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.

 

 

 

 

Blithe Spirit		Basingstoke 09/06/09 - 20/06/09 Harrogate 250/6/09 - 11/07/09 Web Watermill Theatre, Newbury – 20/5/09 - 27/6/09 Daily Telegraph Review
Brief Encounter		Kneehigh Theatre's Brief Encounter 2009 UK Tour! - Kneehigh Theatre Website... UK tour - See the tour website for venues and dates - Web...

More to come . . .

Brief Encounter		The Kneehigh Production premieres in the US at St Ann's Warehouse in Brooklyn Web
A Marvellous Party		Florida Studio Theatre – 03/06/09 - 21/06/09 The sounds and wit of Noël Coward will continue at Florida Studio Theatre due to popular demand! A Marvelous Party: The Noël Coward Celebration will be held over on the Keating Theatre, on Saturday, June 27 at 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm, Sunday, June 28 at 3:00 pm, Friday, July 3 at 8:00 pm and Sunday, July 5 at 3:00 pm. Web
Blithe Spirit		Shubert Theatre, New York - Current to July 19, 2009 The cast includes Angela Lansbury, Christine Ebersole and Rupert Everett. Opening Feb 26. Web... Tickets available from Telecharge.com. Official Blithe Spirit on Broadway website
Oh Coward!		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
Private Lives		California Shakespeare Theater - July 8 - August 2, 2009 at the Bruns Amphitheater, Orinda. Web or call 510-548-9666
Star Quality The World of Noël Coward		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
Tonight at 8:30		Shaw Festival - Ontario • Current to Nov. 1 • Ontario’s Shaw Festival will present all 10 plays that make up Noel Coward’s “Tonight at 8:30” series, including the rarely produced “Star Chamber.” It will mark the first time that all of the plays have been produced in repertory by a professional company since their London debut at the Phoenix Theater in the 1935-36 season, according to Shaw Artistic Director Jackie Maxwell. Plays will be presented in three groups, one at each of the Festival’s three theaters, and on two occasions it will be possible to see all 10 on a single day, in an event christened Mad Dogs and Englishmen. Shaw Festival... Variety... Playbill... Quotes...
Brief Encounters		Shaw Festival - Ontario • Current to October 24, 2009 • Repressed love after a chance meeting at a train station; flaming passion from a single dance across the floor; mistaken identity following a passing holiday acquaintance – three different stories inspired by three brief moments in time. Each story in Brief Encounters is a miniature delight only possible from the pen of Noel Coward. “This is our first Coward trio, and probably the best known. Look for the connections, relish the differences and revel in the opportunity to watch our actors rise to the challenge of moving seamlessly from world to world to world – all in one evening.” Jackie Maxwell Web

More to come . . .

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.

Easy Virtue DVD and CD

DVD (Amazon UK) • CD (Amazon UK) • DVD (Yet to be released in US) • 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.

Due out in September 2009• ISBN 978-14081-08697 • Full Price: £16.99