December - The Noël Coward Society

- for a full list see www.noëlcoward.net Items in red are professional companies
WHAT’S ON?
Page 12
In the UK...
December 2006
Fallen Angels
1 Sep to 31 Dec - Bill Kenwright Ltd,
UK Tour
Hay Fever
6 to 9 Dec - Traditional Theatre, The
Elizabeth Hall, Stratford Upon Avon,
Warwickshire
Blithe Spirit
7 to 9 Dec - Rowlands Castle ADS, The
Parish Hall, Rowlands Castle, Hampshire
4 to 6 Dec - St. Mary’s School, Ascot,
Berkshire
January 2007
This Happy Breed
16 to 19 Jan - Theze Guyz Theatre
Company, Victoria Rd. Church Hall,
Northampton
Blithe Spirit
24 to 27 Jan - The Phoenix Players, The
Arts Centre, Swindon, Wiltshire
The Vortex - Will Young - The Royal
Exchange Theatre from the 17 January
to March 10 2007. Tickets are available
on 0161 615 6815 or 0161 833 9833
February 2007
Private Lives
19 to 27 Feb 2007 - The Bancroft
Players, The Queen Mother Theatre,
Hitchin, Hertfordshire
The Seven Stages of Love
14 Feb - At the Wigmore Hall, Gillian
Keith Iestyn Davies, Andrew Kennedy,
The King’s Consort and Robert King - a
concert for Valentine’s Day - includes
arrangements of Noël Coward songs
19 to 29 Sep 2007 - The Maddermarket
Theatre, Norwich
Blithe Spirit
13 to 16 Feb - St Edwards College DS,
St Edwards College, Liverpool
21 to 24 Feb - Emley Drama Group,
Emley Methodist Church Hall, Emley,
Huddersfield
March 2007
Still Life
2 Mar - After Dark Theatre Company,
The Train Station, Carnforth, Lancashire
(Where the station scenes of the film
Brief Encounter were shot)
Hay Fever
21 to 24 Mar - Guilsborough Music &
Drama Society. Village Hall,
Guilsborough, Northamptonshire
April 2007
Blithe Spirit
25 to 28 Apr 2007 - Knutsford Little
Theatre, Knutsford, Cheshire
Hands Across The Sea
26 to 28 Apr - Portishead Players, The
Somerset Hall, Portishead, Bristol
July 2007
Hay Fever
18 to 21 Jul - Runnymede Drama Group,
The Riverside Barn, Walton-On-Thames,
Surrey
In North America...
December 2006
Present Laughter
16 Nov to 17 Dec – Mad Cow Theatre,
Orlando, Florida
Blithe Spirit
22 Nov to 9 Dec - Belleville Theatre
Guild, Pinnacle Street, Bellville, Ontario
Hay Fever
3 Nov to 4 Dec - Center Stage, Baltimore
College
29 Nov to 8 Dec - Ernest Manning High
School, Calgary, Alberta
Unless otherwise stated all
images and text are copyright
to NC Aventales AG
All correspondence to:
The Noël Coward Society,
29 Waldemar Avenue,
Hellesdon, Norwich,
NR6 6TB, UK
johnknowles@noelcoward.net
Tel: +44 (0) 1603 486 188
Editor: John Knowles
Assistant Editor:
Ken Starrett
Publication and Distribution:
Stephen Greenman (UK)
Ken Starrett (US)
Music Correspondent:
Dominic Vlasto
January 2007
Private Lives
Contributions are invited from
13 Jan to 2 Feb, 2007 - Bloor West Village
members of the Society.
Players, Bloor Street West, Toronto,
The editor reserves the right
Ontario
to edit all copy, images and
February and March 2007
Waiting In The Wings
28 Feb to 17 Mar, 2007 - Victoria Theatre
Guild, Langham Court Thtre, Victoria, BC
30 Mar to 8 Apr, 2007-Little Theatre of
New Smyrna Beach, Florida
Blithe Spirit
16 Feb to 18 Mar - Central Alberta Thtr
Soc Red Deer, Alberta
Fallen Angels
20 Mar to 7 Apr - Ottowa Little Theatre,
Ottawa, Ontario
May and June 2007
Blithe Spirit
4 to 27 May, 2007 - Mount Dora Theatre
Company, Florida
1 to 16 Jun - Theatre Aurora, Aurora,
Ontario
22 May to Jun 2 - Kanata Thtr, Kanata,
Ontario
In the Rest of the World...
Australia
October and November
Private Lives
10 Nov 2006 - 2 Dec 2006 - Queensland
Theatre Co & State Theatre Co of South
Australia, Adelaide
Merry Noël!
17 to 19 Dec - John Michael Swinbank
Old Mill Theatre in South Perth - six
performances.www.bocsticketing.com.au
homeCHAT
Home Chat is the newsletter
of The Noël Coward Society
wholly owned by
Noël Coward Ltd. which is
part of the charitable trust:
The Noël Coward Foundation.
decide on inclusion of items.
Details included in
‘What’s On?’ are as received,
with our thanks, from:
Samuel French UK and
Canada (Play Publishers and
Author’s Representatives),
Ken Starrett (US),
Alan Brodie Representation
(Professional Productions),
NCS members and
theatre companies.
For details of rights for
professional productions:
Alan Brodie Representation
www.alanbrodie.com
For amateur productions
Samuel French Ltd.
www.samuelfrench.com or
www.samuelfrenchlondon.co.uk
For publishing rights:
Methuen
www.methuen.co.uk
For music rights:
Warner Chappell
www.warnerchappell.co.uk
Officers of the Society are:
Chairman: Barbara Longford
General Secretary:
Stephen Greenman
General Manager:
John Knowles
North American Director:
Ken Starrett
FREE TO
MEMBERS OF
THE SOCIETY
Price £3 ($5)
DECEMBER 2006 - THE NEWSLETTER OF THE NOËL COWARD SOCIETY
JOIN THE BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS IN LONDON AND NYC
T
hat delicious flurry of Coward activity that
has become an essential part of NCS
members ‘chasing days’ in the run-up to
the Christmas holiday season is upon us again.
Although the double celebration so many UK
members enjoyed last year is not to be repeated
this year, celebrations there will definitely be and of a high order!
