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- Introduction
- UK 2010
- UK 2011
- US 2010
- US 2011
- World 1
- World 2
- Publications
- Recordings
WHAT'S ON?
 These tabbed pages provide the latest information on professional productions, events and the publication of the works of Noël Coward.
Details of venues, dates, associated websites, resources and major reviews are given.
For further reviews go to the Media page.
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Blithe Spirit - The Royal Exchange, Manchester
9 December 2009 - 23 January 2010 Directed by Sarah Frankcom. Designed by Liz Ascroft
Cast Includes Suranne Jones (Coronation Street)
"Blithe Spirit began its life in Manchester in a production directed by Coward himself in 1941, and now, having entertained audiences all round the world and been turned into both a musical and a film, it's finally coming home." Web |
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Private Lives
Kim Cattrall and Matthew Macfadyen in Private Lives directed by
Richard Eyr at Theatre Royal, Bath from
8 February and at the Vaudeville Theatre in the West End from 22 February. Theatre
Kim Cattrall is the winner of a Golden Globe Award, an Emmy Award and a Screen Actor's Guild Award and has received worldwide acclaim for her role as femme-fatale Samantha Jones in Sex and the City. Her films include Porky’s, Police Academy, Star Trek VI, Mannequin and The Tiger’s Tail. Her West End credits include Whose Life Is It, Anyway? and The Cryptogram and she made her Broadway debut starring opposite Ian McKellen in Chekhov’s Wild Honey. Born in Liverpool, she was recently the subject of BBC’s Who Do You Think You Are?
Matthew Macfadyen is best-known for his role as Tom Quinn in the BBC series Spooks. Other television roles include the recent five part BBC drama Criminal Justice II , the 2008 BBC adaptation of Dickens’s Little Dorrit and he won the Best Actor award at the Royal Television Society 2007 Awards for Secret Life. Film credits include Mr Darcy in the 2005 film of Pride and Prejudice, andthe Sheriff of Nottingham in Russell Crowe's forthcoming Robin Hood.
Director of the National Theatre from 1988-1997, Richard Eyre has won five Olivier Awards, four Evening Standard Awards, three Critics’ Circle Awards and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Directors Guild. His numerous acclaimed theatre productions range from Guys and Dolls and Mary Poppins to works by Shakespeare, Tennessee Williams, David Hare and Alan Bennett. The BBC production Tumbledown won him the 1988 BAFTA Award for Best Director and his film work includes The Ploughman's Lunch, Iris, Stage Beauty and Notes on a Scandal. |
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Ian Fricker presents Present Laughter
No 1 UK tour of Coward's most autobiographical comedy. Opens at Woking 11 January before touring across the UK until 3 April 2010 - starring ROBERT BATHURST, BELINDA LANG and SERENA EVANS with VIRGINIA STRIDE and EMMA DAVIES.Richmond Theatre 18 to 23 January • Theatre Royal, Brighton 25 to 30 January • Theatre Royal, Plymouth 1 to 6 February • Cambridge Arts Theatre 8 to 13 February • Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham 15 to 20 February • Theatre Royal, Nottingham 1 to 6 March • Theatre Royal, Bath 29 March to 3 April where the tour ends. |
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Private Lives a Salisbury Playhouse Production 21 January - 20 February 2010 • Theatre • Review
Private Lives reunites the Playhouse's Artistic Director Philip Wilson with designer Colin Falconer and lighting designer Chris Davey, the creative team behind the recent, much admired production of The Winslow Boy.
"Brilliantly funny" The Times
Setting the Scene with Philip Wilson
Wednesday 27 January, 6.30pm
Theatre Day
Thursday 4 February, 11.30am
Talk Out: Post Show Discussion
Tuesday 9 February
BSL interpreted performance
Wednesday 10 February, 7.30pm
Audio Described Performances
Thursday 11 February, 2.30pm & 8pm |
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Nothing known at present... |
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Private Lives |
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Chicago Shakespeare Theater January 6 to March 7 2010. Web
" I saw the show last night; it was fantastic!" Andrea
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Brief Encounter |
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The Kneehigh Production premieres in the US at St. Ann's Warehouse, 38 Water Street, d.u.m.b.o. Brooklyn. The play is being presented in a limited run from December 2nd to January 3rd.
