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WHAT’S ON? Is your production or event shown here...? If you want an item to be included here or on our website then please send details to: The Noël Coward Society, 29, Waldemar Avenue, Hellesdon, Norwich, NR6 6TB or email: whatson@noël coward.net Tel: +44 (0)1603 486188 Fax: +44 (0)1603 400683 Professional companies are shown in blue * denotes Premiere, TBC = To be confirmed In North America 25 to 30 Oct - Manifest Theatre Group, Manifest Theatre, Blithe Spirit: Manningtree, Essex September 24 to October 23, 2004 Utah Shakespearean Festival 8 to 13 Nov - Nailsea Theatre Club, The Workshop, Nailsea, Cedar City, Utah North Somerset JUDY CAMPBELL 12 to 20 Nov - Elora Ontario 24 to 26 Sep - Drama Workshop of Waltham Forest, The JUDY CAMPBELL the actress and our Honorary Vice-President died on Forest Community Centre, Walthamstow, London Sunday June 6th at the age of 88. The beautiful dark-haired, husky-voiced Fallen Angels April to November 2005 (in repertory) Stratford 29 Sep to 2 Oct - Redditch ATS, The Palce heatre, Redditch, star of Noel Coward’s Present Laughter (Joanna), This Happy Breed, Festival Theatre - Stratford, Ontario - Canada Worcs. (Ethel) and memorably his Elvira in Blithe Spirit also accompanied Noel 11 to 11 Jan 2005 - Southampton University Players, The in twice-nightly concerts for the troops. She attended several NCS events Private Lives Nuffield Theatre, Southampton, Hampshire from the inception of the Society in 1999 until late 2003 when she became 12 to 15 May 2005 Stage 43 Theatrical Society, Port 10 to 13 Nov - Broughton & District Drama Club, The increasingly unwell and frail. Her candour about her times with Noel were Coquitlam, BC Concert Hall, Broughton, Lancs refreshingly honest and always of interest. She will forever be associated with the Eric Maschwitz song that made her name in the 1940 revue New Hands Across the Sea Private Lives Faces at the Comedy Theatre. when following the loss of a scripted item 24 to 28 Aug Connaught Productions, Frinton Summer was given A Nightingale Sang In Barclay Square, and, singing for the first Fallen Angels Theatre, Essex time in public croaked her way through the song rendering it and her a hit! 23 Sep to 9 Oct Stage Centre Productions, Scarborough, 26 Aug to 18 Sep Byre Theatre, St. Andrews “I just know,” she said in 1997, “ that all the obituaries will talk about Ontario 24 to to 28 Aug - Connaught Productions, Frinton Summer nothing but that blooming nightingale.” As a result of seeing her perform 1 Jan to 5 Feb 2005 Dundas Little Theatre, Dundas Ontario. Theatre, Essex the song, Noel took her to supper at the Savoy Grill where she sang, at his 26 Aug to 18 Sep - Brye Theatre, St Andrews insistence, the same song again for the other diners. “It takes talent to put Europe 23 & 24 Oct St John’s Wood Players, St. John’s Hall, St. over a song when you haven’t got a voice,” he told her. “One day we’ll Blithe Spirit John’s Wood. London act together.” He kept his word! With the exception in 1984 of a musical 10 to 20 Nov - Zurich Comedy Club, The Seefeld Theater, 13 to 18 Jun 2005 - The Pump House Theatre Company, The version of The Importance of Being Earnest she did not sing again until Zurich, Switzerland Pump House Theatre, Watford, Herts 1983 when she gave an inimitable rendition of This Is My Lovely Day in a 9 to 18 Sep - Wokingham Theatre, Wokingham, Berkshire In the United Kingdom revival of Vivian Ellis’s Bless This Bride. She was still performing in her one-woman show in 2003 when, accompanied by the singer-accompanist Nude With Violin Relative Values Stefan Bednarczyk she performed at the Jermyn Street theatre. Born in 26 & 27 Sep Sherbourne School, Sherbourne, Dorset 27 Jan to 19 Feb 2005 Salisbury Playhouse Grantham to the actor-playwright J A Campbell who ran the Theatre Roal, Grantham and the town’s first cinema she made her first appearance on Hay Fever Red Peppers stage at the Theatre Royal as a guest in Lonsdale’s Last of Mrs. Cheyney. 2004 West Yorkshire Playhouse, The Quarry 30 Sep to 9 Oct The Matrix Theatre, Newbury, Berks She played rep. at Grantham, Coventry and Brighton, before a time at the 25 Feb to 5 Mar 2005 - Heald Green theatre Co Ltd., Heald People’s Palace, east London, and a season at the Festival Theatre, Green Theatre, Heald Green, Cheshire Fallen Angels staged. One of her two daughters is Jane 22 Jan to 5 Feb 2005 Eye Theatre, Suffolk Cambridge, in Shakespeare and Shaw. A Whatnot, and in tragedy, O’Neill’s tour with the comedian Vic Oliver in Mourning Becomes Electra. She took Birkin of Je T’Aime fame and her son Blithe Spirit 14 to 16 Oct, 15, 16 Nov Malford Players, The Village Hall, Robert Sherwood’s Idiot’s Delight led to over Celia