Noël Peirce Coward was born in 1899 and made his professional stage debut as
Prince Mussel in The Goldfish at the age of 11, leading to many child actor
appearances over the next few years. His breakthrough in playwriting was the
controversial THE VORTEX (1924) which featured themes of drugs and adultery and
made his name as both actor and playwright in the West End and on Broadway.
During the 1920s and 1930s, Coward wrote a string of successful plays, musicals and
intimate revues including FALLEN ANGELS (1925), HAY FEVER (1925), EASY VIRTUE
(1926), THIS YEAR OF GRACE (1928) and BITTER SWEET (1929). His professional
partnership with childhood friend, Gertrude Lawrence started with the musical
Revue, LONDON CALLING (1923) and was followed by PRIVATE LIVES (1931) and
TONIGHT AT 8.30 (1936).
During World War II, he remained a successful playwright, screenwriter and director,
as well as entertaining the troops and even acting as a spy for the Foreign Office. His
plays during these years included BLITHE SPIRIT (1941), which ran for 1997
performances, outlasting the War (a West End record until The Mousetrap overtook
it), THIS HAPPY BREED and PRESENT LAUGHTER (both 1942). His two wartime
screenplays, IN WHICH WE SERVE, which he co-directed with the young David Lean
as well as starring in, and BRIEF ENCOUNTER quickly became classics of British
cinema.
However, the post-war years were more difficult. Austerity Britain – the London
critics determined – was out of tune with the brittle Coward wit. In response,
Coward re-invented himself as a cabaret and TV star, particularly in America, and in
1955 he played a sell-out season in Las Vegas featuring many of his most famous
songs, including Mad About the Boy, I’ll See You Again and Mad Dogs and
Englishmen. This was followed by 3 live television specials on CBS including
TOGETHER WITH MUSIC with Mary Martin. In the mid-1950s he settled in Jamaica
and Switzerland, and enjoyed a renaissance in the early 1960s becoming the first
living playwright to be performed by the National Theater, when he directed HAY
FEVER there. Late in his career he was lauded for his roles in a number of films
including OUR MAN IN HAVANA (1959) and his role as the iconic Mr. Bridger
alongside Michael Caine in THE ITALIAN JOB (1968).
Writer, actor, director, film producer, painter, songwriter, cabaret artist as well as an
author of verse, essays, autobiographies and a novel, he was called by close friends
‘The Master’. His final West End appearance was SONG AT TWILIGHT in 1966, which
he wrote and starred in. He was knighted in 1970 and died peacefully in 1973 in his
beloved Jamaica.
For further information on Noël Coward’s life and work, visit www.noelcoward.com
A note from The Noël Coward Archive Trust:
Noël Coward died in 1973 leaving behind a wealth of material including artefacts,
memorabilia, letters, personal photographic and film material. These items have been made
available for study and research by the Noël Coward Archive Trust to celebrate and promote
his legacy both at home and in the US.
The archive material is available from the Coward Office in London and a secure storage
facility housing the remainder of the collection, with a searchable directory of more than
7,500 items.
A number of volumes have been written on the works of Noël Coward, the archive highly
recommends the following texts to directors, dramaturgs, actors and members of the
production team. They are excellent resources, providing background and context for the
Play:
– Theatrical Companion to Coward: A Pictorial Record of the First Performances of the
Theatrical Works of Noël Coward (2012) by Raymond Mander and Joe Mitchenson, edited
by Sheridan Morley and Barry Day.
– The Noël Coward Diaries (2000) edited by Graham Payn and Sheridan Morley.
– The Letters of Noël Coward (Diaries, Letters and Essays) (2008) by Noël Coward, edited by
Barry Day
Further details of all his published books are available on
https://www.noelcoward.com/further-reading