Kim Cattrall wrapped up in 'Private Lives'

You feel you pretty much get your money's worth from the moment she steps onstage. Kim Cattrall -- for real -- wrapped in a towel. Nothing but.

She goes on to prove that she looks just as good in evening gowns -- duh -- and just as confident taking on one of British theater's quintessential roles: Amanda, the free spirit in Noël Coward's "Private Lives," which opened last month at the Music Box.

She took time out to chat with Newsday contributor Joseph V. Amodio about Samantha, theater and life in the Hamptons.

[Director] Richard Eyre . . . and I wanted to do a tragedy -- Ibsen's "Ghosts." But another production of "Ghosts" got a theater before we did. These other producers called and said, "We have the rights to 'Private Lives' -- would you be interested in changing horses midstream?" [She chuckles.] A Coward comedy instead of an Ibsen tragedy. The absurdity of it appealed to me. So I read it and called Richard after 14 pages and said, "This is serendipitous -- we should say yes. We could have a lot of fun." And we have.

Paul and I are like kindred spirits. A friend just told me, "Y'know, I've seen a lot of productions of this, and this is the first one where I really thought they were having sex." [She laughs.]

When he slaps me . . . it's a fake out. We're upstage. He's slapping his thigh. But I have to hit him downstage. There's no way to fake it so close to the audience. Paul was up for it. Sometimes, I'm sure it stings more nights than others. [She chuckles.] I do my best.

As I've gotten older, I feel more like, "Who cares? If not now, when am I gonna do this?" And there's a feeling of confidence from doing the series . . . being part of something that was truly -- for me -- phenomenal. Giving voice to women. It was very exciting. I think it's made me more aware of time and how I want to spend it. I felt it was important to lay low for a while, get back to my roots, in theater. And I guess that did take guts. Because a lot of people just wanted me to do the same thing. It's scary to step outside of that. But I didn't like the alternative -- playing the same notes over and over again.

Oh my gosh, yes. Liverpool has played a big part in my life. When I went back in the late '60s, I met an aunt who introduced me to theater in the West End and Stratford. I remember seeing Janet Suzman as Rosalind in "As You Like It" in 1968. I literally was on the edge of my seat, saying, "I want to do that." And years later, I'm in my first play in the West End, "Whose Life Is It Anyway," and they get Janet Suzman to play the judge. I almost fell off my chair. We became good friends. I still had my program from 1968, with my bus ticket stapled in the back.

It's terrific. New York at Christmastime is magnificent, so . . . magical. And going to see Radio City Music Hall every year, y'know.

Oh my god, yes, yes, it's a tradition.

I love Long Island. Especially the light . . . it's extraordinary. My city life is hectic. Out there, I don't leave the house much. I'm on the water, it's quiet -- I can restore myself. I grew up on Vancouver Island, so being close to water -- it calms me. I love the farms, the vegetable stands . . . I have a lovely garden, which I garden in. [She chuckles.] Me and my cat -- we're very happy there.