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Home , Alfred Lunt, Apollo Theatre, Binkie Beaumont, Cowardy Custard, Donmar Warehouse, James Agate

A MAGAZINE ABOUT THE LIFE AND WORK OF SIR NOËL COWARD FEBRUARY 2011

Alison Steadmen in Ruthie Henshall stars alongside in Noël Coward's ghost- driven comedy, directed by . Apollo, . 2 March to 18 Jun. Join us on May 12 to see this. THIS HAPPY BREED Presented by The 2011. Directed by Stephen Unwin Royal, Bath • Thursday 7th July – Saturday 13th August

COWARDY CUSTARD On tour in the UK. Produced by Evergreen Theatrical Productions Ltd and Lee Menzies starring Kit and the Widow and Dillie Keane. NCS Event offer - Dinner & wine, show, post-show drink and meet the cast.

PRODUCED AND PUBLISHED BY THE INTERNATIONAL NOËL COWARD SOCIETY Home Chat is a magazine produced by The Noël Coward Society , funded through the EDITORIAL generosity of The Noël Coward Foundation

lthough the rain and snow came in droves, fortunately so did those who Noël Coward Ltd. attended the UK and US celebrations around the birthday of Sir Noël Chairman: Robert Gardiner Directors: Denys Robinson, Stephen Greenman Coward, enjoying wonderfully relaxed and entertaining days in the and John Knowles company of Siân Phillips, Rodney Bewes, Victor Garber, Steve Ross, Company Secretary: Graham Martin Kevin Dozier and Joyce Breach but more in prose and photographs later. This particular edition of Home Chat is moving gingerly towards our new The Noël Coward Society: format and emphasis, designed to provide the reader with insights into our hero President: HRH The Duke of Kent whilst heralding new professional and amateur events of note and our own plans Vice Presidents: Barry Day OBE, , for the year. Tammy Grimes, CBE In common with many organisations run by a small group of dedicated Organising Committee: volunteers we will tend to highlight ‘what’s on’ rather than trying to arrange an General Manager: John H. Knowles Finance and Resources: Stephen Greenman event for every occasion. We do however have plans for the year and to ensure Events Organiser: Denys Robinson that you are aware of them well before they happen, we will only include events Membership : Stephen Duckham in the body of the magazine that lie well ahead of its publication date. Events Media: Michael Wheatley-ward that are to the deadline will be seen on our website ( noëlcoward.net ) or North American Director : Ken Starrett on fliers targetted to all members or those nearest to the event. US West Coast Liaison : Kathy Williams In the US and Canada Ken Starrett manages our affairs with the help and NCS in Australia : Kerry Hailstone support of Kathy Williams on the West Coast. In Australia Kerry Hailstone is NCS in : Hélène Catsiapis our representative and in France Hélène Catsiapis. We will begin to operate under the terms of our new constitution agreed at Home Chat: Letters to: John Knowles the AGM of the Society held at The Noël Coward Theatre in December 2010. US NCS news: Ken Starrett. This sets out a new size for the committee, and a move from oversight by the Editor: John H. Knowles. Noël Coward Foundation to that by Noël Coward Limited. Noël Coward Publication: Stephen Greenman Limited is a non profit-making company that has Robert Gardiner, a trustee of Music correspondent: Dominic Vlasto. the Noël Coward Foundation, as Chairman with directors John Knowles, Proofing: Kathy Williams and Ken Starrett. Stephen Greenman and Denys Robinson. The Company Secretary is Graham Martin of Blinkhorn’s Business and Taxation Advisers. Details of productions and events are as received, A first amendment to the New Constitution is being trialled this year that with our thanks, from: allows for those who organise the Society’s activities to perform at their best. Samuel French (Play Publishers and Author’s Representatives), Ken Starrett (US), Alan John Knowles becomes the General Manager taking on similar duties to that of Brodie Representation (Professional secretary and chairing the organising committee meetings. Stephen Greenman is Productions), NCS members and theatre responsible for all financial and resource matters and Denys Robinson becomes companies. our events organiser. In addition Stephen Duckham continues as our membership secretary and Michael Wheatley-Ward as our media manager. NCS website: www.noëlcoward.net We hope you enjoy this start of a new life for our publication made possible Unless otherwise stated all images and text are by the encouragement of the Estate of the late Sir Noël Coward and a generous copyright to NC Aventales AG annual grant from The Noël Coward Foundation. John Knowles See Key Addresses on Page 4 for contact details for the NCS officers.

FOR YOUR DIARY • PRODUCTIONS AND EVENTS IN SHORT BLITHE SPIRIT NCS Event • Matinée on Thursday May 12 • £29.50. The Society is arranging a theatre outing to see this outstanding revival directed by Thea Sharrock and starring Alison Steadman, , Ruthie Henshall and . Runs from March 2 to 18 June 2011 NCS Event • Saturday April 9 • £49.50. First professional revival of this classic revue with a showing at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, for NCS members arranged by NCS members Lori Winch-Johnson and Richard Stirling (of Evergreen Theatrical Productions Ltd.) Saturday April 9, 2011 Price £49.50 includes two-course dinner & wine, ticket for the show, post-show drink and a meeting with the cast! THIS HAPPY BREED Presented by The Peter Hall Company 2011. Directed by Stephen Unwin Theatre Royal, Bath • Thursday 7th July – Saturday 13th August DEAUVILLE NCS Event • Friday 1 to Sunday 3 July • from £283. 1st to 3rd July • Weekend visit for NCS members by Eurostar taking in a short stop in Paris then by coach to Deauville with a programme that includes a Mayoral cocktail reception, banquet at the luxurious Royal Hotel, where Noël stayed, lunch in Honfleur. With a dedicated coach throughout the trip. Organised by Hélène Catsiapis who will act as our guide. CAMBRIDGE CONFERENCE NCS Event • Details to follow. More to come on our planned conference at Downing College, Cambridge • 16 - 18 September, 2011

2 CALENDAR Details of planned events for this year he planned events for this year take on something of a regional flavour as we make out best attempt to offer events outside of London. But first... Members in the South East will have already been contacted about an event at RADA in mid- February where The Young Idea is being performed by students followed by refreshments and a short of Coward songs.

BLITHE SPIRIT Thursday May 12, 2011 Matinée performance , London The Society has 40 seats reserved for Thursday 12th May 2011 at 2:30 pm. All seats are in the stalls near the front, with the exception of a row of seats mid way back with extra leg room. Seats are £29.50 each. This outstanding revival is directed by Thea Sharrock and stars Alison Steadman, Hermione Norris, Ruthie Henshall and Robert Bathurst. Members are able to lunch at many nearby eateries. The Apollo Theatre is in Shaftesbury Avenue. The nearest tube station is Piccadilly Circus (north side exit). Complete our booking form and return to Stephen Greenman.

COWARDY CUSTARD Saturday April 9, 2011 Evening performance, In April we are offering an evening of Cowardy Custard at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford featuring Kit and The Widow and Dillie Keane. This show is on tour during the Spring. Our thanks to NCS members Lori Winch-Johnson and Richard Stirling of Evergreen Theatrical Productions for arranging an event package for April 9, 2011. Details are shown on the poster here and on the attached booking form. The booking form should be completed and sent to Stephen Greenman.

