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HOME CHAT July/August 2000 The Newsletter of The Noël Coward Society

HOME CHAT July/August 2000 Edward Atterton

Hello,

At long last another Home Chat.

The delay has been partly my fault, I have been very busy in real life, plus family, holidays and other distractions.

But it has also been very quite on the Coward front. There have only been a couple of professional productions this summer.

I have talked to some of the powers that be, and I think the Society launched on the final waves of the Centenary. Not surprisingly things then seemed to settle down to little happening. Only now are we beginning to see the first signs of the true Coward revival.

I am not sure that “revival” is the right word, as he never left us, nor has he been really in the doldrums. But there are signs that productions are beginning to increase, and the world is beginning to show greater interest in the storehouse of Coward’s work.

Regards,Gareth

Bill Kenwright gives us two Coward productions

Bill Kenwright is bringing two Coward plays to the West End of London. The first is an adaptation of the film Brief Encounter to a stage play. It opens at the Lyric on 6th September.

The second is Fallen Angels, starring Felicity Kendal and Frances de la Tour. This starts at the Theatre Royal, Windsor in September. It then goes on to Woking and Bath before opening in the West End on the 16th October.

The film Brief Encounter is, of course, an adaptation of Still Life from Coward’s Tonight at 8:30 collection of 10 short plays. Coward himself did the screenplay to make the memorable film. That has been adapted by Andrew Taylor to be a full length play. The cast is headed by Jenny Seagrove and Christopher Cazenove which sounds to be a promising pairing. Some of us went to see the play when it had an earlier outing at Windsor some month’s ago. Our web master, John Knowles, was there and he wrote a brief review of that production. It is reprinted on page 2 of this newsletter.

HOME CHAT July/August 2000

Brief Encounter Review

7 Mar 2000 - I went to see the first night of Brief Encounter at the Theatre Royal, Windsor. The play brings together elements of the film with the original Coward play Still Life. The play was very well received by the first-night audience (the theatre was virtually full).

The Theatre Director warned the audience at the start of the play that this was in fact the dress-rehearsal. This was due to the complexity of the technical effects which meant that there had only been time for a technical rehearsal. Despite the warnings there were only a few minor hitches, the funniest being the drifts of smoke over-spilling from the 'station set', as the stage revolved, to the 'library set' where ironically the husband Fred Jesson was smoking his pipe!

The use of recorded 'voice over' of Laura Jesson's thoughts was very effective but occasionally became muffled as scenery 'flew up'. Apart from these minor hitches the play managed to present the visual qualities of the film with the intensity of the original play. The beginning of the second act outside the boatyard was particularly well performed by the two leads. The station buffet scenes were very effective; in particular the contrast in emotional display between the tightly-controlled passions of Alec and Laura, and the knockabout love-play of Myrtle and Albert - all very reminiscent of the film.

Stars Jenny Seagrove, Martyn Stanbridge, Elizabeth Power and Christopher Beeny. Adapted by Andrew Taylor and directed by Roger Redfarn.

John Knowles

Please remember this is a review of an earlier production, not the revised version with a West End cast.

Please Help – I am having a problem with Choirboys!

A lady (not a member) wrote to me to say that she had been listening to radio as she fell asleep one night when she heard “The Choir Boys Song” by Noël Coward. As she had choirboys and choir masters in the family she would like to get a recording, could I help her?

Well, to be honest, I had never heard of the song. But with Barry Day’s excellent Complete Lyrics I soon traced it to be from On With The Dance, 1925.

With guidance from Tracy Cutting and Caroline Underwood at Warner Chappell, I tried the Mechanical Copyright Protection Society. Success (or so I thought), they have a 17 second recording of it listed from a few years back. They gave me the telephone number of the publishers. I phoned them and it turned out to be a subsidiary of Macmillan (the large publishing house) where I was very firmly told that they only ever published books – not recordings.

I spoke to Dominic Vlasto, the fount of all wisdom on matters musical for Coward. He instantly knew the song, but had no knowledge of any recording. Interestingly, he questioned whether the music was Coward’s, undoubtedly the words were by the Master, but other songs at the end of On With The Dance had other composers.

So, I wrote to the lady all I had found out, thinking that would be the end of the matter. But she wrote back! She was determined to find whatever she heard that night. It was at 11:00, sometime in May or June.

