The World of Noël Coward MORE from the ARCHIVES NOËL
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HOME CHAT The World Of Noël Coward NOËL COWARD AT CARNFORTH AND THE UK BIRTHDAY EVENTS ALAN FARLEY DOMINIC VLASTO introduces the broadcasts of the renowned West Coast Radio Arts Host. PRIVATE LIVES and RELATIVE VALUES Reviews of the recent Coward revivals that still ‘raise the bar’ for audiences everywhere. MORE FROM THE ARCHIVES The best of the sepia-tinted media world of Noël Coward in the 1930s PHOTO: Ann Harding and Noël Coward making their way through the crowd at the Annual Theatrical Garden Party 1936 A MAGAZINE ABOUT THE LIFE AND WORK OF SIR NOËL COWARD •AUGUST 2013 Editorial CONTENTS Welcome and a huge thank you to everyone that has sent us material for our archive pages. We have not been Editorial 2 able to include even a fraction of all the material we have received so please forgive us if you chosen item Forthcoming Events 3 has not made the cut this time, as golfers I think say! There is always next time and the next... Smalhythe 4 At the moment I am working through all that is required for the exhibition at Carnforth Station that starts in October with a Private Lives 5 planned day of talks and films about Noël Coward, Brief Encounter and its theatre forbear Still Life. Relative Values 6 This year’s UK Coward events include our AGM at The Noël Coward Theatre and the Annual Luncheon at the Grand Saloon at the Theatre Michael Law - Easy to Love 7 Royal, Drury Lane. The cabaret for the lunch will be perfvormed by Helen McDermot and Adrian Wright accompanied by Annette Jude. Their Notes from New York 8 performance will consists of an extract from their concert show, Cowards in the Wings that includes rarely heard pieces from Waiting in the The Other Coward 10 Wings and the almost unknown and unrecorded songs from Words and Music in ‘The Hall of Fame’ where we discover amongst other things ‘...the Speaking of Noël Coward man who sailed across Lake Windermere in an India-rubber bath!’ The Alan Farley Interviews 13 You may by now have noticed that as well as receiving your membership fees by cheque and standing order we are now able to receive A Choice of Coward them via the web using credit/debit cards and PayPal. Financial changes are Lance Salway introduces us to... 16 continuing to take place as our accounts are guided by Stephen Greenman into my temporary care whilst we explore the way forward with a new An Earlier Essay Competition 19 structure and a new treasurer. We are delighted that Ken Starrett is on his feet again and although not You and Yours... fully recovered is once again mobile. Items from Members 23 My thanks to everyone who has sent in kind thoughts and expressions of gratitude for Home Chat and our events. As volunteers we do our best so Key People and Contacts 24 when things go well it makes our efforts all worthwhile. Latest on the John Knowles Brief Encounter Exhibition Writing Competition Reminder at Carnforth Station 1st October - 11 December ‘In His Own Write’ for £1,000 31st October Films and Talk by John Knowles Competition closes on October 30th, 2013 As you will be aware the Society has arranged an exhibition about Noël Coward at the Carnforth Station Heritage Centre Please do remind or tell your friends and contacts about our from 1st October to the 11 December 2013 entitled: celebration of the 40th anniversary of the death of Sir Noël A Brief Encounter with Noël Coward. In addition ... Coward the Society with our first writing competition open to all. An application form and details are available on-line A day of film presentations and talks has been arranged by (noëlcoward.net). John Knowles and Peter Tod at the Heritage Centre All the rules, and submission dates are provided there. echoing the title of the exhibition on Thursday 31st Details of a celebratory event for the four selected finalists will October. be featured in a future edition of Home Chat. Remember that we are inviting anyone who wishes to take Tickets available from the Heritage Centre Manager (John part to write an original sketch, poem/verse, prose passage or Adams) on 01524 735165 or email: sdo@carnforth- scene for a play in the style of Noël Coward. station.co.uk They must be prepared to perform this piece at the The Exhibition will take place in the Bateman Gallery at celebratory event. More details on this on-line including the station’s Heritage Centre and will include a self-running copyright limitations and future use of the entries. video commentary on the film Brief Encounter by Barry Day, Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors for this posters and artefacts from the collection