Lori has also provided the following information:

To travel to Guildford from London's Waterloo, members should get the Portsmouth Harbour train which has fewer stops, usually just Woking. There is usually a train at about 5.15pm which will get you there for 6pm and it is a ten minutes walk to the theatre or there are taxis from outside the station. There are trains returning from Guildford up to 11.30pm There is car parking close to the theatre, or a Travel Inn available, or even the charming boutique hotel in Guildford High Street called The Angel Hotel. The production will have curtain down at about 10.15pm with cast joining us at 10.30pm. The event starts at 6.00pm and costs £49.50 and includes a Two-course Dinner (with vegetarian option) with wine and coffee, a top price ticket for the show, post-show drink and a chance to meet the cast. Carriages at 10.40pm. NOËL IN DEAUVILLE Friday 1 - Sunday 3 July, 2011 The Society is planning a visit to Deauville in France, the home of The Royal-Barrière Hotel where Noël often stayed and is thought to have provided the origination of his ideas for the setting of Private 3 Lives (later of course translated to the South of France in the costing. Only breakfast and one evening meal (banquet) is play). At this stage the arrangements and outline programme included in this and the accommodation is the cheapest are as follows: acceptable quality that is available. Other hotel options are You can choose which hotel you wish to use. Our coach included on the booking form. driver will be based at The Deauville-Touques hotel : clean, If we are to obtain rooms in the cheapest accommodation functional, basic comfort level (bathroom with shower and we will need to book it very soon. If you are interested in this WC); Hélène went there with her students last October, 2.5 Km trip please return your booking form promptly to help us secure from Deauville. OK but not luxurious. £47 per night per room the rooms we need. ( is the same if the room is occupied by one, or 2 or 3 guests), breakfast is £ 4.50 CAMBRIDGE CONFERENCE For those who would prefer a hotel in Deauville itself we Friday-Sunday - September 16 - 18, 2011 can arrange for you to stay at: The Royal-Barrière (Noël’s News of the Cambridge Conference at Downing College will hotel) (overlooks the beach) or The Mercure Deauville Hôtel be sent to members later this month as our plans become du Yacht Club. Prices are on the booking form. There are lots clearer and we are able to provide a programme of events and of restaurants in Deauville at various prices. Our coach (with details of those presenters who will be attending. us for the whole weekend) will bring people into Deauville and At this stage it would be useful to keep the dates free if you will take them back to the base hotel at an agreed time. intend to join us for what should be the most exciting event of the NCS year. We look forward to finding out more about our Friday stay in this delightful university city. 10.25: Departure from London St Pancras. 13.47 : Arrival at the Gare du Nord, Paris. See http://www.visitcambridge.org/VisitCambridge/Home.aspx 14.00 : Departure from Paris by coach (waiting for us at the for more information on Cambridge. station) We can leave immediately for Deauville where we shall arrive at 17.00, or spend an hour in Paris for a walk or a cup of coffee in the Champs Elysées and arrive in Deauville at Key Addresses: 18.00) General manager: John Knowles, 29 Waldemar Avenue, 17.00 or 18.00 Arrival in Deauville at the hotel(s) Hellesdon, Norwich, NR6 6TB, UK Free to dine at a restaurant of your choice in Deauville. [email protected] Saturday +44 (0) 1603 486 188 & +44 (0) 7515 356 067 • a guided tour of Deauville Finance & Resources: • a reception provided by the Town Hall in a beautiful villa Stephen Greenman, 64 Morant Street, London, E14 8EL • talk about Deauville in the 20s and 30s (Channel, Noël [email protected] Coward at the Royal Hotel etc….) Events Organiser: • a banquet at the Royal Hotel Denys Robinson, 4 Parkside, Vanbrugh Fields, London, (cost £60 to £65 plus wine/drinks) SE30 7QQ + 44 (0) 2082 658 879 Sunday email: [email protected] • Free morning Membership Secretary: •11.00 : Departure from Deauville Stephen Duckham, 47 Compass Court, Norfolk Street, • lunch at the lovely seaside town of Honfleur Coventry,West Midlands, CV1 3LJ 02476 229502 •14.00 : departure from Honfleur [email protected] •17.00 : Arrival in Paris, Gare du Nord Media Manager: •17.43 : Departure on Eurostar Michael Wheatley-Ward, Chandos House 14 Vale Square, •18.59 : Arrival in London Ramsgate, Kent CT11 9DF [email protected] As we have the coach with us for the whole weekend we can North American Director : amend the programme to suit the wishes of those in the party. Ken Starrett, 49 West 68th Street, Apt 1 R We are pricing this visit as if 30 people are travelling. The New York, New York, 10023, USA Coach costs will of course be more or less according to how [email protected] many of us go. US West Coast Liaison : Our estimate is that if 30 people travel then the cheapest Kathy Williams141 Stonegate Road, Portola Valley possible cost per person with two in a room will be as follows: California 94028-7648 USA [email protected] Travel: Eurostar from London St Pancras No prices available NCS in Australia : as yet but the cheapest May price at the time of 10.25 is £34.50 Kerry Hailstone, 10A Westall Street, Hyde Park, South at other times £64.50. The return is £34.50. Standard Premier Australia, 5061 Australia and Business Premier are much dearer. [email protected] NCS in France : Cheapest Eurostar travel cost is £69 Hélène Catsiapis, 115, Boulevard de Port-Royal Cheapest accommodation: £94 (£47 per person) F-75014 Paris, France Breakfast £9 [email protected] Coach: £80 PLEASE NOTE: The Society is now able to accept US Banquet (Les Yearlings Menu): Food £68, Pre-dinner drink £10 dollar cheques made out to The Noël Coward Society for TOTAL: £283 per person for two sharing a room membership fees and all other items including tickets for BUT...it should be noted that this is the cheapest possible NCS events and items for sale such as CDs . 4 THE NOËL COWARD FOUNDATION In future issues, Home Chat will carry news of The Noël Coward Foundation and its activities. As an introduction, Alan Brodie who is the Chairman of the Noël Coward Foundation and worldwide representative of the Noël Coward Estate briefly describes the work of the Foundation and its place in the world of Noël Coward. am aware that the existence of what appears to be Noël Coward and every different organisations working under the name of Noël exhibit is accompanied by Coward can sometimes feel confusing. However it is educational programs often important to point out that all three organisations – The funded by the Foundation. Estate, Foundation and Society offer very important, separate Of course, The Noël and distinct functions. The Noël Coward Foundation was set Coward Theatre, dedicated up as a charitable Trust in 2000 by Graham Payn and Dany in 2005, is part of that Dasto with the specific intention of using part of the royalties legacy. Rosy Runciman collected from the exploitation of Noël Coward’s work to who curated the permanent educate future generations in the theatre and also to support exhibition in the Noël and encourage them to become aware of Noël Coward’s work Coward Theatre as well as and legacy. The first Trustees appointed were Graham Payn, the exhibition at the Dany Dasto, Sheridan Morley, Robert Gardiner, our lawyer National Theatre has Robert Lee and myself. become a Trustee of the We decided early on that we would work across the range Foundation and provides of theatre arts – writing, directing, performing, music, real expertise in that area. songwriting and where possible encourage a combination of all Today, 10 years on, the these skills – something which made Noël Coward so Foundation is proving to unique.The founding Trustees also agreed not to award money have had considerable to individuals except through organisations and companies who impact in UK and North may themselves make awards to individuals. Additionally, we America. Many more do not offer any production funding or put money into capital applications are received projects. Initial awards in the early 2000s went to organisations than we can possibly hope to accept. The Trustees, recently such as LAMDA and the National Student Drama Festival and joined by Peter Kyle, formerly chief executive of we maintain relationships with them to this day. The Trustees Shakespeare’s Globe all work very hard in communicating don’t restrict their awards to Noël Coward related activities. with and assessing applicants and every application that falls Indeed some of the most worthwhile grants have been to within the remit is looked at on its merits. organisations such as The Mousetrap Foundation which Amongst its functions, the Foundation will and does subsidises theatre tickets for young theatregoers and the continue to support the activities of The Society through its Student matinee scheme. All participating subsidy of Home Chat and other specific projects such as the organisations are given information about Noël Coward with a Oxford Conference. The Trustees all welcome and appreciate view to introducing them to The Master’s work. the support that The Society gives to the Foundation and the In 2004 Caroline Underwood and Chris Luscombe were projects it funds and look forward to that relationship appointed Trustees which brought to the Foundation practical continuing in the years ahead. experience in theatre and music. One of the most significant I hope it is clear from the very brief summary above that awards of that time was the beginning of the relationship with the Foundation performs a unique and specific role in the name Guildhall School of Music and Drama which launched a Noël of Noël Coward. It does NOT control or exploit any of the Coward bursary – giving a student who otherwise might not copyrights and does not involve itself in any of the have been able to afford it, the opportunity to attend Guildhall productions/performances of Coward’s work which for a full 3-year course. Also around that time, it was decided specifically remain the responsibility of the Estate. to expand the grants awarded into North America and Barry For further information go to www.noëlcoward.org Day and Geoffrey Johnson and latterly Alan Pally were appointed specifically for that purpose. Since the first award Alan Brodie which went to The Chicago Humanities Festival, the Trustees have supported a variety of organisations including, York Editor’s note: The Society was set up in November 1999, the Theatre in New York, Goodspeed Opera, Yale Drama School centenary year of Coward’s birth, in response to the interest and The Mabel Mercer Foundation who are administering an raised during the celebrations of that year. The activities of the annual Noël Coward Award for an emerging vocalist. Society were, from the outset, supported and monitored by the One of the most important aspects of the Foundation’s work Noël Coward Estate to ensure that the Society worked in the is to support the preservation of Noël Coward’s legacy and we best interests of its members and provided a natural home for have been active in supporting a series of exhibitions started those who wanted to find out more about Coward and his firstly at in Wisconsin, home of Noël’s dear works - and were willing to develop activities and events to friends The Lunts, followed by Exhibitions at the National encourage a greater understanding of his significance in the Theatre in London, Museum of Performance and Design in San entertainment world of the 20th, and latterly, the 21st century. Francisco and the Motion Picture Academy in LA. These fall The Society plays no role in the administering of The firmly within the remit, as such exhibitions give everyone Foundation or the Estate and is grateful to both bodies for its including younger generations the opportunity to learn about support. 5 NEW YORK NOTES