Paul Guinery, our CD reviewer, who works for the BBC, has started trying to trace it from their files. But can anyone throw any light on the matter? Please help.

The Choir Boys SongWe're six dirty little choir boys

With really frightful minds,We scream and shout and rush about

And pinch our friends' behinds.Nobody could admire boysWith dirty hands and knees,But the countryside rejoicesAt our sweet soprano voices,

So we do what we damn well please.


Relative Values – The First Noël Coward Film Premiere

For Nearly 50 Years

21st June 2000, at the Odeon West End, Leicester Square, London saw the first Noël Coward feature film premiere for a long time.

The charity gala opening was quickly oversubscribed, and our apologies for those who wanted to go and could not get a ticket. We did our best to pull any and all strings we could, and some members did make it. Others got no further than the standby list.

John Knowles, our web-master, was one of those who did get there, and we are grateful to him for these photographs of some of the stars as they arrived.

Colin Firth arrived for the sake of the photographers, but had to leave almost immediately to finish some work on another film. He returned later to join the other stars for the party at the National Portrait Gallery. The party was very informal, with Dame Julie and the other English stars of the film (William Baldwin and Jeanne Tripplehorn were not there) freely circulating and chatting to everyone.

Colin FirthStephen Fry

Dame Julie Andrews

Edward Atherton

Relative Values Showing in USAWe have been e-mailed that STARZ! Pictures will present the never-before-seen comedy "Relative Values" .

Reading the bumph we assume that Starz! are a cable network television company for the USA. They have not given us an exact date or schedule, so US members should check their own television schedules, or the Starz! website at http://www.starzencore.com.


A Question of morals.

A short story by Ray Dutton.

The husband is always the last person to know.

I found out by pure chance. One Friday afternoon, needing to speak to Claire before she left for her weekly bridge club, 1 rang home from the office, got a crossed line, and heard everything ..

Claire. Our marriage of sixteen years had been steady, unspectacular, loving, - just like many others I suppose. We had no children, but that was quite deliberate and was not the reason for this apparent break-up. I say apparent because I had no real idea whether or not our relationship could continue as before ... once I had dealt with Simon....

Simon. Who could have thought that my best friend could be so ... callous. Callous. No other word will do. He was more like a brother than a friend. He let me down; and now he would pay. Pay. There's an old saying: Take what you want - then pay the bill, His would be a large one....

Bill. That's me. You may imagine it unusual, to say the least, that I should unburden myself in this way. Embarrassing more like. But you have to understand my moral views on adultery. It is wrong. It is no part of any plan of mine.

The plan. Simple: Lure Simon to my home (should be easy, he has a fondness for my drinks cabinet), and when he is off-guard, move In for the kill. Not really kill, you understand....

He came.

"Cheers, old boy," he said, knocking back a large brandy. "What's it all about then, you were quite secretive on the phone."

He moved to the drinks cabinet and poured himself another large brandy from the decanter. 1 waited until he was settled comfortably in the armchair before answering.

"You have been intimate with Claire for the past eighteen months. She told me everything this morning before leaving for a short holiday, so it's no use you denying it." I raised my hand to stop him speaking.

“The two brandies you have just greedily drunk were laced with a powerful drug, the effects of which you will soon be aware."

He stared at me - eyes popping out of his head. I looked at my watch. "Any minute now," I said.

As if on cue he dropped the brandy-glass and fell to the floor. I quickly moved and turned him onto his back.

"The drug lasts about five minutes, but that's all the time 1 shall need. Don't try to speak - you cannot. But you can see and hear perfectly well."

He stared up at me, eyes unblinking, with a terrible fear etched across his face. They never even moved when I took a pair of shears out of a plastic bag ....

His vocal chords were quite paralysed from the drug. But it he could have screamed, I suppose he would have done so.

----------Ray Dutton is a member and great supporter of the Society. I am sure he would like to know what you


MAD ABOUT NOELGeoff Bowden, a member, recalls staging his show of

Noël’s music and words.