For ticket information, call 718/254-8779 or 866/811-4111 Brief Encounter at St. Ann's Warehouse. Web |
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Oh Coward! |
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A Musical Comedy Revue Words and Music by Noel Coward Devised by Roderick Cook Directed by Jim Corti Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue, Chicago. Run dates: November 17, 2009 - March 21, 2010 Press Openings: December 2 & 3, 2009. You're invited to a marvelous party! Weaving together songs and literary delights, Oh Coward! celebrates one of the theater's greatest entertainers, Noel Coward. Web |
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Star Quality
The World of Noël Coward |
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Museum of Performance & Design • San Francisco - April 17 to August 29, 2009 Web...
A major retrospective exhibition in San Francisco's Museum of Performance & Design.
“Star Quality: I don’t know what it is, but I’ve got it,” so said Noël Coward and this exhibition at The Museum of Performance and Design in San Francisco demonstrates to what extent he had it! The exhibition will be on public view at MPD April 17 - August 29, 2009. Admission is free. Gallery hours are Wednesday-Saturday, 12:00-5:00 pm. Web Press release pdf |
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Present Laughter |
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Roundabout's Broadway Revival of Present Laughter • American Airlines Theatre on January 2, with an official opening planned for January 21. The Roundabout Theatre Company's production of Noel Coward's Present Laughter, starring Victor Garber and directed by Nicholas Martin. The play focuses on Garry Essendine (Garber), a matinee idol whose life is turned upside down as he struggles to plan a trip to Africa. Garber and Martin previously worked on a production of the play for the Huntington Theatre Company in Boston. Garber's stage credits include Sweeney Todd, Art, Arcadia, Damn Yankees, Assassins, A Little Night Music, and Little Me. His many film and television credits include Alias, Eli Stone, Legally Blonde, and Titanic. Web • Roundabout Theatre • Playbill
Cast:
Daphne - HOLLEY FAIN • Miss Erickson - NANCY CARROLL • Fred - JAMES JOSEPH O’NEILL
Monica Reed - HARRIETT HARRIS • Garry Essendine - VICTOR GARBER • Liz Essendine - LISA BANES
Roland Maule - BROOKS ASHMANSKAS • Henry Lyppiatt - RICHARD POE • Morris Dixon - MARC VIETOR
Joanna Lyppiatt - PAMELA GREY • Lady Saltburn - ALICE DUFFY |
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Fallen Angels |
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Pasadena Playhouse - previews Late February 2010. Fallen Angels is produced by special arrangement with Bill Kenwright (London) prior to an anticipated Broadway run immediately following the Playhouse engagement. |
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Nothing known at present... |
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PRIVATE LIVES
South Africa - The Space Theatre, Cape Town – 14/04/09 - 10/05/09
BLITHE SPIRIT
Czech Republic: HATA TC touring to venues of 200-250 seats, 30-40 performances per year to 2010
Hungary: Vidám Színpad Co, Budapest and National Theatre, Gyor have it in repertoire.
France: a reading in Dominique Deschamps's translation took place under Annick Blancheteau's direction with actor stars Roland Giraud and his wife Maike Jansen.
Germany: on tour
Hungary: Ida Turay Theatre Co touring to culture houses, theatre halls in the countryside and in Budapest until end 2008; Vidám Színpad Co, Budapest and National Theatre, Gyor have it in repertoire.