In New York Ken Starrett will be
masterminding the event at The Gershwin
Theatre with a guest celebrity laying flowers on
the bronze statue of the Master in the Theatre
Hall of Fame. This will be followed by a
luncheon with entertainment at The Manhattan
Club. Other events scheduled are a screening at
the Museum of Television & Radio of Coward's
Personal Home Movies followed by a reception,
and a star-studded evening of cabaret at the
Algonquin Hotel's famed Oak Room. The
evening will include such performers as Tammy
Grimes, Jeff Harnar, Sian Phillips, Craig
Rubano, Steve Ross, Marian Seldes, KT Sullivan
and Julie Wilson.
In London Anna Massey will be laying
flowers at Drury Lane. Both Anna and her
husband Uri will be joining us at the annual
lunch at The Ivy, where we will also welcome
our Vice Presidents Barry Day with Lynne Carey
Day and Sheridan Morley with Ruth Leon.
Anna released her autobiography Telling
Some Tales in May this year. A review of the
book and interview were published in the Sunday
Times where she revealed her parents Raymond
Massey and Adrienne Allen’s close friendship
with Noël. She mentioned a cookery book
written by her mother and a friend saying:
“Mother was phenomenally generous with
food but she couldn’t boil an egg. She invented
some recipes with a friend, Marjorie Salter, and
they co-wrote a cookery book, ‘Food For
Thought’, which was illustrated by Oliver Messel
and had a forward by Noël Coward. I wish I
could get a copy of the book now. It would tickle
my taste buds to see Oliver’s drawings. Mother
was in the first production of Private Lives, and
Noël Coward was a frequent visitor to the
house.”
Both she and her brother Daniel were
auditioned for the child parts in In Which We
Serve but only Daniel made it to the filming.
Her acting career has been exceptional by any
Continues on Page 9...
ON WITH THE DANCE!
BIRMINGHAM 24 - 25th MARCH
We can report a most encouraging response
from Members for the Society’s Birmingham
Event next spring, and we are also pleased that
the venue for the “flagship” event of the visit, the
Thé Dansant, has recently been confirmed.
There are other tempting details to confirm – and
there are still a few places available! Please read
a bit further, as we hope we may be able to tempt
you to join us.
The weekend will launch itself in the exotic
surroundings of the ballroom of the Birmingham
(Redcliffe) Botanical Gardens & Glasshouses.
Here, to the accompaniment of one’s tea, we
shall first be gently introduced (by Richard Rose)
into a couple of the classic dance-styles of the
20s, and will then have the opportunity to put
those dances into action, to the accompaniment
of Noël Coward’s music. Not just his music, but
his music played by the dance bands of the era,
including Ambrose and his Orchestra, Jack
Hylton and his Orchestra, Jack Payne and his
LATEST NEWS: ON WITH THE DANCE! - NOËL COWARD CHRISTMAS WALK - COWARD HOMES FOR SALE!
to light from unexpected sources. Coffee and biscuits will be
BBC Dance Orchestra, Carroll Gibbons and the Savoy Hotel
served, before the party embuses and disembarks a few
Orpheans, and the Artie Shaw Orchestra. Perhaps we may
minutes later outside the Birmingham Electric Cinema.
even hear from the Piccadilly Dance Orchestra.
We shall enjoy a short reception at the Cinema,
Later, after our three-course dinner at Lucas House, the
before proceeding to the opulent interior for a screening of a
tables will be cleared for dessert and coffee, and you will be
rare Noël Coward film. This is
able to settle back for some unique
likely to be one of the Coward
cabaret entertainment: the songs of
Ballroom at the Birmingham (Redcliffe)
Botanical Gardens & Glasshouses
short stories that were filmed for
Noël Coward, sung by Dominic
television in the mid-1980s – ‘Me
Vlasto, using accompaniments on
and the Girls’, ‘Mrs Capper’s
piano tracks originally recorded onto
Birthday’ or ‘Star Quality’,
tape by Norman Hackforth in the
perhaps, and John Knowles may
early 1980s. There will be few
be able to introduce us to some of
surprises in the repertoire, but this is a
Noël Coward’s own “Home
unique opportunity to hear
Movies”. We thought that after so
Hackforth’s wonderfully supportive
much joy, members would like to
musical talent, and in their own way
take their own choice of
are as near to “authentic” Coward
refreshments and food, and we
cabaret as you are likely to encounter.
could hardly be better-placed for a wide range of
And as if that weren’t in itself enough, the following day
opportunities, and our resident member will be standing by to
sees, in close succession, our visit to the Noël Coward Archive
give the benefit of his local advice…
in the Special Collections area of the Birmingham University
After lunch, we will see you safely bussed back to our
Library. Dominic Vlasto will give a guided talk around the
base at the University. The inclusive cost will not be more
display, which will include items taken from the collection of
than £140 per person for all the events mentioned above and
scripts, music of various sorts, lyrics (including in
dinner, accommodation and breakfast, but not including wine
manuscript), press cuttings, photograph albums and folders,
or bar drinks.
souvenir programmes and diaries. There are also one or two
How can you not be tempted to join us at this price? To
artefacts/pictures. There will be points of contact with the
register, please dig out the form that was sent with the
previous evening’s music, in the shape of many music
previous issue of Home Chat and send post-haste to Dominic
manuscripts by Norman Hackforth, and Dominic will give
Vlasto, or email (equally post-haste)
some fascinating insights into his recent research, where new
dominicvlasto@btinternet.com
information on Coward’s composing career has been brought
CABARET CONVENTION - NEW YORK CITY
F
or the last 16 years New Yorkers during the busy Fall
Season have eagerly awaited the Annual Cabaret
Convention presented by Donald Smith. This year the
convention began on October 16th and ran for five evenings
Enthusiastic audiences, which always include many NCS
members, were treated to appearances by more than 60
incredible cabaret performers. NCS members, Klea
Blackhurst, Eric Comstock, Andrea Marcovicci, Sidney
Meyer, Steve Ross, Craig Rubano, and KT Sullivan were
among the performers presented. In addition to the excitement
generated by the high level of talent, this year at each night of
the convention special awards were given. On opening night
Steve Ross was honoured with the prestigious Mabel Mercer
Award, named for the legendary singer and cabaret performer.