I have been involved with amateur operatic societies since I was a teenager dust a few years ago!). In 1982 I was asked to appear in a production of Cowardy Custard, the Noel Coward revue designed for a cast of 12. This gave me a taste for small-scale musical shows which eventually led to the formation of my own company Serendipity in 1989 in order to stage revues spotlighting musical theatre composers. Over the last few years we have presented tributes to Irving Berlin, Rodgers and Hart, Cole Porter, Ivor Novello and staged a compilation show celebrating the British Musical Theatre, but, perhaps, the most enjoyable concert we staged was when I returned to my "roots", so to speak, and compiled a tribute to Sir Noel Coward.

We originally presented the Coward show Mad About The Boy in London in 1996 at the Millfield Theatre, but revived it for the Coward Centenary Year, when we had a "mini-tour" playing at The Pump Room, Bath, the Secombe Theatre, Sutton, the new Radlett Centre and Harrow Concert Hall.

One of the most enjoyable tasks in running Serendipity is compiling the concert programme. I always try to mix the well known with the rarely heard. When researching Noel's output I was amazed at just how many lovely songs there were that are rarely, if ever, heard on radio or T.V. So, along with all the "usual suspects" I included such gems as When My Ship Comes Home, Wife Of An Acrobat, Specially For You, Irish Song, There Have Been Songs In England and We Must All Be Very Kind To Auntie Jessie.

There were several featured sections in the concert. A wartime medley included London Pride, Don't Let's Be Beastly To The Germans, Could You Please Oblige Us With A Bren Gun? and Don't Take Our Charlie For The Army. A section on middle (and old) age produced Bronxville Darby And Joan. Come The Wild, Wild Weather and Later Than Spring and Noel's poem I Am No Good At Love was the starting point for a group of numbers on lost love, such as Nothing Can Last For Ever, Never Again and I’ll Remember Her. (That last song is a beauty and I never tired of listening to it.)

The Coward Estate was extremely helpful with our concert. I wrote to Graham Payn who very kindly gave his blessing to our show and granted us permission to

Continued next page

Relative Values Promo Tape

We have a single copy of the marketing promotion tape for the film of Relative Values.

There is nothing of particular significance on it. It is mainly interviews with the stars, structured to allow various uses for television and radio. I assume that with some clever editing, a television programme could make it look as if an interviewer was actually there talking to the actors.

It also has some trailers and excerpts from the film.

Any collector who would like a copy is most welcome. My local video store will copy it at £10 per copy (if you know where to get it copied cheaper then let us know). So, allowing £5 towards Society funds, we can sell it at £15 + postage. If you want a copy, ask Gareth.


Design for Murder

The spoof murder play by Marcy Kahan was relayed on the BBC World Service in May. We told you about it in a previous Home Chat. One member who lives in Holland could not pick it up. Does anyone have a recording of it that he could copy. Please let Gareth know.

Continued from previous page..

perform Mrs. Erlynne's Aria cut from After The Ball. It was sung in our production by the distinguished soprano Marilyn Hill Smith, who appeared as Special Guest Artiste. When After The Ball was presented at the Peacock Theatre as part of the 1999 Covent Garden Festival, some newspapers claimed that Mrs. Erlynne's Aria would be heard, for the first time, on a London stage. Not, true! Marilyn sang it, albeit not in the West End but in North London, in 1996!

I had great difficulty locating the sheet music for Middle Age, which I wanted to use in our show. The archives found a blank space where the score of The Girl Who Came To Supper should have been. In desperation I telephoned Joan Hirst who said, "Of course I can send you a copy. Why didn't you come to me in the first place!"

Sheridan Morley was also very helpful in allowing us to reprint an article of his on Noel in our programme.

At the end of our "mini-tour" I organised a dinner for the company so that we could say farewell to Noel in style. Marilyn brought the champagne and Noel's music played in the background all evening. At the end of a perfect evening we all sang "I'll See You Again". A fitting finale to our contribution to Noel's centenary.

I am now preparing for Serendipity's next production Can't Help Lovin' That Man which features the music of Jerome Kern. Marilyn Hill Smith will once more be appearing with us as Guest Artiste.

Performances will take place at the Millfield Theatre, Silver Street, Edmonton, London N18 on Saturday 7"' October at 7.30 p.m. and Sunday 8'hOctober at 3 p.m. Tickets are £10 (Concessions £9) and can be obtained from me on 0208 886 8013 or the Millfield Box Office 0208 807 6680

Geoff Bowden

Nude with ViolinSeptember 20-23, 2000

The Network Theatre Company, based underneath the arches at Waterloo railway station, is pleased to present “Nude with Violin”, by Noel Coward from Wednesday to Saturday, September 20-23, 2000 at The New Arch Theatre, Lower Road, Waterloo SE1 (doors open 7pm, performance starts 7:30pm).