I LIKE AMERICA

n December 16, 2010 a special screening was presented at The Paley Center for Media in New York City to honour Noël Coward's 111th birthday. Host Christy Carpenter, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Paley, introduced the moderator of the evening, Barry Day. Brought to the stage by Barry were celebrated performers Nancy Anderson, Edward Hibbert and Steve Ross. Barry offered commentary about Coward's life and work, with Edward Hibbert reading passages of Coward's prose. The discussion touched on topics such as Coward's interest in Barry Day, Tammy Grimes, Steve Ross, Nancy Anderson and Edward Hibbert travel and his experiences in America, his close relationship with Gertrude Lawrence, his life and career during Life Needn’t be Grey: World War II, his being knighted in 1970 and the final years of his life. Steve Ross sings Coward at Following a clip of her singing a Coward medley from The the Metropolitan Museum show, Barry introduced special guest Tammy Grimes who has appeared in several of Coward’s plays on by Noël Coward Society member - Patrick Monahan Broadway - ‘Look After Lulu’, ‘,’ for which she won a Tony Award as Best Actress, and the musical High n January 9, an elegantly incongruous crowd of singers, Spirits . He discussed her long association with Coward. She society folk, and music lovers gathered at the spoke of Coward's demand for precision in saying his lines Metropolitan Museum of exactly as he wrote them, and the proper pacing for playing for Steve Ross’s latest lecture comedy. cum performance devoted to the life Many of Coward’s songs and verses were wonderfully and work of Noël Coward. They performed by Nancy Anderson, Edward Hibbert and Steve were given the rare opportunity to Ross including ‘You Were There,’ ‘I've Got to Go Out and Be hear Mr. Ross, the chief ornament in Social’, ‘I've Been to a Marvelous Party,’ and ‘Something Very the world of “Noël and Cole” Strange’. cabaret, explain and execute The three performers did a bright and cheerful rendition of glittering examples from the Coward a medley from The Girl Who Came to Supper . Tammy Grimes canon. The evening was carefully delighted with ‘Someday I'll Find You’ and the calibrated to suit both Coward deliciously comic ‘Home Sweet Heaven’ which she had neophytes and those who could recite performed on Broadway in High Spirits . ‘Mad Dogs and Englishmen’ in their Video clips and photographs of Coward’s life and work deepest sleep. from the Paley archives were interspersed throughout the Ross, wearing the Master’s own green velvet smoking program. jacket (Hawkes and Curtis, if you please), began with a Also presented was a montage of clips and photos, brilliant, new arrangement of ‘Play, Orchestra, Play!’, which assembled by John Knowles, which showed Coward’s early highlighted both the reckless abandon of the 1930s and spoke adventures in America. clearly to our own age of Ipads, Ipods, and Iphones, when Barry Day recited the poem ‘I’m Here for a Short Visit many of us long for an orchestra to play once more. ‘Life Only’. It's final line - ‘I'd like to think I was missed a bit’ needn’t be grey!’ Ross declared, “though it is changing day by prompted a response from the performers of “You are Noël - day….” In his capable hands, one felt safe in a changing world you are”. A song of which Coward was very proud was that even Mr. Coward could not have predicted. certainly a proper ending for the evening. Steve Ross and the Anecdotes from Coward’s life ran from Gertrude performers, joined by the audience, very much enjoyed the Lawrence’s well-known reply to the script of Private Lives sentiment of ‘I’ll See You Again.’ (“Nothing wrong that can’t be fixed”), to recently unearthed This evening was in part made possible by The Noël letters from the Master to his favourite leading lady compiled Coward Foundation and Christy Carpenter thanked the by Barry Day in The Letters of Noël Coward (Knopf, 2007). Foundation for its support in helping to maintain and enhance In the same way, Ross aimed to expose the earnest as well as the Noël Coward archives at the Paley. the flippant side of Coward by choosing the poem ‘This is to Ken Starrett let you know’, a nightingale cry to a distant love, alongside another verse entitled ‘Bali’, which Coward admits he can 6 only rhyme with Charlie. When Ross sang ‘A Bar on the standing rule about that. If, after your marriage, you ever send Piccola Marina’, there was a devilish pause after the line about me a burlesque of Private Lives, signed with the name “Three young sailors from Messina”, which surely would have ‘Knowall Coward’, I will burn the snapshot of you and your set the Master chuckling…. husband and the beach cottage. As for your poor baby - but I Appropriately, three Cowardian sailors in the form of am getting surly now and will close, with best wishes, love and Meredith Rich, Sarah Rice and Nicolas King shared the stage kissed, and a friendly warning that humor can be a headache, with Mr. Ross. The latter was recently named runner up for the Dear Miss E.H....Why don't you become a bacteriologist or a Mabel Mercer Foundation’s Noël Coward Award, a $5,000 Cross nurse,like all the other girls ? ” prize offered by the Noël Coward Foundation. King, who is only nineteen, launched into a crooner-ish rendition of ‘A Then in 1961 Thurber attended a party at Sardi’s to Room with a View’, proving how readily even Coward’s best celebrate the opening of . “ Coward and I are the last known songs can seem new and unexpected. of the great indestructibles, ” he was heard to say. Sadly, it After the performance, much of the audience happened to proved not to be the case. Thurber collapsed at the party and feed at Caffé Grazie, just around the corner from the was taken to the hospital where he died a month later without Metropolitan Museum. When Mr. Ross, who also happened to regaining consciousness. enter the restaurant, came face to face with his adoring crowd, which promptly rose from the tables, he declared, “It’s Sardi’s He was right in one sense, though. In reputation he and East in here!” Noël remain ‘indestructible’.