Later in the week, Klea Blackhurst was given the Paula
Laurence Award, named for the beloved Broadway actress
who passed away in November of 2005. Ms. Laurence made
an appearance at the Coward Society luncheon in December of
2004 singing “Nina.” Many cabaret performers keep the
legacy of Noël Coward alive by singing his songs. It is a
great a joy each year at the convention to see such a variety of
talent and to realise that the cabaret world is a major thriving
part of the entertainment industry.
Ken Starrett
The New York Times reported the Convention as follows:
The Sounds of Cabaret, Both Innocent and Elegant
By Stephen Holden
Photographs by Richard Termine for The New York Times
Published: October 18, 2006
The singer and pianist Steve Ross received the second
annual Mabel Award on Monday evening “in recognition of
his four decades of style, taste, flair and communicative power
Page 2
as the American troubadour.” The words of that citation,
bestowed at Rose Hall in the openingnight program of the Cabaret
Convention, say a lot about the event,
Steve Ross received the second annual
Mabel Award in recognition of his work
as a singer and pianist.
produced by Donald Smith, the
executive director of the Mabel
Mercer Foundation. The convention,
now in its 17th year, evokes the
musical ambience of the Upper East Side of Manhattan, circa
1959, as an urbane utopia. To attend a Cabaret Convention
event is to enter a world in which Bob Dylan, that
quintessential American troubadour,
might as well not have been born.
In receiving his award, Mr. Ross
K T Sullivan performing on the opening night
of the Cabaret Convention at Rose Hall.
talked about “sophistication,” a word
that when applied to popular music was
once synonymous with popular
standards interpreted with particular
attention paid to witty double-entendres
and racy metaphors. But in today’s verbally forthright pop
climate, the word has come to connote nostalgia for good
manners, taste, discretion and subdued elegance. In a sense,
yesterday’s worldliness has become today’s innocence.
Say It With Music, the first of five programs, was devoted
S
till available for sale is this elegant and
lavishly-illustrated little booklet compiled by
Dominic Vlasto.
The catalogue is a stylish addition to
worldwide Cowardology, of interest both as a
general reference and as an essential guide to
collectors of sheet-music.
Members in the UK can obtain a copy/copies
(post-free), please write enclosing your cheque for
£2.50 per copy (payable to The Noël Coward
Society) to:
Dominic Vlasto, Long Gores Studio, Hickling,
Norfolk NR12 0BE.
Enquiries may also be addressed via
email to: dominicvlasto@btinternet.com
Members in the USA may obtain a
copy by writing to Ken Starrett, 49 West
68th Street Apt # 1 R, New York, New
York 10023, enclosing a cheque for $5
made payable to Ken Starrett.
You may also email orders to Ken at:
cowardusa@nyc.rr.com.
Please indicate the number of copies
you would like and provide your full
name and address and telephone
number.
Timetable for the Coward Birthday Celebrations and lunch at The Ivy
Saturday 16th December 2006
T
he AGM of the Society starting at 10:00 with coffee at the Theatre Museum, Covent Garden moves to its business at
10:30. Members and guests may arrive at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane for the Coward birthday celebration at 11:45.
Anna Massey will be laying flowers on the statue of Noël Coward at 12.00 noon. This will be followed by drinks at Drury
Lane in the Foyer Bar at approximately 12:20. It is hoped that copies of Anna’s book will be available for sale which she
will be pleased to sign. Anna and her husband Uri will be joining NCS members and guests for drinks at The Ivy at 1.00pm prior
to lunch at 1.30pm followed by cabaret with American cabaret artiste Joyce Breech and her accompanist John Pearce. The entry
to the AGM and the flower-laying at Drury Lane is free of charge and includes drinks at the Foyer Bar. The cost of lunch and
cabaret at The Ivy is £90 per member or guest - this includes wine and water at the table and drinks on arrival. The menu is:
Baked Spinach & Beenleigh Blue Tart - Breast of Goosnargh Chicken with butternnut squash risotto and a pumpkin seed salsa Hazelnut Praline Ice Cream with toffee sauce - Full Roast Coffee, Fauchon Teas and Petit Fours. The wines are: Muscadet de
Sèvre et Maine ‘sur lie’, Domaine la Morinière Loire 2005 and Pinot Noir ‘Les Fumées Noires’, J et F Lurton, Vin de Pays d’Oc
2005. Contact Geoffrey Skinner, Samuel French Ltd. 52 Fitzroy Street, Fitzrovia, London, W1T 5JR Tel: 020 7387 9373 to book.
STEVE ROSS IN PARIS
E
lizabeth Sharland has achieved a first in Paris when
she wrote a letter to Mohammed Al Fayed, the owner
of the Ritz Paris, to say that there were no hotels in
Paris that had a proper cabaret room, and that Englishspeaking guests and visitors had nowhere to go in the
evenings if they could not speak French - except the shows,
Moulin Rouge etc. where most tourists go not more than
perhaps once.
Elizabeth went on to say that the hotel guests and Mr.
Fayed’s patrons might really appreciate not having to go out
after dinner, especially if it was raining, to find entertainment,
hear a musician (who actually was not a background
musician), or find entertainment outside the hotel.
It must have touched a chord, because as we know Dodi
and Princess Diana had dinner at the Ritz and had they'd
stayed there, they might not have... well you know what I am
saying.
Steve Ross at the Ritz
Then she gave
examples such as the Elizabeth Sharland and Steve Ross
at the Ritz
Carlyle Hotel with
Elaine Stritch,
Regency Room with
Michael Feinstein, The
Algonquin with Steve
Ross etc. saying that
the Ritz could be the
first place in Paris.
Next she got a
letter back from the
Ritz and to make
matters short, a date
was set, and as
Elizabeth knew Steve
was coming over he
said, “Yes!”, so she
produced the first
(English) Cabaret at
the Ritz Paris.......
Steve Ross sang songs by Noël Coward and other composers.
Who was there? Well the the room was full, people like
Jim Haynes who started the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh.
Also people from the press and other socialites. Steve was
great... and you could have heard a pin drop when he was
performing which was marvellous. They loved him!