“Nude with Violin” is a confection from Noel Coward’s late period. It deals with the problems that arise when a world famous artist dies, revealing as a final joke on his family that he has painted none of the works with which he is credited. The family has not been in contact with him for 25 years and their concerns about how to cover up this potential disaster increase dramatically when the people who did paint the works appear. It is a distinctly light and highly amusing piece, with the characteristic Coward edge beneath the froth.

If you are buying books on

the Net

If you are buying books from Amazon through the internet, then please go into the Amazon site through the link on the Society’s website. We then make a small commission on your order.


Liverpool Playhouse Memories

David Norris remembered that back in the 1960’s he had read a series of articles in the Liverpool Echo that celebrated the 50 year Jubilee of the Liverpool Playhouse. Part of the series by Bill Rogers had been the memories of Maud Carpenter, the theatre’s manager and Basil Dean, the theatre’s first producer. David has taken the trouble to search out the articles at the library and contributes an extract that may be of interest to us.. Thank you David.

…. It was mention of “Fifinella” that triggered off a memory for Mr Basil Dean.

That play started off the tradition which this theatre has always maintained of having its own Christmas play for children,” he said. “But I remember it more vividly because the late Gertrude Lawrence appeared in it as a child actress. She played the part of a fairy, a creature of the children’s own imagination because this was a play in which children were supposed to write their own Christmas pantomime.

" She was then a little girl in pigtails. We had decided that it would interest the children if we made use of the traps, those stage contraptions which make people disappear quickly. We had these installed.

Gertrude had discovered these and was playing about with them in spite of repeated warnings from Miss Italia Conti, who was in charge of the child actors.

These traps have to be properly weighted and balanced and, as they had just been installed, this had not yet been done.

“Gertrude, of course, did not know this. She continued to disobey. Suddenly, there was a terrific crash and an ear-splitting yell. Gertrude had fallen through the trap-door and had hurt herself and was crying bitterly.

“But she got no sympathy from the disciplinary Miss Conti who merely commented severely ‘That just serves you right, Miss Gertrude.’”

-------------

At the time I am writing about, the foyer of the Playhouse was often used as a schoolroom to comply with the legal requirements that children appearing upon the stage must receive regular educational instruction. There was always a governess and a teacher in attendance.

It was in March, 1913, when he was 13 that Noel Coward appeared as a child actor at Liverpool Playhouse. His role? One of the Angels of Light in Hauptmann’s “Hannele”.

And, as Basil Dean was the producer on that occasion, let him tell the story.

“This story is evidence of Noel Coward’s early individuality”, he chuckled. “Hannele” is the play in which I had the figure of Death walk down the aisle from the back of the hall. It fairly shook the audience, I can tell you.

“In this death scene, while the old carol ‘Sleep, Baby, Sleep’ is being chanted, four children slowly wave palm leaves in time to the sad music. Noel Coward was one of the palm wavers.

“Came the final dress rehearsal – always a period of tension. All was going well and the death scene was upon us. The music was lovely and the children were waving their palms rhythmically.

“Suddenly, to my horror, I noticed that Noel was waving to a different rhythm of his own. He had taken a pace forward and seemed to be trying to attract someone’s attention.

“’Noel, Noel’ shrieked Miss Conti. ‘Whatever do you think you are doing?’ The rehearsal crashed to a standstill. It was an awful moment. The silence was painful. Then Noel spoke calmly. ‘Please Miss Conti,’ he said ‘May I leave the room?’”


Gerard Murphy Introduces his Production of Noël Coward's Present Laughter

In June and July, Birmingham Rep did a fine production of Present Laughter. The director gives us his thoughts on the play.

When I was asked to direct Present Laughter at The Rep I leapt at the opportunity. I have been a devoted fan of Noël Coward's since I read some of his poems at school. Indeed, I have spent most of my acting career desperate to perform in one of his plays without success and now I have been given the opportunity to put one of my favourites on stage.