Slovenia: production in rep in Ljubliana - opened May 2007 (70 performances)
Ukraine: production in rep of Dnipropetrovsky State Russian Drama Theatre
Italy: Giovanni Lombardo Radice to translate and direct starring either Anna Falchi or Stefania Rocca to ensure national distribution in first class theatres. Planning to open in summer 2008 at the Versiliana Festival and then at Rome’s prestigious Eliseo Theatre
France: Theatre Montparnasse interested. Suzanne Sarquier has an excellent translation by Stéphane Laporte entitled L'ART ET LES MANIERES with director Christophe Lidon in tow. As always, the question is the casting. So far, they are waiting for an answer from Elsa Zylberstein, but this could be on for September 2009.
HAY FEVER
Denmark: production planned autumn 2009 at Copenhagen’s Folketeatret.
Sweden: Folmer Hansen
PRESENT LAUGHTER
Hungary: 600-seat Jatekszin Theatre in Budapest – acclaimed production continues in their repertoire at a rate of 2 to 3 performances per month!
Italy: production by La Contrada in Trieste touring from 21 Nov 2008 (Rome 21 Dec – 4 Jan) translated as IL DIVO GARRY by Masolino D'Amico (well known journalist, theatre critic, professor) with Johnny Dorelli as Garry Essendine. This production also to be transmitted on Italian TV. PRIVATE LIVES
Brazil: Producer Neusa Andrade’s production in São Paulo still in the pipeline (bureaucratic problems)
Argentina: Javier Faroni producing by November 2008
Portugal: Produções Teatrais Próspero opening at Centro Cultural Olga Cadaval, Sintra Sept/Oct, then touring
Japan: Toho Co will produce at their new 611-seat Theatre Crea in central Tokyo for the month of October 2008, approx 36 performances – John Caird directing.
Denmark: the small Grönnegårds Teatret in Copenhagen plans a production for 2009 |
STAR QUALITY
Ukraine: Domino Art Co in Kiev has production in repertoire for 5 years
NUDE WITH VIOLIN
Czech Republic: Pardubice Theatre (500 seats) – opening 5/4/09 - 20 performances per year for 2 years
PRIVATE LIVES
Japan: Toho Co produced at their new 611-seat Theatre Crea in central Tokyo for the month of October 2008, approx 36 performances – John Caird directed.
Denmark: the small Grönnegårds Teatret in Copenhagen production current.
Greece: Gloria Theatre, Athens. Oct 2009 - May 2010.
Spain: Mithistorima Produccions presenting 30 Catalan performances at Sala La Planeta.
Germany: current in Hannover.
STAR QUALITY
Ukraine: Domino Art Co in Kiev has production in repertoire for 5 years.
THE VORTEX
Brazil: Peramel Productions; Marília Pêra starring – national tour.
WAITING IN THE WINGS
Hungary: in Budapest’s Madách Theatre's repertoire.
Japan: Kiyama Theatre Productions mounted 28 performances touring outside Tokyo March/April 2008 and 4 performances at Space Zero in Tokyo 18-21/4/08.
Slovakia: Jokai Theater of Komarom, producing Hungarian language production, 20 performances from 31 March 2008.
 If you purchased the BBC's Noel Coward Collection a few years ago, then Network's forthcoming release of A Choice Of Coward, featuring four of the the celebrated writer's acclaimed plays, will make a welcome archive companion. It's also interesting to contrast the production, direction and acting decades apart with versions of The Vortex, Blithe Spirit, Present Laughter and Design For Living featuring on both DVD sets.
These four plays, made by Granada and broadcast over a month in 1964 in their Play Of The Week schedule, were slotted into an abundance of one off dramas being produced by the regional ITV companies at the time. Play Of The Week in 1964 not only showcased dramas made by Anglia, Granada and Rediffusion but also mixed highly acclaimed contemporary dramatists with titles from classic literature.