Page 11
ON THE WEB
to the songs of Irving Berlin. Mr. Ross distilled the tone of the
evening by recollecting his first encounter with Mabel Mercer,
the international chanteuse (and the convention’s spiritual
godmother) who died in 1984. Her emotional empathy, he
recalled, helped him recover from a broken heart. By turns
breezy and bittersweet, he channelled both Mercer and Fred
Astaire in his impeccable, understated renditions of “How
Deep Is the Ocean,” “Cheek to Cheek” and “Let’s Face the
Music and Dance.”
Barbara Carroll, who won last year’s Mabel award,
brought a similar grace, understanding, classical refinement
and charm to “Be Careful, It’s My Heart” and “Blue Skies.”
Klea Blackhurst channelled Ethel Merman with lusty versions
of “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” and “There’s No Business
W
arily treading into territory that may not be the
first love of every member I venture to
explain some of the recent developments on
the website. For those looking at it for the
first time the key page is the Home Page (see right) where
all the latest news and links to other pages can be viewed.
This month has seen more ‘hits’ on the site than ever some 200,000 - a significant sign of interest.
Latest pages include:
The Australian 1963 Coward interview by Ray Stanley
A gallery of photographs of 17 Gerald Rd
A page on the struggle to save the Theatre Museum
Info on the Christie’s sale of a Coward Jamaican painting
for £15,600
A page with a ‘taster’ video extract from Stephen Fry’s
talk at Oxford
Coward’s Home Movies
We are working on:
A page for people to join online and pay using PayPal
Further extracts from past editions of Home Chat in
‘Home Chat Act 2’
An improved gallery of Coward’s paintings.
C
COWARD SCREENING EVENT
T
Noël and Cole Together Again!
elia Cologne has devised a two-part cabaret entertainment using the
music of Noël Coward and Cole Porter at the Hampton Hill Playhouse
- 28th January to 3 February. Information line: 020 8410 4545.
Here is a review of Celia’s recent successful production of Sail Away:
A Glorious Voyage - Sail Away Theatre 2000, Regent Centre, Christchurch.
Noël Coward no doubt made many transatlantic crossing on ships such as the
SS Corona, and his wry, often bitchy observations form the basis of this musical,
written in the 1960s as a vehicle for Elaine Stritch and rarely performed since.It
sinks or sails on the performance of its leading lady, entertainment officer Mimi
Paragon and in the elegant and brilliantly capable hands of Kamya RawstronBrake it’s full steam ahead for a glorious voyage.
There’s a great crew and those wonderfully eccentric passengers are a joy.
With Coward’s witty acerbic lyrics, plus catchy tunes, great costumes and
humour, this was one ship I was more than glad to be on.
Linda Kirkman Bournemouth Daily Echo
I
“That Man Ken Starrett...”
n late 2002 at a meeting of the Society’s committee there
was some serious debate about the future viability of the
Noël Coward Society. The general feeling voiced accurately
at the time was that, “If we
cannot reach 200 members
we might as well call it a
day!” Well we are still here
and this month celebrate 500
members and a thriving
society, growing in a way we
never thought possible four
years ago. Many things have
brought this about. Our
commitment to a regular
newsletter and a constantly
updated website and the
growth of events of
distinction. But one clear and
Page 10
Like Show Business.”
Judy Blazer (“What’ll I Do?” ) echoed Judy Garland’s
vocal quaver, and Lumiri Tubo (“Harlem on My Mind,”
“Supper Time”) suggested Ethel Waters by way of Josephine
Baker.
The evening’s comic high point was K T Sullivan’s
deliciously saucy “You’d Be Surprised,” an
uncharacteristically sexy Berlin song from 1919 to which she
brought a Mae West swivel. (“He doesn’t look much like a
lover/ But don’t judge a book by its cover.”) A slow,
ruminative “Always,” by Sandy Stewart (accompanied on
piano by Bill Charlap), sung in broken phrases that divided the
song into different registers, struck the deepest note and turned
the song into a lingering meditation on time itself.
obvious reason is the consistent approach of our North
American Director who has just inducted his 254th member!
Robert Gardiner often affectionately refers to, “That man
Ken Starrett,” as the reason for such a turn-around in our
fortunes - and he is right!
With half of our membership in the Americas it has been
vital for us to build on his success and where possible emulate
his techniques for attracting and keeping members interested
and involved in the Society.
On November 19th Ken gave one of his notable talks on
Coward at JASA, 241 West 72 St, NYC. He has been asked to
do more lectures for them. This, with his other NCS activity
and aided by our ambassadors in New York: Vice President
Barry Day, Geoffrey Johnson and Elizabeth Sharland, is one of
the reasons why US membership equals that of the UK!
The secret of his success is not a mystery - he always has
membership forms in his inside pocket and he never misses a
chance to strike up a conversation in a theatre foyer or aisle,
coffee shop, restaurant, swimming pool, diner or meeting.
Even if the response is ‘Noël Coward who?’ - need we go on?
at the Museum of Television & Radio in New York
he summer holidays are over. Broadway theatres are
opening new plays, stadiums are busy with sporting
events and hundreds of entertainment attractions all
over New York City create an exciting Fall season.
On the night of September 21st, in the midst of this flurry
of activity, The Noël Coward Society presented an evening
exclusively for Society members at the Museum of Television
and Radio. The program was called Noël Coward – Two for
Tonight. Among the Society members in the large audience
were film stars, Ms. Jane Powell and her husband Mr. Dick
Moore and television star, Ms. Eileen Fulton. We were happy
to welcome a new member, the distinguished Broadway
actress, Ms. Dana Ivey, currently on Broadway in Butley.
The first item shown was Words and Music by Noël
Coward, a CBS presentation last seen in February of 1973.
Coward’s delightful music was performed by the cast of the
hit off-Broadway revue, Oh Coward!
We were privileged to have as a special guest, Mr. Jamie
Ross, one of the original stars of Oh Coward! He is currently
on Broadway in Beauty and the Beast and graciously agreed
to visit us on the way to his performance. He spoke of the
incredible evening on January 14, 1973 when Noël Coward,
accompanied by Marlene Dietrich, attended the performance.