The play deals with the politics of charm, the cross-over between the performer's life on stage and his personal life, the business side of show business, the tensions between 'outsiders' and 'insiders', the trauma of being dumped by a lover and the difficulty of dumping a lover who has 'passed' his or her 'sell-by date'. These are all themes which I find compelling and Coward, of course, weaves them into an enchanting tapestry with wit, pathos and an infectious sense of fun. The play has glamour, style and comedy but it also has its dark side and my job is to find the balance between these elements. I believe I would be cheating the audience if they didn't see beautiful costumes and an array of dressing gowns, but I would be cheating the author if I ignored the cruelty, amorality and duplicity of most of the characters.

Until recently Coward has, for the most part, been compared with writers like Sheridan and Wilde. His plays have been described as 'comedies of manners' and indeed his skill with language prompts such comparisons, but I see him as a beacon for writers who followed him as well as a receiver of ideas from the past. Comparisons with writers such as Orton and Pinter are just as appropriate. Coward's characters are not simply diamond-studded stereotypes that reel off witty remarks. They are vulnerable and feel deeply even if they often choose to dress their emotions up in savage humour.

I suppose one of the biggest challenges facing any director of a Coward play is to get the tempi right. The dialogue is written with musical precision and actors or directors ignore its rhythms at their peril. In the rehearsal room I often feel like a conductor encouraging the orchestra to play a rather intricate score accurately. The process is helped along by the simple fact that Coward really knew what he was doing. Present Laughter is perfectly structured and if you get the timing wrong or ignore the built in stage directions you throw away the very foundation of the play and lose the opportunity to have a really fresh look at the material.

WINNERSThere were lots of entries for the word search competition of The Leading Men of the London Stage. The correct entries have all been put in a simple draw, and the winner pulled out is Richard Ellis of Gravesend, Kent. Congratulations to him, and the Double CD of Noel & Gertie will be on the way to him.

The Crossword Competition in Conversation Piece attracted less entrants. But it has been won by James Mathieson of Chiswick London.

Congratulations to him, and the copy of John Mills’ book Still Memories is in the post.


NOËL & COLE — TOGETHER WITH MUSIC

Noël and Cole — Together With Music, performed by two of Boston’s favorite song duos — Valerie Anastasio & Tim Harbold and Benjamin Sears & Bradford Conner. The two duos teamed up in 1999 to celebrate the centenary of Sir Noël Coward, musically joining him with his American counterpart Cole Porter, with performances throughout New England, including Boston’s prestigious Scullers Jazz Club. Recorded in March, 2000, this CD brings the entire show to disc. The original performances of Noël and Cole — Together With Music were praised as “a swell party indeed” (Beverly Creasy, Theatre Mirror, Boston), and Richard Duckett of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette (Worcester, Massachusetts) said “all [the] elements [of Coward and Porter] were conveyed with musical skill and good spirit by the four performers. As soon as they started singing you knew you were in for a good evening.”

Noël Coward songs on the CD include Together With Music (from his TV special of the same name with Mary Martin), A Room With a View (This Year of Grace), We Were Dancing (Tonight at 8:30), If Love Were All (Bitter Sweet), Someday I’ll Find You (Private Lives), and Mrs. Worthington.

Cole Porter songs include Red, Hot and Blue (Red, Hot and Blue), The Physician (Nymph Errant, Porter’s only show for Gertrude Lawrence), Can Can (Can Can), Brush Up Your Shakespeare (Kiss Me Kate), and Anything Goes (Anything Goes).

A special feature of the show is songs chosen specifically to bring the two writers together. Coward’s World Weary (This Year of Grace) has a Porter counterpart in the early Pick Me Up and Lay Me Down; Porter’s Begin the Beguine (Jubilee) is parodied by Coward in Nina (Sigh No More); a medley of “party” songs shows both wit and ennui with Porter’s I’m Throwing a Ball Tonight (Panama Hattie) as a bookend for Coward’s I’ve Been to a Marvelous Party (Set to Music) and another Porter gem, Well, Did You Evah? (DuBarry Was a Lady); and the Porter standard Let’s Do It (Paris) is featured with the complete original Porter lyrics and then encored with a selection of the many lyrics Coward added for his own use in cabaret appearances.