Two Brits currently on Broadway with strong Coward BARRY DAY connections are and Edward Hibbert. Edward is the son of Edward Hibbert, an English actor who COWARD NOTES appeared with Noël as Joey Mackridge in In Which We Serve (1942). Many years later Noël appeared in Boom (1968) with ntil I started compiling a book of , I Elizabeth Taylor and in which he played the hadn't realised the connection between Thurber and character of the Witch of Capri. In the current Broadway Coward. production of ’ The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore (on which Boom was based) the Witch is played Thurber reviewed production of by - Edward Hibbert. Tonight at 8.30 for a theatre magazine in 1936. That review and his accompanying drawing can be found in The Letters of Brian Bedford played Elyot opposite Tammy Grimes as Noël Coward (p.343/344). At the same time he wrote to a Amanda in the Tony Award-winning revival of Private Lives in friend - “We (he and his wife Helen) had dinner with 1970 now appearing in the Broadway revival of The Coward,just the three of us, a lovely time, a swell fellow...he Importance of Being Earnest (as Lady Bracknell!) In a New lets people talk and is very attentive. ” York Times profile he reminisced about his 1956 West End debut in The Young and Beautiful , a play based on a Scott He would make reference to Noël in at least two of his New Fitzgerald story. “ I sort of copied Noël Coward,which was Yorker pieces. rather audacious ”.

A character in Am Not I Your Rosalind ? says : Later he would meet impresario ‘Binkie’ Beaumont, “ who “A woman should be yelled at regularly, like an umpire - to announced a couple of friends were coming over. They turned paraphrase Noël Coward. Clears the air. ” out to be Noël Coward and . So I am sitting there listening to Noël and Marlene talking about - ‘Remember In The Future, If Any, of Comedy ... when we had to change into evening clothes in a taxi ?’ I could have sat there for weeks. What I was for these fancy people “ ‘Do you think we need a new Henry James to re-explore was the perfect audience. ” the Anglo-American scene ?’ he asked. ‘Or perhaps a new Noël Coward ?’ ” Just as Broadway is proving the perfect audience for the Witch of Capri and Lady Bracknell... “But you must have heard it said that the drawing room disappeared forever with the somnolent years of James and the Michael Allinson,an English actor and President Emeritus antic heyday of Coward. I myself hear it said constantly - in of the prestigious Players Club in New York died on the eve of drawing rooms. ” his 90th birthday. Michael moved to the US in the late 1950s and had a The later years of the relationship were not so happy. distinguished career on Broadway,the highlight being when he Thurber appeared with Noël on Ed Murrow's TV programme took over the role of Higgins in My Fair Lady from Rex Small World . Harrison. A lifelong Coward enthusiast,he was particularly proud to “Thurber was dull ”, Noël reported. be the last remaining survivor of the cast of the 1952 Quadrille, which starred Alfred Lunt and . Michael played Thurber in answering a letter from a Miss E.H.... the part of the Waiter. “We now come to the perennial parody of Noël Coward of which the ladies are so fond, and there is in my house a 7 DOUBLE ENTENDRE? ermyn Street Theatre is, at the time of writing, showing ’s Less Than Kind as part of the Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne at Ten Chimneys celebration of his centenary year. The play is the hitherto unperformed original version of Rattigan's 1944 hit play Love in Idleness . A contemporary reworking of the basic situation in , it centres on Michael Brown, an idealistic 17-year-old who returns from wartime evacuation in Canada only to find that his widowed mother is living in sin with the Claudius-figure, Sir John Fletcher, multi-millionaire right-wing industrialist and the embodiment of everything Michael passionately loathes. Rattigan's biographer, Michael Darlow, has explained how the piece was hijacked by Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne when they signed up to star in the West End premiere. To satisfy their demands, the dramatist sold out to commerce, transforming the industrialist into a good-hearted, worldly chap doing his best for . The politics became less obtrusive; the values were turned upside down. This sparked a slight re-examination of my view of Coward’s best known American friends, The Lunts, who I have always maintained as proud exemplars of American theatre. They were certainly the most significant theatrical performers of the US theatre but their limited appearances in the UK and their unwillingness to appear in films has made their significance to British theatre goers rather slight if it has had any significance at all. Their unwillingness to act apart can rightly be viewed as the strongest possible expression of their love and commitment to each other. It can also appear rather bizarre. They certainly appeared separately in their early careers but the compact to always appear together that began when they had already keen decorator and extender of their rural paradise - all in a become household names in the US was part of several pacts careful blend of scandinavian folk art and theatrical design. they made that allowed them to define themselves - when they Lynn played her role to the full in this ever-expanding would be available to appear in any theatre and their rejection theatrical playground. of film work, famously turning down £1,000,000 to appear in a Their kindnesses to those they employed and their own film. (In 1931 the Lunts starred in a film adaptation of their neighbours are legendary, ensuring that prying visitors were stage hit The Guardsman , then declined further film offers). always carefully mis-guided to other properties away from Ten In the latter part of their careers they were clearly seen as Chimneys. theatre royalty much honoured and hugely respected. They But I am not facing up to the point of this article that is received Tony’s (including a Lifetime Achievement Tony whether they would have made a greater contribution to Award in 1970), doctorates and the Presidential Medal of American theatre if they had acted apart as well as together and Freedom (received in the East Room of the White House). did their ‘national treasure’ status lead them to interfere too Lynn received a Kennedy Center Honor on behalf of the “First much with the work of the writers of the plays they performed? Couple of American Theatre” after Alfred’s demise. It is certainly true that Alfred Lunt missed a number of TV they approached reluctantly but with great aplomb opportunities to perform great roles. Many feel he was the winning the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences better actor of the two and could have gone on to enjoy even Award for Excellence (the Emmys) for The Magnificent greater success than he managed as part of the Lunts. Lynn’s Yankee . At the time Alfred Lunt said, “ Once a scene is taped, romance with Lunt began in 1920 while he was starring in the there it is recorded for ever. In the theater, there is always a play Clarence with , who had discreetly fallen in chance to better it. ” love with him. The Lunts were married in 1922. Hayes From, 1926 onwards they lived for half of the year at Ten remained a lifelong friend of the pair, although many believe Chimneys, in Genesee Depot, in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, she never quite forgave Fontanne for ‘stealing’ Lunt from her. and when they retired from the stage, in 1960, they spent the Hayes' 1988 autobiography, published after the Lunts' deaths, rest of their lives there. But their sojourn had as much theatre contains several barbs directed at Fontanne, who supposedly content as their appearances on stage. The house was treated as was her friend for decades. The inference perhaps being that a series of scenes with doors, windows, furnishings and fittings Lynn rode on to the stage in Alfred’s wake. But this is far from strategically placed for entrances, light and appearance. They true. Her early success in the George S. Kaufman-Marc continually talked theatre, practised scenes, redesigned moves Connelly's farce Dulcy led to her being celebrated for her skill and actions and treated their frequent show-business guests to as an actress in high comedy, excelling in witty roles written theatrical opportunities, to watch, contribute and join in. for her by Noël Coward, S. N. Behrman and Robert Sherwood. Alfred became a cordon bleu chef, agricultural obsessive, Fontanne's flair for elegant romantic comedy is often credited 8 with creating a new style of dramatic heroine and an But who is to say that manipulation only brings ill. It may inspiration and influence on later screen actresses like have been the very thing that Alfred needed to keep him Claudette Colbert, Myrna Loy, and Carole Lombard who sparking and firing on all theatrical cylinders. brought the rhythm to their screen performances. Lynn enjoyed Whatever the reality of their shortcomings, the impact of one of the greatest critical successes of her career as Nina their combined influence on the work of others meant that they Leeds, the desperate heroine of Eugene O'Neill's -act probably made the greatest theatrical contribution of their age drama, Strange Interlude . Following this she acted exclusively to American theatre and for that we should all thank them. with her husband. As you would expect Lynn Fontanne is interred next to her Noël, the ultimate stickler for theatre and performance husband, Alfred Lunt, at Forest Home Cemetery in Milwaukee, professionalism, held them up as the ultimate examples of how Wisconsin. God bless them. one should prepare and tackle a play and admired them So in summary their passionate and obsessive theatrical probably more than any other actors of his and their lives may well have affected their judgment when it came to generation. examining the material they used but their legacy in terms of Their preparation and attention to dramatic detail marked their influence on the thespian arts especially on Broadway them out as totally devoted thespians whose personal chemistry should never be underestimated. and commitment to each other allowed them the luxury of a They broke many of the classic rules of the Victorian and shared lifetime . Edwardian theatre, spoke with their backs to the audience The critics took their combined presence to their hearts and forbore stagey posing for realism and emotional honesty. On treated ‘the whole as greater than the sum of the parts’. Lynn balance whatever their demands may have done to may well have manipulated Alfred to suit her purpose when commercialise the theatre their example advanced the dramatic indeed it did suit her purpose - she consistently lied to him arts and left an indelible presence in the of the about her age to the end, saying she was five years younger English-speaking world. than him when she was in fact five years older. John Knowles A THEATRE SEAT IN THE REGIONS? n the last edition of Home Chat we talked about the possibility of inviting members in the regions to keep an eye out for a local production or event that might form the basis for a society event in their region. Recently NCS member Lori Winch-Johnson did just that and has arranged an event at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford - only a stone’s throw from the capital I know but a healthy start in this direction - to see a professional production of Cowardy Custard. If you feel able to offer the lead in organising an event in your area linked to a local or visiting production then please get in touch with me, Stephen Duckham at: 47 Compass Court, Norfolk Street, Coventry,West Midlands, CV1 3LJ Tel: 02476 229502 I don’t care what Mr. Coward said... Norfolk is not very flat... well not all over! [email protected] or Denys Robinson at: possibly attend. If this number means that an event would be 4 Parkside, Vanbrugh Fields, London, SE30 7QQ worthwhile then we ask you to investigate group ticket prices Tel: 02082 658 879 [email protected] for the event, on-site or local eating places, the possibility of The commitment is limited to organising a single event at meeting the cast or organisers at the event and any local local level in partnership with the Society who will manage all accommodation for an overnight stay. Past experience indicates of the administration, booking arrangements and finances. The that matinée performances on a Saturday do best in attracting Society assures that this will not open the door to further interest but this is only a guide as many members are able to commitment - so please do feel free to make a single attend mid-week and evening events. contribution to its work. If you would like to know more about helping in this way If you feel able to help in this way then the process is a please get in touch to talk through some possibilities. simple one. Get in touch with Denys Robinson or me and we will let you know the number of people in your area who could Stephen Duckham