The star-studded audience included such celebrated people as
John Gielgud, Helen Hayes, Ethel Merman, Alan Bates, Lena
Horne, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Tammy Grimes and many
more.
Mr. Ross charmingly answered questions about
performing Coward’s music and the experience of the very
special performance. Sadly, this would be the last theatrical
performance Noël Coward ever saw, as he left New York for
Jamaica where he died on March 26, 1973.
Coward’s very successful play, Cavalcade has never been
produced in the United States. Unless people have seen the
1933 film version or read the published text, there has been
little chance to know the play. On October 5, 1955, the
premiere presentation of a new series called The 20th Century
Fox Hour was an adaptation of Cavalcade, starring Merle
Oberon and Michael Wilding.
Coincidentally, just a short time later on October 22nd,
Noël Coward and Mary Martin would present their historic
Together With Music on the same network. Thought to be lost
for many years, this television film of Cavalcade was
recently found and restored. We were pleased to be able to
show it to Society members on this evening.
Ken Starrett
Jamie R
oss and
Jamie R
oss and
Eileen F
ulton
Jane Po
well
Page 3
A Brief Encounter with the Master
Raymond Stanley recalls interviewing Noël Coward
In the last Home Chat John Knowles recalled Noël in Australia (and his lack of any appearance in TV’s
‘Heartbeat’. Alan Brodie has since pointed out that Mr. Coward’s music has indeed appeared on the
programme - JK stands corrected!) In March 2000 ‘Conversation Piece’ appeared as the first journal of
The Noël Coward Society edited by Gareth Pike. As a follow-up to last month we reprint an item from
that journal by Australian NCS member and journalist, Raymond Stanley, a valued source of information
on Noël and Marlene Dietrich ‘down-under’. A tape of this interview can now be heard on our website.
I
she’s had another baby but, as she’s always in good voice after
do hope you’re not in a hurry, dear boy”. said Mr. Coward.
giving birth, that’s all to the good.”
“Would you think it awfully impolite of me if we delayed
the interview a little? A very dear friend of mine is popping
He spoke also about the musical version of his play Blithe
in to see me - he won’t be here very long - and would you
Spirit - to be called High Spirits - which he was going to
direct. Beatrice Lillie was to play Madame Arcati in it.
mind very much waiting in the bedroom when he arrives?”
“It’ll be a difficult time. rehearsing Beattie”, he commented
“You might know him in fact. He’s the Prime Minister of
quite frankly. “We always row in rehearsals - fight like cat and
Australia. Mr. Menzies!”
dog - and stop speaking to each other. But Beattie always ends
It was May 1963. two days after the opening at Her
up doing what I want. and of course she’ll be absolutely
Majesty’s Theatre in Melbourne of the Australian production
wonderful in the role”. (In actual fact Coward ended up
of Noël Coward’s musical Sail Away for which a local cast
walking out on the entire production.)
had been assembled and Australian Maggie Fitzgibbon
He also said he was going to
brought back from London for the
role created by Elaine Stritch. Leading
direct Hay Fever with Edith Evans
for the National Theatre in England ...
man was Kevin Colson who went on
And so we chatted on. I heard a
to play West End leads. Finally. in the
telephone ringing in the next room
last days of rehearsals. Coward
and soon afterwards Cole Lesley
himself arrived in a blaze of publicity
entered to say the Prime Minister had
to give his final approval.
been delayed.
I later heard that one rather
“Oh well. let’s get on with the
‘mannish’ actress was being made to
interview. shall we?”. said Coward
play her part in the exact manner and
and after I’d plugged my tape
clothes in which it had been
recorder into a wall switch we began.
performed in New York and London.
Pointing out the obvious. that he
which was alien to her nature. and she
An exhilarating welcome awaited the Master
was a man of many talents - actor,
was having difficulty coming to grip
in Australia
playwright, composer, lyric writer,
with it. Coward immediately sized up
novelist, short story writer, poet, director - I asked, if he had
the situation. noted how uncomfortable she was and in no time
the choice of going down to posterity in just one of those
at all she had been redirected to play it more in keeping with
capacities. which would he prefer.
her own nature and in slacks instead of dresses. In the final
“Well. it’s very difficult to say. I don’t really mind. I
result she was one of the hits of the show.
haven’t got a great eye on posterity. All I like to do is to
There was great excitement in the air on opening night.
entertain the people now while I’m alive. I don’t know what
Never before had such a distinguished international author
will be remembered. I suspect that I shall be remembered
attended the opening ‘Down Under’ of his own work.
mostly for my popular music. One doesn’t know. I don’t care
Accompanied by Lady Casey, an old friend, Coward took
which it is: as long as I’m remembered a little bit. I should like
his seat in one of the boxes just before the lights dimmed.
that”.
With one accord the entire audience rose and applauded him.
Without any false modesty, where would he place himself
long and loud. He must have been very gratified and stood up
as a playwright amongst past and present dramatists? There
and bowed his acknowledgement.
was no hesitation in his reply.
An interview had been arranged for me with The Master.
“Without any false modesty. I think I have contributed a
So, holding a very large and heavy reel-to-reel tape recorder I
certain amount to the English theatre by my plays. I love
rang the bell of the suite Coward was occupying at the
writing plays. I was brought up in the theatre. Some of them.
Windsor Hotel. The door was opened by Cole Lesley. who
ushered me into ‘the presence’. and I was greeted profusely
like Private Lives, Hay Fever, Design For Living will
like an old friend. It seemed not to be put on but quite
probably - did probably - make a slight revolution. I think The
genuine.
Vortex made a slight revolution in playwriting because - quite
unconsciously, I didn’t attempt to be original - I just wrote
Whilst we waited for the Prime Minister’s arrival. Coward
how I wanted to write and it ‘sort of clicked”.
suggested that we just chat and for the next ten minutes we
did exactly that. How I wish my recorder had been switched
Did he do much research work on hi plays? For Blithe
on at the time! He told me he was going to New York for his
Spirit, for instance, did he delve into spiritualism?
“Yes - I read up a certain amount, not very much, but a
musical The Girl Who Came To Supper, adapted from the
little. I do research mostly if I’m doing a period piece like
Terence Rattigan play The Sleeping Prince.