Valerie Anastasio & Tim Harbold have performed cabaret music throughout Massachusetts since 1990, blending jazz standards, show tunes, and comic cabaret with their own distinctive musicianship and humor. Their repertoire encompasses a delightful variety of styles, ranging from intimate renditions of Gershwin and Sondheim to zany, crowd-pleasing performances of Cole Porter's The Physician and Barry Manilow's Copacabana.

Benjamin Sears & Bradford Conner celebrated 10 years as a song duo in 1999. They have appeared in New York at the Mabel Mercer Foundation Cabaret Convention and Don’t Tell Mama, at The Gardenia (Los Angeles), the International Fringe Festival (Orlando, Florida), Cabaret at Windows (Washington, DC), the Emerson Majestic Theatre and the Wang Center (Boston), the inaugural season of CabaretFest! (Provincetown, Massachusetts), Provincetown International Film Festival, and on WGBH-FM, Boston and on the nationally syndicated The Connection (WBUR-FM, Boston) as commentators on the Gershwins, Sir Noël Coward, and Fred Astaire. Sears and Conner are noted recording artists with a significant discography which features many previously unrecorded songs by Irving Berlin, the Gershwins, and E.Y. Harburg.

Benjamin Sears and Bradford Conner are both enthusiastic members of the Society.

Gareth writes:

I have to admit that I have a penchant for Coward songs sung by someone other than the Master. I know he gave us many definitive recordings of his own work, but it is so refreshing to hear others giving us those fine words and melodies.

So, I listened to this CD with a lot of interest. I thought it very good indeed. The songs are sung with respect for the words and music, they are not over-arranged. Yet they are modern and fresh, not stilted period pieces.

I am pleased to say that with the help of Bradford and Benjamin, we are able to offer their CD to members at a very good price. It is part of our expanded CD and Book list.

There are other CD’s (including some special imports to the UK) and books new to our list, and all at prices that are as cheap as we dare. Do have a look.


Amateur Production NewsListed below are the forthcoming Coward productions known to us.

UK:Bittersweet The Playhouse, Norwich 14th-16th September

Blithe Spirit St Johns Parish Hall, Keynsham Nr Bristol 16th-18th November

Cavalcade The Kitson Hall, Barnes, London, SW13 5th-9th December

Hay Fever The Gateway Centre, Shrewsbury 15th-18th November

Nude With Violin The Brew House, Taunton 7th-11th November

Relative Values The Silvester Horne Institute, Church Stretton 9th-11th November

Still Life The Meridian Centre, Peacehaven, E Sussex 31st Aug-2nd Sept

Non-UKPrivate Lives Smith Falls Community Theatre, Ontario, Canada 23rd Nov–2nd Dec

Also:Men of a Certain Age Norwich Playhouse 3rd November

A Revue with some Noël Coward pieces

Do You Want To Go?From 2nd to 25th November the Theatre Clywd, Mold, North Wales are presenting Private Lives, directed by Terry Hands.

Theatre Clywd has produced some excellent and exciting theatre in recent times, and this promises to be an excellent production. Now there has been a suggestion from a member that we could arrange a Society party visit (for Saturday 18th November, say).

When we organised a party visit to see Blithe Spirit at Watford earlier this year, not a single member wanted to go, and the visit was cancelled.

We would be delighted if members do want to go to Theatre Clywd, but before we book, we would like some members to express an interest. Please let Gareth know if you are interested.

Blithe Spirit in

New York

The Pearl Theatre Company are opening their 2000 season with Blithe Spirit.

Blithe Spirit is a rare visit by The Pearl into the mid-20th Century, but, as they say “this language rich, character rich, sparkling comedy is irresistible – like the beckoning from the great beyond.

Methuen are Publishing more volumes of the Collected Plays.Volume 8 includes I’ll Leave It To You; The Young Idea and This Was a Man. If they will let us, we

will stock them on our CD and Book List.We are selling Barry Day’s Complete Lyrics at a very good price.


Professional Production NewsListed below are the forthcoming Coward productions known to us.