cathoderaytube.blogspot.com • amazon.co.uk
 These three programs trace Noël Coward's life, career and legacy. Part 1: The Boy Actor follows his meteoric rise to international fame at thirty: including how early influences as a young man shaped his works such as Private Lives and The Vortex. Part 2: Captain Coward focuses on his journeys to the Far East with Earl Amherst (which inspired famous songs such as Mad Dogs and Englishmen), as well as entertaining the troops during the war years and films In Which We Serve and Brief Encounter. Part 3: Sail Away follows Coward's cabaret triumphs in London and Las Vegas after the Second World War and his years as a tax exile in Switzerland and Jamaica, right up to his death. His long-term partner, the late Graham Payn shows us around Chalet Coward, and archive film reveals the glamorous poolside lifestyle he enjoyed, as well as his late successes: a cameo performance in The Kitchen, and the musical Sail Away as recalled by its star Elaine Stritch. Nominated for the:1999 Huw Wheldon Award for the Best Arts Programme or Series BAFTA Award
1999 Grierson Memorial Trust.
amazon.co.uk • amazon.com
 Easy Virtue DVD and CD
DVD (Amazon UK) • CD (Amazon UK) • DVD (Released in US on September 15) • CD (Amazon US)
Easy Virtue
Starring Jessica Biel, Kristen Scott Thomas and Colin Firth. Based on a play by Noel Coward. It's the early 1930s. John Whittaker (Ben Barnes), a young Englishman, marries Larita, a sexy and glamorous American (Jessica Biel).
 The Letters of Noël Coward
Paperback (Amazon US) • Paperback (Amazon UK)
Reader's quote from Amazon UK: "Granted, some very fine biographies have been written, those that seem to paint seamless portraits. Yet, for this reader nothing can compare to someone's letters, written with no thought that they will ever be read by anyone save the recipient. These letters are mirrors, if you will, of a person's thoughts and emotions. They are in the person's own words - every adjective, nuance, inflection is his or her choice. And when the choices are Noel Coward's, it is pleasurable reading indeed. "
 The Essential Noël Coward Compendium
Noël Coward was a prolific entertainer with over fifty plays and musicals, songs, verse, two and a half volumes of
autobiography, books of quotations, a novel, diaries, and letters to his name. For fans and newcomers to Coward's work, this compendium represents the very best of Noël Coward in one entertaining volume - with extracts from the best scenes from his plays, and screenplays, songs, poems, and a entire short story. Brief extracts are also included from his autobiography, diaries and letters, caricature drawings, photographs, anecdotes and trivia. If you only buy one book on Noël Coward, or do not have time to wade through other more substantial works on his life and times, this book represents an excellent tasting menu for those who want to sample the full flavour of Coward. Review (The British Theatre Guide)
Due out in September 2009• ISBN 978-14081-08697 • Full Price: £16.99
 Dick Hyman Plays Weill, Duke, and Coward
Inner City Records has announced the re-release of three albums by Dick Hyman. Never before available on CD and quite rare even on vinyl, these albums represent some of the earliest recording efforts by a cornerstone of the jazz scene.
These are solo recordings, and demonstrate an inventive, ingenious and playful take on the great composers of the twentieth century.
September Song - The Music of Kurt Weill.
On this first of three records, Hyman plays fourteen Weill songs, including “Speak Low," “Moon-Faced, Starry-Eyed," “This Is New," and “Foolish Heart."
Mad About the Boy - The Music of Noel Coward.
The second album features fifteen songs, including “A Room With A View," “Twentieth Century Blues," and “Dance, Little Lady." This recording garnered a personal postcard from Coward to the performer, calling these takes “delightful."
Autumn in New York - The Music of Vernon Duke.
The final album in this series contains fourteen songs by Vernon Duke, including “I'm Gonna Ring the Bell Tonight," “Cabin in the Sky," “Autumn in New York," and “April in Paris."
When these recordings were made in the early '50s, they were intended to be part of a larger set, featuring the music of the twentieth century's greatest writers of popular song. Though smaller than originally intended, this collection is nonetheless a fitting tribute to three excellent composers, and a fascinating look at the early days of a continually inventive jazz giant.
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