Michele LeTourneau
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jan 22/99) - In the 1920s and '30s he was the hottest ticket around.

His words made a star of a young Sir Laurence Olivier. In the '40s, he was shelved. In the '60s he enjoyed a revival -- culminating, after his death, in a production showcasing the reunion of Sir Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor.

Soon his words will be floating blithely across Northern Arts and Cultural Centre's stage, thanks to Kitch in Sync.

The playwright in question? The brilliantly witty Brit Noel Coward. The play? Private Lives, a sophisticated drawing room comedy of high style and hi-jinx. The director? Who else but Christopher Foreman.

"He is a very, very witty playwright, famous for his bon mots, his one-liners were legendary," says a very enthusiastic Foreman, who has long wanted to stage this little masterpiece.

"It's enormous fun," adds Foreman, who says the play slotted for this time was an original work by Bruce Valpy. Valpy's play wasn't quite ready, and the space needed to be filled.

"I was finally able to do this. And I was able to offer this to Erica Tesar (lead female, Amanda) who I think is the pre-eminent actress in Yellowknife. She taught me in Grade 6. It's a double joy to work with her on something we both love."

Foreman, who always delights in his actors, feels the same about Christine Machtans (Sibyl) and Brian Collins (Elyot).

"And Paul Bachand..." says Foreman. "Paul is the executive secretary of this government under Jim Antoine. It's great fun to see him -- a figure with great responsibility in government -- to see him and fall down laughing."

And about Linda McDonald who plays Louise. Foreman says it's fantastic to finally get her on stage.

The initial situation that sets off the action of the play is as hilarious as it is unlikely, which, of course, is the perfect breeding ground for the scintillating and sophisticated repartee glossing over humans' passions.

"Elyot and Amanda were passionately in love, then separated," explains Foreman. Now they're newly married to others and they find themselves in adjoining rooms in a hotel in the south of France. It's about the complications that ensue. There are still feelings. And of course, Sibyl and Victor have their own stuff."

It's easy to imagine the dramatically troubled pair of Taylor and Burton spewing passion about...but it's definitely worth the price of admission ($15 for adults, $13 for seniors and students) to check out the sparks between Tesar and Collins.

Private lives plays Jan. 28 to 30 and Feb. 4 to 6 at 8 p.m.

One word of warning, Foreman shows are known to sell out. Buy early or you might miss out entirely. Tickets are available at the Birchwood Gallery.