Johnson’s role in Aykbourn’s Andrew Birkin is a writer and film- 8 Jun to 21 Aug Ian Dickens ProductionsBlackpool / Darlington Christian Malford, Wiltshire a season of leads at Liverpool Playhouse. Relatively Speaking at the Duke of York maker. For us she was one of Noel’s / Swansea 26 to 30 Oct - Taunton Thespians, The Brewhouse Theatre, It was during New Faces in the War in 1967. In the 70s she found satisfying greatest leading ladies and an active sup- 18 Aug to 4 Sep (TBC) Triumph Entertainment, Theatre Royal Taunton, Somerset Years when audiences often preferred to roles in the provinces with Hay Fever, porter of the Society and its work. Bath, UK Tour 9 to 16 Oct - Lewes Theatre Club, The Little Theatre, Lewes, remain in their seats during an air raid Wycherley’s Double Dealer. At the 17 to 20 Nov Woodley Players Theatre Group, Hatherlow East Sussex that, after a sip of port to calm her fears Oxford Playhouse she showed ‘unexpect- Our thanks to The Daily Telegraph for mate- Church Hall, Romley, Stockport, Cheshire of singing rather than being bombed, her ed emotional power’ as the long-suffering rial for this obituary. 17 Sep Limelight Theatre, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire Still Life unexpected and witty handling of the Mother in Miller’s Death of a Salesman. 25 Nov to 4 Dec - The Sewell Barn Theatre Company, Sewell 9 to 27 Nov - My Pet Dragon Productions, The Burton Taylor song that was to bring her fame, held the At the 1983 Chichester festival she Sheridan Morley has written a full obituary Barn Theatre, Norwich Theatre, Oxford for Judy Campbell in ‘The Oldie’ His audience spellbound. In Noel’s Relative played the ‘grandest of grand duchesses 14 & 15th Oct Betchworth Operatic & Dramatic Society, The recording of Judy Campbell singing 'A Values she was credited for bringing an in Rattigan’s Sleeping Prince. She made Village Hall, Betchworth, Surrey Present Laughter Nightingale Sang in Berkley Square' is uninspiring colonial comedy to last- numerous television appearances the 14 to 16 Oct Lane End Players, The Village Hall, Lane End, 17 to 20 Nov - Beaconsfielf Theatre Group, Beacon theatre available on CD. There is other material of minute life. Her other appearances most recent being in Granada Buckinghamshire Centre, Beaconsfield Buckinghamshire interest in the BBC archives but it has only included Shaw’s Heartbreak House and Television’s version of The Forsyth Saga. been recorded on cylinders and thus remains 15 to 19 Mar - Windsor Theatre Guild, The Guildhall, Windsor, Never Can Tell. Aykebourn’s Mr. She wrote three plays two of which were inaccessible at present. Berkshire Semi-Monde 6 to 11 Sep - Whitehaven Theatre Group, The Rosehill Theatre, 3 to 20 Nov - Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, The Judi Whitehaven, Cumbria Dench theatre, London CALLING ALL UK MEMBERS! ... Following our recent database dispatch to UK members, can we 5 to 8 Oct - Whitchurch Little Theatre Group, The Civic remind you that we need ALL UK members updated details, whether it be confirmation of Standing Order date-changes, renewal Centre, Whitchurch, Shropshire fees or resignations! Many thanks to all those who have responded so far - if you haven’t had time to reply yet, please do dig out Unless stated otherwise all text and images are copyright to the Noël Coward Estate. All correspondence to: The Noël Coward those pens, use the email or phone Celia Cologne with your latest information - as soon as possible. Celia can be reached at: Society, 29, Waldemar Avenue, Hellesdon, Norwich, NR6 6TB UK Tel: +44 (0)1603 486 188 email: [email protected] 3, Somerville Road, Poulner, Ringwood, BH24 1XJ Tel: 01425 478760 email: [email protected] Page 12 grew up in the Thames Valley area, and warmth. some of the notes in the romantic bal- JUDY CAMPBELL BIRKIN where Judy was also living, and where A long spray of lovely flowers, including Your Invitation to... lads. She gets by in the more difficult 31st May, 1916 – 6th June, 2004 their parents and relatives were all the Dolce Vita rose, were sent from the vocal passages but it is as a character acquainted. Society, with the card saying:- The Theatre Museum, Covent Garden, actress that she is obviously far more One evening after a performance at the “To our Honorary Vice President, with comfortable. Darling it’s Noel opens with Jermyn St. Theatre, Judy had looked love and thanks from all the Members of for our Annual General Meeting the famous balcony scene from Private rather tired and Sheridan had said “you the Noël Coward Society, throughout the Saturday 11th December, 2004. Lives - the one in which divorced lovers don’t have to do this Judy, take a rest for world”.
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