“Jose Ferrer is playing the Prince. and he’ll be wonderful.
Bitter Sweet or Conversation Piece or Cavalcade. Then I read
and a marvellous girl called Florence Henderson will be the
up a lot. To do Conversation Piece I read about thirty books
on the Regency, so I got myself absolutely soused in the
leading lady. As a matter of fact. we’ve had to delay it whilst
Page 4
...continued from Page 1
standards with film, theatre and television roles of note
including working with Coward in Bunny Lake Is Missing
and roles in classic television adaptations of Dickens,
Trollope and Wilde. Her parents were frequent visitors to
Goldenhurst, Noël’s Kent farmhouse retreat. Daniel was one
of Noël’s many godsons.
Anna’s book is available at all good bookshops at £17.99
in the UK, $39.95 in Canada or on Amazon.co at £12.23 and
Amazon.com $24.86 US.
Here is some further information about the book from the
publishers, Hutchinson:
‘Telling Some Tales is moving, totally
unselfconscious and very funny’
Alan Rickman
Telling Some Tales is the magical autobiography of one of
the most respected British actresses.
Anna Massey was born into the show business world. The
daughter of the Canadian actor, Raymond Massey (perhaps
best-known for his role as Dr Gillespie in the TV series Dr
Kildare and Adam Trask, James Dean’s character father in
East of Eden), and Adrianne Allen (also a very successful
West End and Broadway actress), it was always assumed that
Anna Massey would become an actress. Her brother, Daniel,
was also a much-acclaimed actor and even her godfather was
one of the greatest film directors of all time – John Ford.
After her international schooling and ‘finishing off’ in
Paris and Rome, Anna Massey skipped drama school and
went straight into a repertory company. Her stage début
followed soon, with the The Reluctant Debutante, in 1955,
which coincided with the year she herself was a Debutante
and introduced to the court. This was the beginning of
promising career and many substantial roles followed over
ensuing decades.
Anna’s first marriage was to Jeremy Brett, famous in his
later years for his elegantly febrile performance on television
as Sherlock Holmes. They had a son, the writer David
Huggins. But it was not a happy relationship and ended in
divorce.
In fact, family life was never easy or straightforward. Her
father left the household within the first year of her life and
moved to the United States, where he married again. Her
mother also remarried and even though she was the most
welcoming hostess, who filled the house with an exotic
mixture of guests, it was Nanny who supplied Anna with
crucial emotional support.
From her stage début in The Reluctant Debutante to her
performance in Michael Powell’s notorious film, Peeping Tom,
on through TV successes like The Pallisers and Hotel du Lac
to a range of work in radio, Anna Massey has enjoyed the
most remarkable career. And a whole host of extraordinary,
often highly eccentric characters make their entrances and
exits during its course in both her professional and personal
lives.
Anna Massey has been a successful actress for fifty years.
Her career has spanned a wide range. In the cinema she has
worked with many of the great directors, including Alfred
Hitchcock, Michael Powell, Otto Preminger and Fred
Zinneman. But perhaps her favourite performances have been
in the theatre – among those being The Miracle Worker,
Heartbreak House, The Importance of Being Earnest, and
Mary Stuart. For television she won a BAFTA Award for her
performance in Anita Brookner’s Hotel du Lac, and she
starred very memorably in the title role of Gwen John, and
also in Trollope’s He Knew He Was Right. On radio her voice
is familiar to many from plays and documentaries, most
recently narrating the history of Britain in This Sceptred Isle,
which has brought her a whole new audience. In 2005, Anna
Massey was awarded a CBE for services to drama.
Photographs taken from Telling Some Tales by Anna Massey and published by Hutchinson
CAVALCADE - A SHORT PROCESSION OF ITEMS (dismounted!)
The Northey Bar and Restaurant, Bath Road, Box, Wiltshire
(Tel: 01225 742333
There can’t be many pubs in the country that are able to
boast Noël Coward among their former barmen. Back in the
1930s, however, the name over the door of the Northey Arms
in Box was that of Maisie Gay, a former music hall star.
During her stint as landlady, the inn became a regular haunt
for theatreland’s great and good - including Noël Coward,
who frequently amused himself by popping behind the bar to
pull pints for the locals. In later years, the inn was to fall on
hard times, becoming an unloved, run-down boozer. However
after its acquisition by the award-winning OHH company it
has emerged as a successful food-led destination with
impeccable standards.
Coward's painting of Banana boats, Jamaica
Sold at Christie's on November 17 2006 for £15,600 Lot
Description:Signed 'Noël Coward' (lower left) oil on canvas
20 x 24 in. (50.8 x 61 cm.) Provenance:Anonymous sale;
Christie's, London, 6 July 1957, lot 15, as 'Banana Boats',
where acquired by E.M. James, and by descent to Andrew
James, his sale; Christie's, London, 8 June 1989, lot 130.
Page 9
COWARD BIRTHDAY WALK
A
walk on the ‘Coward side’ on the day of his birth is
promised to have a special ring this year. On Saturday
16th December those who wish to attend the Noël
Coward Birthday Walk will gather at Teddington Station
and move at a leisurely pace to Noël’s birthplace in Waldegrave
Road then to the High Street and across Bushy Park to Hampton
Hill Playhouse for a sherry reception. The whole trip is just 2 to
3 miles long and finishes at 1.00pm. This year the walk is jointly
organised with the Richmond and West London Ramblers.
Graham Sawyer will be leading this year’s outing. The map
here shows the route, the main arrival point at Teddington
Station and the notable stopping points en route!
Tel: 020 8992 6034 to book or find out more.
THE RAT TRAP
Finborough, London
Unseen in London since 1926, this early Noël Coward play
is something of a turn-up for the book. Coward wrote it when
he was 18, but already you see him, as a
precocious stripling, sketching out the
theme that was to haunt his later work: the
idea that talent is best fulfilled by shedding
emotional commitments.
In plot terms, the play is conventional.
Sheila, a burgeoning novelist and Keld, an
aspiring playwright, marry in haste and
repent at Belgravia leisure. They can't say
they haven't been warned: Sheila's briskly
mannish best friend, Olive, advises that
marital intimacy requires "a sacrifice of
personality". And so it proves. Competing
literary careers lead to rows, with Sheila
subordinating herself to the demands of her
faithless husband. Eventually a truce is
achieved, but Coward's heart, you feel, isn't
really in it.