Stephen has asked me to remind UK and World members (not US or Canada), that January subscription renewals are due. If you have not responded yet to his request for renewal then unfortunately this will be the last magazine that you will receive! 9 FROM THE ARCHIVE This piece is half of an article printed in the American theatre magazine Theatre Arts Monthly in February 1939. It is an interesting contemporary article on Noël rehearsing Bea Lillie for - more in the next edition. . .

10 11 12 13 14 . . .more next time.

15 TALENT TO AMUSE THE CD THAT NEARLY FAILED TO AMUSE. . . n January of this year Denys Robinson received a letter from Paul Vickers who was the Chief Electrician at the Phoenix Theatre when Noël’s 70th birthday celebration A Talent To Amuse took place on December 16th, 1969. He saw the article we produced early on in our search to get permission from the artists who took part in that show, to allow us to produce a CD of a recording we had discovered at Noël’s London Office in Cadogen Square. You may recall that we found 3 LPs of extracts from the show, clearly private recordings but looking as if they were professionally produced (see photo below). This created something of puzzle for Paul. . . as he says:

“I was recently shown an article from you in which you were appealing for information regarding the one-off performance ‘A Talent To Amuse’ which took happy to have their individual contributions recorded. This place at the Phoenix could have been done separately away from the theatre and Theatre in 1969. You say that you have a recording of then compiled into one, but I stress again that as far as I am highlights of the show, and that you are seeking permission of concerned I think it is highly unlikely that any recording you those taking part for its release. I was the Chief Electrician at have would be of the actual live performance. ” the Phoenix at the time, and obviously remember the whole Denys had sent me this letter and I found it fascinating. performance extremely well, even after all these years. Firstly because someone in such a pivotal role in ensuring the There were only two sound engineers present, myself acting on success of the evening had got in touch and secondly because I behalf of the Phoenix and responsible for the house PA system knew we had a ‘live’ recording - so how could it have been and an engineer working for the BBC who were hoping to produced? record the whole event (sound and vision). The visual part of I sent a copy of the CD to Paul who kindly listened and the attempts were thwarted by the lighting designer responded: Michael Northen, who refused to compromise his design in order to give them the sort of light levels they required until the “Thank you very much for the ‘Talent To Amuse’ CD very final scene when Noël Coward himself joined the It certainly rekindled some distant memories. As far as the entire cast on stage. By which time the main camera (situated original is concerned it certainly would appear to be a live in the projection room in the roof - because one of the recording, but I am even more certain than ever, having heard conditions was that the cameras should be ‘out of sight’) had it, that it was not done in the normal way. fallen over and been badly damaged. A short while before this performance we installed, at the As for the audio side. I spent quite a while crawling about Phoenix, a new ‘tannoy’ system, which, at the time, was in the overcrowded orchestra pit, amongst Grant Hossack, his considered to deliver pretty good quality sound, and it musicians and indeed the Mike Sammes singers setting up the appears to me that this recording was done in one of the house microphones. They helped me by moving the BBC’s dressing rooms from this tannoy. This is something I did myself equipment out of the way. They, and many other artists made it on several occasions (though not on this performance) and very clear that they were not at all in favour of the BBC having there is something about the sound quality which is definitely a recording of this event. I suppose in view of the fact that they familiar. The microphone for the system was positioned on a were all giving their services free of charge for charity they small shelf on the prompt side proscenium arch, and although would not want there to be some possibility of someone else it gave a good coverage of the stage, orchestra, and even the profiting. ” audience response, it naturally tended to favour any artist on Paul went on to explain that he could not see how it would the prompt side over those on the opposite prompt side, whose have been possible for this recording to have been made voices appeared to echo slightly. This effect is very apparent to without his cooperation, and knowledge. me on the CD and reinforces my opinion that the original He says: recording was in fact a ‘pirate’ recording (probably done by “Of course, it is quite possible that some of the artists were one of the artists). ” 16 Paul goes on to say that he finds difficult to see how this vinyl recording discs themselves. These look official as if recording could have been made legitimately as he felt sure carried out by a person or company that was used to producing that, “ the BBC engineer got little or nothing that was such recordings - such as the BBC. Secondly to my untutored reuseable ”, and that it was extremely unlikely that a recording ear most of the original recordings appear to be in stereo. This could have been made without his involvement or that of the is indicated at the start when is reading Noël’s theatre management. verse The Boy Actor. The stereo appears to ‘drop out’ near the beginning and we are left with a mono recording for several He continues: lines, then it pops back in again. When the recording was fully restored for us by the retired BBC engineer Alan Bunting he “As for the performance itself. My main memory is, in fact, the managed to create a stereo feel for the whole Gielgud track. all day dress rehearsal that took place on the preceding Paul could of course be absolutely right. He was there and Sunday. Each of the artists (or group of artists) had rehearsed knew what the set up of the sound system on the day was. in small venues all over , and this was the first and Some will recall that Grant Hossack the Musical Director told only time it had all been brought together (other than the me, during the period when I was searching for artist actual performance). For those taking part it would be the one permissions, that the Mike Sammes Singers were not miked up and only opportunity to see the other performances. So most of at all for the sound going out ‘front of house’ and could only be the cast spent the entire day in the stalls watching each other. heard on the stage. So there clearly were some sound problems With one notable exception who swept in after midday on the night. demanding to ‘do his bit now, because he was busy’- then My best guess is that the extracts Noël received on 3 vinyl swept out again. But most of the rest spent all day watching disks was all that could be salvaged by the BBC engineer of his and supporting each other. I remember thinking at the time that original intentions to record the whole show both visually as if a bomb were to fall on the Phoenix that day then the British well as aurally, but I have no sound basis for claiming that. entertainment industry would be much reduced. Although such What a wonderful film/video that would have made - I days are exhausting it was, looking back on it an extremely certainly wish he had succeeded! memorable occasion. I hope this is of interest to you. Thank John Knowles you once again. ” My thanks to Paul Vickers for writing to us and providing So there you have it. Was this recording a ‘pirate’ recording such an interesting puzzle about such a great event. made using the on-stage tannoy relaying the sound back to the dressing rooms or was it whatever the BBC engineer managed ‘A Talent to Amuse’ is available from Stephen Greenman for to salvage from his efforts to record the show? £7.50 or 10 Euros or $15 US including p&p Well two further pieces of information may help, I hasten to Contact details see Page 4 Addresses. add that I have not shared these with Paul as yet. Firstly the AUTHENTICITY AND ORIGINALITY Dominic Vlasto considers some of the problems in dealing with artistic icons, and highlights some exciting iconoclasm wonder whether all our It’ll be known to many that Alan Farley and I collaborated members on America’s on the assembly of the discographical elements of the ‘Noël West Coast realize just Coward Music Index’. Among other considerations, we both how lucky they are? felt that compilation of a complete history of all recordings Long before all the Noël made by or associated with Noël Coward and his productions Coward razzmatazz of the was long overdue. Forgotten, discarded, re-recorded or past year, they have certainly wrongly-ascribed pieces of music and lyrics were still coming been able to enjoy an annual to light, and there were important discoveries to be made about birthday celebration of Noël the work of particular arrangers, accompanists, orchestrators, Coward for far longer than etc. This was where my more musicological instincts were anyone in New York or much to the fore, trying to nose out exactly how, say, the piano London. It is now twenty- accompaniment techniques employed by Accompanist A nine years that Alan Farley differed from those of Accompanist B, or how Accompanist has been broadcasting his Alan Farley C’s figurations varied between two different recordings. ‘Noël Coward Birthday Sometimes it became clear that wrong ascriptions had been Special’ on 16 December from KALW 91.7fm in San made in the past, and one was even able to “find” and add to Francisco. There were two marathon “specials” in 1986 and the iconographic canon a whole series of lost or un-ascribed 1989, and apart from these and the very first, every one of recordings. these hour-long Celebrations has been characterized by My main role was mostly in the identification and analysis attention to three main elements: 1) detailed interviews with of ‘Authenticity’, stemming from a background in mainstream those most closely associated with Noël Coward and his work, academic musicology and the insights gained from working 2) exploration of “archive” items which were still coming to closely over a few years with Norman Hackforth, Coward’s light over most of this period, and 3) reviewing