The Rat Trap review – teenage Noël Coward’s jaundiced marital portrait

Park theatre, London Bill Rosenfield reimagines the playwright’s early work about the souring relationship between newlywed artists Hell is other people – especially if you’re married to them. Noël Coward’s characters often struggle to fit their romantic and creative ambitions into conventional shapes. This rarely seen, jaundiced marital comedy suggests that the interest started early – Coward was just 18 when he completed it at the end of the first world war, though it was first staged in 1926. A century on, playwright Bill Rosenfield and the enterprising Troupe theatre company “reimagine” the play – streamlining the plot and florid dialogue. Two young writers, novelist Sheila and budding playwright Keld, embark on marriage, pursuing domestic bliss and artistic success. Something has to give – and, although she’s the brains of the pair, it is Sheila who relinquishes ambition to allow Keld to flourish. At Park theatre, London, until 14 March