What is fascinating is detecting hints of
the Coward to come. The battle of the two
fractious egotists clearly anticipates the
cushion-throwing tantrums of Elyot and
Amanda in Private Lives; and when Sheila
tells Keld: "No man can ever really get a
grip on the feminine mind," she aims below
the belt, although it's a pity she here omits
the phrase "unless he's abnormal". Coward
also prefigures his later ability to give life to
eccentrically-named off-stage characters: we
never see Clara Dewlap or Evangeline
Featherstone, but we believe in them.
But the prime clue to later Coward lies
in his conviction that art flourishes in
isolation. Unable to write while married,
Sheila takes herself off to Cornwall and
polishes off a novel in four months. In later,
greater Coward this would be seen as a
victory: one has only to think of Charles Condomine in Blithe
Spirit. Here Coward plays by the West End rules and produces
a last act which even he acknowledged was an "inconclusive
shambles".
One can forgive that for the rich entertainment provided by
Page 8
Tim Luscombe's production. Catherine Hamilton is a real
find as Sheila, showing how the character's sexual spark is
slowly extinguished by marital subservience, and Gregory
Finnegan does all he can with the conceited Keld. Even in
early Coward, the minor figures also possess an abundant
life neatly caught by Olivia Darnley as a predatory exchorus girl and Heather Chasen as a trundling
maid announcing "marriage is a snare".
There, even at 18, speaks the authentic
Coward: the disarming egotist determined not
to let any permanent attachment impede his
success.
(Reprinted from The Guardian)
The Rat Trap is directed by Tim
Luscombe and designed by Chrystine
Bennett. Cast includes: Heather Chasen.
Olivia Darnley. Gregory Finnegan. Catherine
Hamilton. Federay Holmes. Steven O’Neill.
Kathryn Sumner.
Tues, 28 Nov – Sat, 23 Dec 2006
Tues to Sat Evenings at 7.30pm.
Sat and Sun Matinees at 3.30pm.
Tickets £14, £10 concs.
Tues Evenings £10 all seats.
Sat evenings £14 all seats.
Previews (28 and 29 Nov) £8 all seats.
NB. No Sat matinee on 2 Dec.
Written when Coward was only 19, The
Rat Trap is the story of a novelist, Sheila, and
her playwright husband, Keld. While Sheila
struggles to reconcile marriage and career,
and Keld attempts to balance popular success
with the pressures of monogamy, professional
jealousy threatens to destroy their relationship
forever. Full of Coward’s usual wit and
merciless banter, The Rat Trap is a moving –
and startlingly resonant - exploration of the
timeless struggles of marriage.
Director Tim Luscombe’s productions have
been seen in the West End, all over the UK, On and Off
Broadway, as well in the Netherlands, Sweden and Japan.
Box office: 020-7244 7439
atmosphere and knew what I was talking about, or rather what
my characters were talking about”.
Did he find, in actual writing of his plays, that the
framework and characters changed at all?
“Oh yes. sometimes the characters take charge. because
when I wrote Blithe Spirit I only intended Madame Arcati to
be a small part in the first act. But when I started writing her.
she sort of took charge of me and I fell in love with her. I
thought ‘She’s wonderful. She changed the play as she went
along. She took charge”.
Did he earmark his witty dialogue long before it was
written or did it come naturally to him?
“Oh no. I never earmark it. No. No. No! It comes out. If
I’m on the right ‘beam’, it comes out swiftly and easily. If I’m
not and feel I’m always hesitating and having to rewrite
scenes then I know there is something wrong with the
construction. If the construction is strong the dialogue comes
easily to me”.
Did he consider his early plays were period pieces and as
such should be played as comedy of manners in the dress and
style of the time or did he consider they should be updated?
“Well. it doesn’t seem to matter very much. A little
company the other day, in London, put on a production of
Private Lives without putting it into period - 1930, when it
was written - and I must say it didn’t sound dated at all. They
changed one or two lines - the Duke of Westminster’s yacht to
Mr Onassis’s yacht - but apart from that it sounded quite
modern. It didn’t seem to be dated. But of course I’d be
prejudiced. I wouldn’t think it was dated anyhow!”.
With the production of Hay Fever he was to direct for the
National Theatre - would he keep that in the twenties?
Oh yes. that will be in the twenties. It should be because
that was the twenties. But l don’t think it will date all that
much. In writing contemporary plays - particularly comedy the only thing that’s liable to date you is if you use allusions
to local contemporary figures or contemporary people. If that
happens all you have to do is just snip them out or change
them”.
He seemed to have cultivated a style of writing of his own
but had he been influenced by other writers?
“Oh. a great deal. I was influenced when I was young.
curiously enough by E. Nesbit’s books for children and by the
short stories of Saki. Those were the two who really unbeknownst to me - started me off writing. Then I was
influenced of course, as we all were to an extent, by Shaw.
But he was very firm with me when I was young and said:
‘Don’t you read anything more of mine, you write your own
things. He was charming to me. He was a wonderful man.
“I think every writer should be influenced by those who’ve
gone before, up to a point. One of the mistakes of some of the
modern young writers is contempt for the past. I admired and
studied all the plays of Pinero, Haddon Chambers, Somerset
Maugham, Hubert Henry, Henry Davis, Bernard Shaw, J.M.
Barrie - these were my school. That’s what I learned from.
Then I did my own thing and now some other young people
have since then followed me a bit. That’s how it goes. You
mustn’t ignore the past”.
Censorship in England at that time had recently been
abolished. and things were being done and talked about on the
stage not previously possible. Had this occurred in the
twenties would it have made an difference to his writing?
“Oh, I got away with quite a lot in the twenties! No. I
don’t think it makes much difference. I’m getting rather sick
of everything being said! I think. and have always thought.
that implication and suggestion is much more interesting than
flat statement and to use a lot of four letter words ... all
depending on the type of play it is and the type of character.
It’s slightly easy to shock, but it’s not so easy to entertain”.