the best and musical collaborator. However, it soon became clear to us that, most up-to-date new developments and performances of Noël as far as the ‘Music Index’ was concerned, it was equally as Coward’s work. important to try to catalogue what everybody else had been 17 doing with Coward’s Coward’s music was first featured in last August’s Home music during his Chat with a commentary by Barry. Hers is one of those lifetime. CD’s which when first listening I found myself thinking, Thus was born the “Wow! That works well!” more than once, and I instantly discographical section wanted to hear more of her work – or their work, I should known as ‘Other Notable say, since this is a clear case where unusually thoughtful Recordings’, and reconsideration of Coward’s music has been undertaken by gradually it became both singer and accompanist, the musical director Larry apparent that this section Yurman. could not simply stop at In his interview with , Alan Farley Coward’s death in 1973, said that the CD “made me listen to [the songs] differently”. but should ideally be an Barry said, “she sings the songs the way Noël wrote them”. ongoing resource, By this I think he is echoing Noël’s own injunction to constantly being updated “simply speak or sing the words as written”, but Barry with other peoples’ new certainly doesn’t mean that these performers are tied down interpretations of Noël in any way either by printed music or by any sense of Coward’s music and conformity to an iconography. Several very well-known lyrics. It was in trying to Norman Hackforth Coward pieces come across with extraordinary freshness, assess a positive flood of and there are moments of genius in vocal delivery, other peoples’ takes on accompaniment and reconstruction. This “difference” in Coward’s music around the time of the Coward centenary that impact must owe much to the fact that with this project we found ourselves constantly challenged by tensions between Christine Ebersole was coming completely new to Coward’s Authenticity and Originality. Some sang beautifully, music. The idea for the CD grew from her appearing in the authentically even, but somehow imparted nothing original to recent Broadway revival of Blithe Spirit, where director the work, others were let down by stylistically inept was inspired to ask Miss Ebersole if she accompaniment, others perhaps tried to do things with the wouldn’t mind filling the curtain-drops between acts with the music (or who showed vocal qualities) which diminished rather rendition of a few Coward songs. During her interview with than enhanced the original. Most non-theatre performers Alan Farley Miss Ebersole says that with the CD she remained limited by the printed sheet-music versions that were discovered the “treasure trove” of Coward’s music: “So many available. Only a very few seemed to have considered both the of his songs are full of longing – I feel I can identify with vocal performance and the accompaniment - the stylistic those”; but she also said that she owed a good deal to her musical setting – with equal carefulness. music There is this serious problem about dealing with director/collaborator musical icons: once the style of a work (or series of Larry Yurman, who works) has been accepted as being iconic – certainly “brought a lot to the true of Coward – it is hard for there to be any table”. development of style without that development itself Among the being compared, often rather unfavourably, with the things that Larry icon. Those who most treasure the work in its iconic Yurman brings to the form will of course be most conscious of any changes table are impeccable or imperfections in style in subsequent performances, musicianship and a but although conscious that I have probably been more deep understanding immersed in Coward musical iconography than most, I of how to provide also bear constantly in mind one of the principal Christine Ebersole and Larry Yurman accompaniment comments Norman Hackforth made to me when we which illumines, first met to discuss Coward’s compositions: “There simply is supports and strengthens the melody and lyrics without ever no sacrosanct Authorised Version [of any Coward song]: the specifically drawing attention to itself. He is far more only constant is the melody and the broad scheme of harmonic concerned to reflect the moods and feelings of the song and the progressions”. This in no way disparages the work of superb singer than he is to revel in his own “exquisite artistry” (Miss musicians such as Michael Law, whose performances in Ebersole’s words, not mine). deliciously precise period style certainly enhance and illumine There is insufficient space here to review each of the 14 the iconography in its original colours; but remembering tracks in any detail, but it is certainly worth highlighting some Hackforth’s principle certainly offers a green light to all of the most effective reconstructions and song-pairings. The potential iconoclasts. opening track, ‘Someday I’ll Find You’, is characteristic of the If you believe that Coward’s musical/compositional voice whole: a song one thinks one knows well, but from the opening has substance and worthwhile resonance beyond its origins, notes (a quote from ‘I’ll Follow My Secret Heart’) there is a then you should constantly be looking for those performances pure and simple directness, dead true to the essentials of the which somehow bring something new to the music, which song, without a note of the accompaniment being remotely make one think, “Well, I’d never have thought of doing it that similar to anything anyone else has ever done, and with little way myself, but Wow! That works well!”. This brings us back extensions and reflections constantly being supplied in the to Alan Farley’s most recent Birthday Celebration broadcast. accompaniment details. ‘Someday I’ll Find You’ generally Along with notable contributions from Barry Day and Alan suffers, I think, from over-familiarity with the iconic version Brodie, the principal guest artist on this year’s KALW (Gertrude Lawrence’s) and over-simplified sheet-music. This broadcast was Christine Ebersole, whose recent CD of performance made me wish that everyone could have Yurman’s 18 arrangement in front of them when preparing this piece for I did on finding out that www.christineebersole.com does not performance, because it is so much better constructed – it allow for non-US purchases. makes more of the material- than the original. I also particularly enjoyed ‘You Were There’, a song famously fraught with potential musical pitfalls. Yurman and Ebersole’s arrangement concentrates on presenting this song as a “big romantic number”, introduces new (and rather magical and mysterious) chordal progressions, gives all of the rarely-heard second refrain and then chops down the second refrain to its bare essentials – just its starting and closing phrases. You’ll never have heard this song done quite like this before, but it manages to be more true to its essentials and to communicate the essence of the piece more convincingly than perhaps one has ever heard before. The best of two very interesting pairings of songs is undoubtedly ‘Never Again/Sail Away’, one of which is a really well-known song, the other hugely underrated. This arrangement makes one realize for the first time that these two songs are variants of exactly the same emotionally yearning mood. Much accompaniment material (e.g. new and rather dreamily mysterious chordal figurations) are common to both tunes. Their fusion together means that each reflects elements of the other. I am only slightly less convinced by Christine Ebersole’s personal favourite number, ‘Matelot/Come the Wild Wild Weather’, which splices the songs in a rather more 1. SOMEDAY I'LL FIND YOU fragmentary manner. It’s still a very effective mood-pairing, 2. ANY LITTLE FISH (Coward)/IT'S ONLY YOU (Gibbons) and there are bold touches in Larry Furman’s chordal re- 3. YOU WERE THERE accompaniment; but both performers take liberties with the 4. A ROOM WITH A VIEW (duet with Howard McGillin) rhythms/phrase lengths at the end of ‘Matelot’’s middle 8 5. CHASE ME CHARLIE which is perhaps an iconoclastic step too far. And I’m not 6. MATELOT/COME THE WILD, WILD WEATHER convinced by the repeated cries of “Matelot – Matelot – 7. I'LL FOLLOW MY SECRET HEART Matelot!’ which burst out at one point. 8. WORLD WEARY One notable rarity is ‘The Dream is Over’, dating from 9. IF LOVE WERE ALL 1928, which despite rather “bitty” phrase lengths – never 10. MAD ABOUT THE BOY longer than ten syllables and often as few as four – here has an 11. NEVER AGAIN/SAIL AWAY emotional impact – that same sense of yearning - which soars 12. THE DREAM IS OVER far beyond its taut and economical construction. A second is 13. WHEN MY SHIP COMES HOME ‘When My Ship Comes Home’ from 1923. Simplicity and 14. I'LL SEE YOU AGAIN openness are everything in this piece. Christine Ebersole’s very “straight” concert-singer’s approach here is just right for Dominic Vlasto the gentle mood of longing for a better future, which is the point of the song. Here you really feel its melodic quality despite the fact that it is not a huge composition. They have Christine Ebersole made utterly the most of these “slight” numbers, partly because they have been prepared to move away from any preconceptions. Even very well-known numbers (‘If Love Were All’, ‘I’ll See You Again’), where there are fewer constructional changes, come over with unusual directness and impact. I have never been more convinced that the essential nature of ‘I’ll Follow My Secret heart’ is truly operatic than I was by this performance. Larry Yurman’s accompaniment breathed great breadth and power into the “original” song and made one instantly wish to hear a fully orchestrated version of the same. Neither Yvonne Printemps (original cast recording) nor Lily Pons (Coward’s own 1956 recording) are anything like as well supported in this piece by their settings/orchestrations. Nor, dare I say, does the quality of either’s singing voice bear much favourable comparison with Miss Ebersole’s apparently effortless artistry. A full track-listing follows. I cannot recommend this CD strongly enough for all those who wish to have their conceptions of Coward’s music stretched. UK purchasers might be better advised to look for the CD on Amazon.com, as 19 UK COWARD BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS • PHOTO GALLERY PHOTOS: Seema Khalique • [email protected] • www.seemakhalique.com