Blithe Spirit The Pearl Theatre Company, St Marks Place NY 31st Aug-15th OctGrand Theatre, Lancaster, UK 12th-16th SeptemberThe Tall Poppy Theatre Company, Jerusalem 1st-30th SeptemberWest Yorkshire Playhouse 4th Dec-27th Jan

Design for Living Broadway, New York February 2001

Fallen Angels Theatre Royal, Windsor 4th-23rd SeptemberWokingTheatre Royal Bath 9th-14th OctoberApollo Theatre, London West End From 16th October

Private Lives Theatre Clywd, Mold, Wales 2nd-25th November

Still Life The Shaw Festival, Canada 17th June-10th Sept

Also:

Brief Encounter Lyric Shaftesbury Ave for an 8-week run on 11th Sept for 8 Weeks

Love from Algonquin Hotel, New York 25th SeptemberShakespeare to Coward

Noel & Gertie Theatre by the Lake, Keswick, UK 28th Jul-3rd Nov

Gossip:Private Lives: Kevin Kline dropped out so now on offer to Jeremy Irons and Janet McTeer for a production in March 2001 on Broadway.Suite in Two Keys: production with Vanessa Redgrave in New York still a possibility for late 2001.Sail Away: the Carnegie hall concert version is to be revived on Broadway with Elaine Stritch later this year or next. Contract negotiation complete.Waiting in the Wings: closed on May 28th 2000. There has been an interest from Stoyline Entertainment to do a television version for Columbia Tri Star.MasterPieces now postponed until the spring/early summer. Possibility of Chichester opening 2001.Blithe Spirit: West Yorkshire Playhouse will do it December/January with Thelma Barlow. Duncan Weldon still attached as West End producer.Tonight at 8:30: may happen next year, possibly with Belinda Lang. Duncan Weldon producing. In America, there was a very good production in Williamstown Massachusetts, directed by Ann Reinkin and Michael Grieff.Howard Panter still keen to rename a theatre if the right production can be found. He is thinking of reviving the excellent Chichester production of Easy Virtue and still keen in bringing Twiggy over in Noël & Gertie/If Love Were All.New production of Star Quality, in a version by Chris Luscombe, to star Penelope Keith, in preparation for Yvonne Arnaud, Guildford. Will open January 2001.Semi Monde will open February 2001 in the West End directed by Philip Prowse and produced by Thelma Holt.Other major productions on the horizon are: The Vortex at Crucible Sheffield, then West End, directed by Michael Grandage (2001/2); Keith Baxter directing Quadrille (2002); Design for Living in Melbourne and Adelaide (2001).Interesting foreign language productions coming up include Fallen Angels in Brazil and Waiting in the Wings in Poland.The film of Hay Fever will probably not be made by the co-production of Roger Peters Productions and Merlin Films before their option on the play runs out. The film of Quadrille is still being planned by Vanguard/Monogram/Skyline.

“But Happy Am

I Who Loved

Them So”A Prize Puzzle


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Cole LesleyClemence DaneJean FennLorn LoraineLouis MountbattenGertrude LawrenceThe Queen MotherEsme WynneGraham PaynMarlene DietrichGladys CalthropQueen MaryMichael ArlenJoan HirstDanny La RueJack PaarJeffrey AmherstElsie AprilJack WilsonVanessa LeeBeryl ReidJohn GeilgudAlec GuinessCarol ReedE NesbitLily PonsJoe LaytonCharles B CochranBinnie HaleJoyce CareyBinkie BeaumontJose Ferrer

This puzzle comes from Philip Leathers, a member from Holland

Circle the Letters of the names as you find them (there are no overlaps this time)40 letters will be left over. These make up the opening of a Coward song. What is it?

Solutions to the Society by 30th October. The first correct solution drawn out of the hat will win a copy of the CD Noël & Cole

Home Chatis published by

The Noël Coward SocietyPO Box 2700Castle Cary

Somerset BA7 7YT UK

Tel & Fax+44 (0)1963 351421

Email ncsociety @aol.com

Swiss Exhibition of Horst Tappe photographs in remembrance of Noël Coward

There will be an exhibition in la Tour-de-Peilz, Switzerland (a few kilometres from Les Avants near Lake Geneva) from 28th September to 28th January. The organisers want the exhibition to be in remembrance of Noël Coward living there and want to let the Swiss people know about him and his works.Horst Tappe produced one of the most famous photographs of Sir Noël Coward sitting on a chair with wings on the background. Horst Tappe lives in Montreux and knew Noël Coward at the end of the 60's.

home chat - noelcoward.net · web viewhome chat . july/august 2000 ... (the theatre was virtually...

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