What were his views on method acting? “Well every
sensible actor has some form of method acting and I don’t
hold very much with constant discussions about motivation
and theorising. I believe first of all in learning the words
intelligently and then laying yourself open to a director and
thinking how you’re going to play it. The Lunts have their
own method. I have my method. I always am word perfect at a
first rehearsal because I want to devote my rehearsal period to
developing the various different ways you can play a part. I
don’t believe in all this ‘getting into the mood’; I don’t believe
you’ve got to feel the performance eight times a a week. I
think you've got to feel it sometime during rehearsal and set
the feeling and dole it out at each performance to the public.
That’s acting. ‘Being’ is not acting”.
He had seldom appeared in the plays or others ...
“There’s a very good reason and that I that I just haven’t
got time. I haven’t even time to appear in my own plays. You
see if I’m playing eight performances a week it’s a whole time
job. The moment you become a star you have the
responsibility of the show. And that means you have to watch
your diet, and you have to live a monastic life and there’s
certainly no time to write lyrics and music and short stories
while your acting. It takes all the energy you’ve got”.
Had he ever had any desire to appear in Shakespeare?
“I’ve had one or two. There are two or three parts in
Shakespeare I would have liked to have played. I would never
have cared to play Hamlet. I’d like to have played Iago. I’d
like to have played Malvolio. and I would have liked to have
played Benedict. But that’s about all”.
During the interview I had heard the doorbell ring and
guessed it was the Prime Minister arriving. Coward must also
have heard it, but made no comment and so I continued, thus
keeping the Australian PM waiting a few minutes.
As I was packing up my tape recorder. Robert Menzies
came into the room and the first words Coward said to him
were: “I bring you greetings from the Queen Mother”. I
noticed his guest addressed Coward as ‘Magnus’ - the role he
had played in Shaw’s The Apple Cart.
Then, somewhat to my embarrassment. Coward insisted on
introducing me to the PM.
This interview is now available to be heard on the Internet at:
http://www.noëlcoward.net/html/interviews.html
The only mention of this trip in the Diaries is for
Saturday 1 June 1963 - Sydney
All is now over bar the shouting, but the shouting is happily
continuing with great vigour. A great deal has been crammed into the
last thirteen days. We arrived at Sydney as ordained at 9:15 and I had
given myself time to get shaved and spruced up before facing the Press.
It was quite a hullabaloo. I was broadcast and televised and interviewed
ad nauseum, but they were all very pleasant. Two hours later I went
through the whole thing again at Melbourne ... In the afternoon I rested,
then had a large Press reception, then met the company in a rehearsal
room.
The next morning I went to work and the opening night was a
howling success. The notices enthusiastic and the advance wonderful, so
there it is, Maggie really is excellent and warm and lovable, but of
course the brilliance of Stritchie is lacking. It’s all been a great success
and I must say I am really touched by the way Australians welcome me.
They are wonderful people.
Page 5
COWARD HOMES FOR SALE
W
hether you have seen them or not we all know that Noël’s homes have always been a vital part of our view of this iconic figure. Our images of him are tied
to particular homes, stages or places. In fact all of the homes seem to bring together his passion for all three in their design and decor. The last eighteen
months has seen an unexpected number of
Coward houses released onto the market.
Goldenhurst, Noël’s Kentish retreat was up for sale for
over a year before it was taken boldly in hand by Julian Clary
- a noted Coward fan. One felt a sense of relief that it had
been bought by someone with an appreciation of its iconic
status. Then only a few weeks ago Stephen Greenman learned
that the lease for 17, Gerald Road and the associated 1, Burton
Mews - respectively Noël’s studio home in Belgravia and the
seat of Lorn Lorraine’s secretarial activities was up for sale.
The cries of ‘if only I had a spare £4,000,000’ could be heard
across the globe. Sales of lottery tickets surged as Coward
fans saw photographs on our website of a home that had been
so well respected and preserved. Coward could have literally
walked out yesterday! The staging in the main studio room is
still there with its semi-circular step - one piano except two
but we can’t have everything. Even Coward’s desk remains in
the property as does the Spanish design of the first floor
terrace that overlooks the studio as if it were a mediterranean
courtyard. The sheer openness and lightness of the main room
and the clever way that four bedrooms with en-suite facilities,
a garage, dining room, study, two kitchens and shared external
areas have been brought together is impressive. It is easy to
imagine today members of Noël’s ‘family’ taking their
positions as in some of the famous photographs - Noël playing
the piano and Lorn and he sitting by the fire.
17, Gerald Road - as Coward knew it and now...
17, Gerald Road and Blue Harbour on the market and
The Noël Coward Hotel rises as the Lord Milner Hotel
You will recall that Elizabeth Sharland wrote an article on her visit to Blue Harbour this year. She
expressed her concern that Coward’s first Jamaican home might be removed to make way for
development. We have just heard that it is up for sale at $1,500,00. Whether this secures a future for it
or opens the door to demolition or major renovation and redevelopment is not certain. We would all like
to think that in any future plans the buildings remain largely as Coward knew them but this somehow
seems unlikely. Elizabeth urges anyone and everyone to go now and see what was Coward’s guest
house where he received film and theatre stars such as Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh, David Niven,
Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, Errol Flynn, Alec Guinness, Marlene Dietrich, Katherine Hepburn,
Mary Martin, John Gielgud, Claudette Colbert, and Patricia Neal and his most notable of guests,
Elizabeth, Queen Mother.
Lastly, Robert Gardiner reports that 111, Ebury Street the lodging house and home from which Noël
launched his career has been renovated and will open as the Lord Milner Hotel soon. It is from here on
the fringe of Belgravia that Noël’s eyes wandered longingly inside that most sought after London
address and saw the studio in Gerald Road that he eventually bought and lived in all through the war
years until 1956. Dame Judi Dench recounts that it was here after a long night of bombing that he and
Coley finally came up from the cellar and Noël whispered loudly, “ We is coming up now Germans!”
Details of both these sales can be seen online at:
http://www.noëlcoward.net/archive/gerald_road/Brochure%2017%20Gerald%20Road.pdf for Gerald Road and
http://www.viviun.com/AD-49776/ for Blue Harbour
Blue Harbour...
Page 6
... and its pool
Page 7