For their latest production, Derby Shakespeare Company move away from their usual renditions of the bard’s work, and instead bring to life Noël Coward’s “Present Laughter” – which does at least retain a Shakespearean reference in its title, taken from a song in Twelfth Night. The fast-paced comedy, which tells the exploits of famous actor and notorious drama queen Gary Essendine (Danny Duder), leans into high farce at moments, with actors appearing and disappearing through multiple doors, but overall it is a more intellectual comedy, spending time on wit and absurd tangents rather than situation-comedy. In less capable hands, this could result in a play that feels bloated and long-winded, but thankfully the more-than-capable actors from DSC, under the direction of James Dean and assistant Jake Soar, bring such vibrant characters to the stage that the play captivates throughout.
As Essendine, Duder is superb, delivering fast-paced dialogue with a tinge of melodrama that perfectly captures the essence of a character on the verge of a midlife crisis. There is a flamboyance to his performance, which is perfectly counter-balanced by Samantha Drake’s grounded, down-to-earth Liz, the ex-wife of Essendine who is on hand whenever the actor needs putting back in his place. Together, the two make for a dynamic partnership, effortlessly in sync as they banter back-and-forth in some of the more wordy pieces of dialogue. A particularly static section in the opening scene, which sees the two of them trading gossip whilst sitting on the sofa, retains the audience’s interest thanks to the confident, assured performances on the stage – these are two actors who do not have to needlessly circle the stage to keep viewers engaged; the delivery of their lines, and stellar characterisation, is more than enough.
Duder and Drake are enhanced by the myriad of off-the-wall characters that they are surrounded by, in particular Bethan Soar as the overly emotional Daphne Stillington and Phoenix Pate as the madcap Roland Maule, who both immediately inject the stage with energy whenever they enter. Soar flips suddenly from giggly and carefree to a wailing wreck, as she tries desperately to cling on to Essendine despite his attempts to dismiss her following a one-night-stand. Pate bounds around the stage with the energy of a new born puppy, overly enthusiastic and in-your-face as Maule comes face to face with his theatrical obsession. Occasionally, Pate will deliver some lines with utmost sincerity, dropping the over-the-top bravado to enhance the comedy even more. It is Duder’s reaction to both Soar and Pate that adds to the hilarity, as Essendine is driven closer and closer to a full mental breakdown.
The plot kicks up a notch with the arrival of Essendine’s friends Morris (Christopher Collins) and Henry (E. Montgomery Ashford), as Morris confides in Essendine that he is in love with Henry’s wife Joanna (Órla Conder). It is in fact Essendine that Joanna ends up having an affair with, and a scene at the start of act two sees Conder perfectly mirror Soar’s earlier entrance at the beginning of the play. Collins and Ashford enjoy fast-paced verbal interplay, whilst Conder delivers a character that is more measured, flirtatious yet also dangerous. Just when we have settled into the notion that Essendine (and indeed Duder) are the commanders of the stage, Conder arrives to steal control, and it is Essendine who ends up dancing rings around her whilst she sits calmly and gives her orders. It is a welcome change to the dynamics that provides an interesting conclusion to the opening act, and sets us up for a fiery second half.
As if his complicated relationships weren’t enough, Essendine also has to deal with his house staff, which include secretary Monica Reed (Niki Caister), housekeeper Miss Erikson (Jenny Earl) and valet Fred (director James Dean stepping in as understudy). Caister treats Essendine like a mother would treat an annoyingly extravagant child – an air of exasperation coupled with many withering put-downs. Dean’s Fred is high-spirited and vibrant, matching Essendine in his energy but not in his composure, and the two personalities clash fairly frequently. Earl’s Erikson is a little zany and takes the play down a few obscure tangents, with tales of séances and the occult, giving a performance that is even too quirky for Essendine to cope with at points.
The star of the production, however, has to be the set itself, designed by Richard Heappey, Ken Owen and Neil Jones. Mixing dark blues with golds, the set is luxurious and rich, an extravagant place for an audience to spend a couple of hours, and perfectly recreating the image seen on the production’s poster. It is a set that would be at home on any professional stage, and it is always this design that sets Derby Shakespeare Company above other amateur groups. Their attention to detail doesn’t end at the set design either – even the stage hands are in full costume, and various scene transitions are accompanied with recordings of Coward’s songs and small visual jokes as Dean’s Fred continually downs glasses of whisky whilst adjusting the scenery.
At 2 hours 20, the play does feel a little long, and some sections are a little drawn-out whilst seemingly adding very little to the plot, which is a fault of the script rather than the production. A scene towards the end of act two sees Essendine and Reed going through the actor’s post, which is fairly superfluous and not particularly funny, yet both Duder and Caister do their best with such dense material and manage to hold the audience’s attention.
Overall, this is another superb triumph for Derby Shakespeare Company, with all involved coming together to give a faithful rendition of Coward’s semi-autobiographical work that is sure to be adored by fans of the genre. Dean discusses in the programme that he is a fan of Noël Coward, and that will be plain to see in the care and attention that has gone into this production. A fun evening of entertainment that will have you howling with laughter, and then cringing with awkwardness as Essendine’s situation goes from bad to worse. Lots of fun.
Tom Morley, October 2025
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