of the Noël Coward competition we are offering a prize of £1,000 for the winning Estate, some seen at the Star Quality exhibition in New York. piece that will be chosen from the four finalists at the A range of Coward CDs will also be available from the celebratory event next year (2014). Heritage Centre Shop at discount prices during the run of the Exhibition. See Page 19 for an essay competition in Play Pictorial The venue can be viewed online at: carnforthstation.co.uk. on Noël Coward, that took place in 1932! - 2- Forthcoming Events UK COWARD BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS As promised this year mirrors the practice of the past - so many have asked it to be kept so... The Annual General Meeting will take place at The Noël Coward Theatre, timings as follow: The Noël Coward Theatre Friday 13th December Coffee 10.45am AGM 11.15am Adrian Wright Followed by... Theatre Royal, Drury Lane Flower-Laying Ceremony 12.15pm Drinks in the Theatre’s Rotunda 12.30pm Lunch - Grand Salon (recently re-furbished!) 1.00pm. Cabaret with Coffee 2.30pm Ticket price for drinks, 3-course lunch with wine, water & coffee PLUS cabaret is... £85 A reservation form for the event is included and will be available online and in the November edition of Home Chat. Helen McDermott Celebrity Guest As always it is impossible to tell you exactly who our celebrity guest will be for the flower-laying, as commitments for theatre artists can change rapidly. The person who has agreed to be there, barring other commitments, is an extremely well-known stage and TV actor. It could be... Such fun! Annual Lunch Cabaret The cabaret spot this year goes to: “Two of Norfolk’s brightest personalities who lift a glass to the genius of Noël Coward in this kaleidoscopically entertaining celebration of his songs, including many not heard since they were first performed. The best known face is appearing on: of Anglia TV, Helen McDermott has remained a favourite on stage and in Michael Law cabaret. Adrian Wright has long been a darling of the critics: ‘Words fail me!’ (Fur and Feather). They are joined by pianist Annette Jude and are determined Friday 20th September to disprove Noël’s famous dictum ‘Very flat, Norfolk’ ” The Pheasantry, As you can tell from this promotional text we are in for a fun-time at this Pizza Express, 152-154 Kings Road, London year’s Annual Lunch. SW3 4UT As well as being a consummate performer, Adrian Wright is an established (doors open at 7pm/performance from author and a world authority on the British Musical Theatre of the 1950s and 8.30pm) 60s. He has made countless appearances on stage, national TV and Radio and Tickets £20: 08456 027 017 (opt. 8) released several CDs of songs. He also owns and manages Must Close Saturday NB NCS DISCOUNT £17.50 Records, an independent record company that has been responsible for ensuring that the legacy of British Musical Theatre continues to thrive and meet its Sunday 29th September - 3pm to 4.15pm public. Adrian is renowned for his humour - as dry as a well-olive-d Martini. The Friends Meeting House, Helen Mcdermott is considered a ‘regional treasure’ in East Anglia from her Ship Street, Brighton BN1 1AF wonderful appearances as a TV presenter with the tested ability to apply her dry Tickets £10 on the door or please telephone humour in a way that is understood by adults but flies over the heads of younger 0845 370 0178 watchers! Her grandparents were renowned music hall artists and apart from her NB NCS DISCOUNT £8 TV work she has worked on stages everywhere as a cabaret performer. They have chosen extracts from their latest regional concert tour that include Sunday 20th October at 3pm rarely performed and unrecorded songs from Waiting in the Wings and Words Huntingdon Hall, Crowngate Worcester, and Music including ‘The Hall of Fame’ - not to be missed! WR1 3LD Tickets: 01905 611427 £14 Details of their regional concert tour can be seen on the NCS website: (£12 Concessions) noëlcoward.net - 3- Smallhythe Our thanks to all those who came to the NCS event at Smallhythe - a great afternoon in the Kentish sun On a glorious afternoon some 55 members made their way to Smallhythe for the NCS event held in the wonderful Barn Theatre of Ellen Terry managed so well by the National Trust volunteers and their Events Organiser for the region Katie Shaw. Julian Clary agreed to be interviewed about his home, The Old Manor - half of Goldenhurst, Noël’s Kent farmhouse home, and all of the work he has done in restoring the house. Albert, one of Julian’s dogs was in attendance as we watched a collection of home movie clips shot by Noël and Jeffery Holmesdale (Lord Amherst) of visitors to the house.