20 21 US COWARD BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS he uncomfortably cold weather and torrential rains on the Entertainment, morning of December 12, 2010 did not deter NCS hosted by Steve Ross, members from attending the annual flower-laying was presented after the ceremony. This occasion in the Theatre Hall of in main course. Steve the Gershwin Theatre in New York would celebrate Noël introduced two singers Coward's 111th birthday. who earlier in the year Members came from Massachusetts, Connecticut and had appeared in the Pennsylvania. Among the guests were Mr. and Mrs. Alan competition for the Steve Ross PHOTO: Shirley and Tom O'Brien Brodie who were here from London. He is the representative Noël Coward of the Noël Coward Estate. Ken Starrett in his welcome address noted that with an increased number of productions of Foundation Award Coward plays, new books and recordings of his music, the presented at the Cabaret name of Noël Coward had a very high profile in the United Convention in October. States in the past year. The successful Broadway revival of The first was Kevin Present Laughter earlier in the season and the popular Dozier who gave a production of Brief Encounter gave Coward fans much to touching performance enjoy. with his renditions of As in past years, there would be a special guest who would 'Matelot' and 'Come the Kevin Dozier PHOTO: Shirley and Tom O'Brien lay flowers on the statue of Noël Coward. This year our Wild Wild Weather.' He special guest was Mr. Victor Garber. He has had a long was followed by Joyce distinguished career in films, television and the theatre. He has Breach whose warm, been seen in such blockbuster films as Legally Blonde, personal style delighted Sleepless in Seattle and Titanic. On television he starred in the us with her singing of popular series Alias. His celebrated career in the theatre would 'Room With a View,' include the original Broadway productions of Sweeney Todd, 'Someday I'll Find You,' Art, Deathtrap, and Noises Off. and 'I'll Follow My Secret Heart.' Steve This past season, Broadway saw his critically-acclaimed Joyce Breach PHOTO: Shirley and Tom O'Brien performance as Gary Essendine in Noël Coward's Present Ross, wearing a green Laughter. Mr. Garber spoke of his discovery of the demands of velvet smoking jacket playing Coward when he appeared several years ago as Charles that once belonged to Noël Coward, finished the program. It is Condomine in a production of Blithe Spirit. He first played always exciting to hear his definitive interpretations of Coward Garry Essendine in Boston at the Huntington Theatre in 2007 music. He first sang '' followed by 'Time Will and was happy to play the role again. It gave him the chance Tell,' a lovely waltz that had been cut from The Girl Who to explore the many levels of this difficult character. Came To Supper , and ended with a very moving version of 'London Pride." The afternoon came to an end with everyone joining in to sing 'I'll See You Again." On Saturday, December 11th, the day before the luncheon, a screening was held at the Paley Center for Media of a television special called "The Noël Coward Story." This is the US version of what in the UK was known as The Arena Trilogy. There were 80 members in attendance. Among the guests were film star, Carleton Carpenter and our Vice President, Ms. Tammy Grimes. Following the screening was a reception which gave members the Victor Garber PHOTO: Shirley and Tom O'Brien chance to "meet and Following the flower-laying, members went to the nearby greet." Manhattan Club at Rosie O'Grady's Restaurant for a luncheon There are and entertainment. A tradition established at previous annual many Societies luncheons of having a drawing for Coward-related gifts devoted to continued this year. poets, artists After members picked their tickets, two gifts were given and writers, but and the winning numbers were selected by Mr. Garber. The how lucky we Ken Starrett and Victor Garber PHOTO: Patti Dei first gift was a copy of Barry Day's latest book The Noël are to have a Society devoted to a man who entertained us and Coward Reader and was won by Steve Ross. The second gift touched us with so much grace, wit and charm. But there was a framed poster of the Broadway production of Brief would be no Society without the interest of our members. For Encounter autographed by the entire cast. Along with the this loyal support, I deeply thank you. poster were two tickets to see the production. This gift was Ken Starrett won by Robert Briggs. 22 This page is available for any member to itemise publications, recordings, events and anything FAMILY else connected with Noël Coward’s name and work in which they have played a part or wish to ALBUM recommend to NCS members. NOËL COWARD HIS VOICE IN VERSE Barry Day has produced a recording of Coward’s verse read by Coward, his contemporaries and current actors and performers. The CD is being sold in aid of The Combined Theatrical Charities and sells in the UK at £7.99 or in the US $15 p&p included. If you would like a copy please contact Stephen Greenman in the UK and Ken Starrett in the US (for contact addresses see Page 4). The tracks are:

