter. But for now, they’re focused on the thrill of live performance. “This play is such a joy to do,” says Izzy. “And if the audience has half as much fun watching it as we do performing it, we’ll have done our job.” 

And if you hear someone loudly cackling in the audience? That might just be one of the cast members, hooked on every haddock-laced moment. 

Tickets for Present Laughter at the Northcott Theatre, running from Thursday 30 Jan 2025 to Saturday 01 Feb 2025 at 2.30pm and 7.30pm, are available now.