THE last time I remember seeing this show in Canberra was during 1992, when Kate Peters and Ian Croker trod the boards at the Top of the Cross as Gertrude Lawrence and Noel Coward.

This current touring production sees two of Australia’s top younger professionals, James Millar and Lucy Maunder, playing the odd couple who first met as child players in the provinces and who together, brought Coward’s music and songs to life.

The sense of sophistication in the production, so important with Lawrence and Coward, obviously owes much to the exceptional director Nancye Hayes, one of Australia’s showbiz legends and the simple but perfect 30s to 40s costuming and art deco setting by Graham Maclean, reek of privilege and glamour. In the background throughout was Vincent Colagiuri at the piano, understated and only once intruding.

The result was an urbane and gentle evening full of love, wisdom and wit.

Given the extraordinary amount of material that the creator Sheridan Morley must have had at his disposal from the Coward estate, it is not surprising that the action of the progress of the evening was steered by Miller as Noel Coward. Most of the narration was in his hands—after all he outlived Lawrence by many years and was undoubtedly the more articulate of the two.

From Coward’s shows like “Bitter Sweet,” “London Calling!” “Blithe Spirit,” and “Brief Encounter” and “Private Lives” he took much of the repartee but also much of the tenderness. As well, Morley cleverly intertwines real life and theatre in songs like “Parisian Pierrot,” “I’ll See You Again” and “Sail Away.”

For the greater part. Millar plays Coward as a perfect gentleman with perfect deportment, though not much good at love. That makes his very angry version of “(Don’t Put Your Daughter On The Stage,) Mrs. Worthington” the more surprising.

From the opposite perspective, Maunder as Lawrence adds passion and caprice to her depiction of an unusual relationship. The elegance in the body movements as Maunder turns a leg and shoulder perfectly enhance the sense of class. Only slightly behind Coward/Millar in repartee, she usually manages to take centre stage, and especially in her moving rendition of “If Love Were All”.

This is not an evening of dazzling coloratura; it is rather a tribute to a great songwriter and playwright—and a great theatrical duo.

Performance details below:

Tuesday 2 July 2013 – 8.00pm

Wednesday 3 July 2013 – 2.00pm

Thursday 4 July 2013 – 2.00pm & 8.00pm

Friday 5 July 2013 – 8.00pm

Saturday 6 July 2013 – 2.00pm & 8.00pm

Sunday 7 July 2013 – 5.00pm