Personal Reminiscence/ The Boy Actor/NOËL COWARD Tribute to Marlene Dietrich/NOËL COWARD Epitaph for An Elderly Actress/EDWARD HIBBERT Mrs. Mallory/MARIA AITKEN The Lady at the Party/DANA IVEY She Was as Pretty As She Could Be/CHRISTINE EBERSOLE Social Grace/MARGARET LEIGHTON I’ve Got To Go Out and Be Social/SIMON CALLOW I Knew You Without Enchantment/SALLY ANN HOWES Routine for a Critic/HOWARD KISSEL Honeymoon 1905/ANNA MASSEY To Mr. James Agate/MICHAEL RIEDEL I Am No Good At Love/ Dear Mr. Graham Greene/RICHARD BRIERS Do I Believe?/NOËL COWARD Opera Notes/PATRICIA ROUTLEDGE Lines to a Little God/BRIAN MURRAY • Nothing Is Toast from Cavalcade/PENELOPE KEITH Lost/HAYLEY MILLS Merry Christmas 1939/SIMON JONES When I Have Fears/BARRY DAY Personal Note/ I’m Here For a Short Visit Only/SIMON JONES I’ve Just Come Out from England/CELIA JOHNSON Lie in the Dark and Listen/NOËL COWARD Bonus tracks: The Battle of Britain Dinner: New York 1963/SIMON JONES On Leaving England for the First Time/LYNN REDGRAVE On Leaving England for the First Time/ANGELA LANSBURY The Boy Actor/JOHN GIELGUD Bora Bora/TAMMY GRIMES Me and The Girls/STEPHEN FRY Bali/STEVE ROSS Produced and Written by BARRY DAY House Guest/JIM DALE Commentary spoken by SIMON JONES Jeunesse Doré/STEPHEN FRY Audio Production by JOHN KNOWLES This is to Let You Know/ZOË WANAMAKER Cover illustration by LYNNE CAREY NCS Member Elizabeth Sharland’s latest novel is entitled On The Riviera

In the south of France, when the Scott Fitzgeralds, the Murphys, Picasso, and Jean Cocteau lived and worked during the Jazz Age, the French Riviera became famous. Now, Nicole Bennett goes there to retrace their steps and try to discover who followed after them.

Disenchanted with her award-winning acting career as well as her one-year marriage to Nigel, she seeks to make a significant change in her life. She leaves London and attempts to fulfill her dream of writing a book about the writers who lived and worked in the south of France. In Cannes, she meets new people and falls in love with the incredible scenery. While rediscovering the charm and magic of the Riviera, she is influenced by other writers— Graham Green, Dirk Bogarde, Scott Fitzgerald, and Ernest Hemingway - who once walked the same streets and enjoyed the same experiences. It’s now up to Nicole to recreate the magic they all found. 23 Judy Staber’s memoir about growing up at SILVERLANDS The Actors’ Orphanage in England Judy Staber of Old Chatham, New York, USA has written a memoir about her unusual childhood in England. Silverlands: Growing Up at the Actors’ Orphanage has been published by The Troy Book Makers of Troy, New York. Born into a theatrical family in London during World War II — her father had been the manager of The Duke of York’s Theatre in London’s West End before enlisting, and her mother, Joan White, was a successful actress. As a small child the family went through certain upheavals and, when the war was over in 1946, her mother placed Judy, not quite four, and her sister, seven, at The Actors’ Orphanage in Chertsey, a town

in south of London. When she was eleven, her mother moved to Canada and her fifteen-year-old sister followed a year later. Judy was to remain at Silverlands for twelve and a half years, until it was sold. Eventually, at sixteen, she too came to North America, to the States; the Orphanage was no more and all her childhood ‘siblings’ were scattered around the world. This story of her childhood at the Actors’ Orphanage is a story touched by the glamour of the theatre and such notable personalities as Noël Coward, and Richard Attenborough, but also filled with the sadness that comes when families are torn apart by ill-fortune or the need to pursue careers. For most of her time at Silverlands, Noël Coward was President of the Actors’ Orphanage Fund and had been since 1934. He made several remembered visits during her childhood and he kept the Orphanage afloat by raising Restoration, The Berkshire Museum, the Williamstown Art much-needed funds. With access to some of the archives and Conservation Centre and Massachusetts tourism. After the writings of pre-war orphans, Judy Staber has included marrying John Staber she moved to Columbia County in the much of the history of the institution (founded in 1896), as well Hudson River Valley of New York in 1991. She ran the as of her own family’s history. A deep vote of thanks goes to Spencertown Academy, a small arts centre, for almost nine Alan Brodie for permission to quote Noël Coward, where years. While there she founded the PantoLoons, a company of applicable, and to TACT for help with research. actors who for the past eleven years have performed an original It is the story of resilient children, most of whom weren’t annual (British/American) pantomime. Currently, she curates a orphans, but who were orphaned for a time during their small art gallery in Old Chatham and serves on the boards of childhoods by their parents’ profession - The Theatre; of how both The Ghent Playhouse and the Chatham Education other members of the theatrical profession took care of these Foundation. children, as they still do today through The Actors’ Charitable Silverlands: Growing Up at the Actors’ Orphanage, with Trust. The Actors’ Orphanage was a unique institution. Judy’s eight pages of photographs, is available through earliest years were somewhat harsh and her childhood at www.TBMbooks.com , www.amazon.com or directly from Silverlands was different from the norm: for some children it Judy and John Staber’s website – www.jstaber.com . was too different, but for Judy it was the only childhood she knew and she thrived and grew there. $17.95 US and timely postage to the UK is approx. $11. Judy Staber has worked in the visual and performing arts since she arrived in the United States. She lived in the Berkshires of Massachusetts for twenty years, where she brought up her daughters and wrote for local newspapers, followed by jobs in arts marketing with Shakespeare & Company, Edith Wharton 24