Australasia We Were Dancing/Shadow Play/Red peppers 2 7 to 26 Jul Queensland Theatre Co. Optus Playhouse, Brisbane (Press Night 10 Jul) JANUARY Blithe Spirit 28 to 31 Aug Tropic Line TheatreTownsville, Queensland, Australia 2003 15 Nov to 20 Dec Melbourne Theatre Co Victoria then national tour 2003 (Press Night 19 Nov) The Rest of the World Private Lives Current Pieter Toerien Productions, Cape Town, Grahamstown, Jo’burg, South Africa United Kingdom Hay Fever TBC New West End production starring Penelope Wilton IN THIS ISSUE 23 to 26 Apr Chesterfield Playgoers, The Pomegranate theatre, Chesterfield, Derbyshire NOËL COWARD & Page 1 - Report and pictures 26 May to 7 Jun Ilkley Players, The Playhouse Ilkley West Yorkshire from our celebration at The 10 to 12 Apr Aldbourne Light Entertainment Club, Memorial Hall, Aldbourne, Wilts Ivy, London 17 to 21 Jun Kelvin Players DG The Redgrave Theatre, Bristol COMPANY AT THE IVY Page 3 - History and Review of Pacific 1860 30 Apr to 3 May The Haven players, The Memorial Hall, Stone Cross, Eastbourne, East Sussex Page 5 COWARD x2 Nude With Violin 7 to 14 June Stockport Garrick Theatre, Stockport, Cheshire Page 6 Lovie Osborne’s Story Present Laughter 1 to 3 May The Hayes Players, The Village Hall, Hayes, Nr Bromley, Kent Page 7 Present Laughter 16 to 18 Oct Union Theatre, The Village Hall, Dorridge, Solihull, West Midlands Page 8 Noël Coward - A Brief Encounter Current to 30 Apr Noël Coward / Andrew Taylor - Middle Ground Theatre Co UK Tour Temperament In Harness 25 Apr to 17 May Queens Theatre, Hornchurch Page 10 Still Life in a Tube Fumed Oak 13 &14 Dec Phoenix Players, Village Hall, Abertin, Glamorgan Pages 12 & Page 13 Come Into The Garden Maud 6 to 10 May South London Theatre,London SE27 Obituaries - Mary Ellis & Fallen Angels 15 to 24 Aug Hever lakeside Theatre, Kent William Blezard Page 14 STOP PRESS Brief Encounter Current to 30 Apr Noël Coward / Andrew Taylor - Middle Ground Theatre Co UK Tour Page 15 Committee Spotlight 25 Apr to 17 May Noël Coward / Andrew Taylor - Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch Pages 15 & 16 WHAT’S ON? Relative Values 31 May to 7 Jun Halifax Thespians at The Playhouse, Halifax, West Yorkshire 10 to 12 April Phoenix Players, Arts Centre, St. Donats, LLanwit Mahor, Vale of Glamorgan. PLEASE NOTE: Bitter Sweet 10 to 14 June Maidenhead Operatic Society at Maidenhead Town Hall. www.mos-uk.org. The English used by the Blithe Spirit 6 Jun to 31 Oct Cumbria Theatre Trust, Theatre By The Lake, Keswick, Cumbria authors of articles in Home 11 to 16 & 18 to 30 Aug Jill Freud & Co, Southwold, Suffolk Chat is retained and are 28 to 31 May Storrington Dramatic Society, The Parrish Hall, Sullington, West Sussex therefore printed in either 10 to 15 June Attfiled Theatre Company Ltd. The Guildhall, Oswestry, Shropshire British or US English. 8 to 10 May Digswell Players, The Village Hall, Digswell, Nr, Welwyn, Herts. The printed price of Home 9 to 12 Apr 53 Theatre Group The Library Theatre Sheffield, South Yorks Chat has been amended to 14 to 16 May Beeston Players DG Roundhill School Beeston, Nottingham reflect its real cost - it 6 Jun to 31 Oct Cumbria Theatre Trust, Theatre By The Lake, Keswick, Cumbria remains free to members. 11 to 16 & 18 to 30 Aug Jill Freud & Co, Southwold, Suffolk 15 May to 7 Jun Theatre Clwyd, Mold Lorna Dallas and June Whitfield at The Ivy writer Sheridan Morley and our US at The Palace Theatre, Manchester Private Lives 6 Mar to 5 Apr The Octagon Theatre, Bolton. Contact Box Office 01204 520661.The production representative Ken Starrett. Sadly it went on to the Cambridge Thea- is directed by Octagon Artistic Director Mark Babych & features Coronation The celebration of the life and work Graham Payn was unable to be tre in London. She recalled the Street's Stephen Beckett (Dr.Matt Ramsden). of Noël Coward at The Ivy restau- with us but his best wishes and parties she enjoyed at Noël's homes 19 Sep to 11 Oct Theatre Royal, York rant and the Theatre Museum, support helped ensure a wonderful at Gerald Road and White Cliffs, 13 to 17 May The Riverside Players, The Heswall Hall, Heswall, Wirral Covent Garden could simply not have occasion. Following a toast to Sir 5 to 8 Nov Belmont Theatre Company, The Arts Centre, Harrow, Pinner, Middlesex Kent and the friendship of Graham 19 Sep to 11 Oct Theatre Royal, York been bettered. The sunshine wel- Noël Coward from Sheridan and Payn. She remembered her moth- Still Life 22 Apr to 9 May Aldwych Tube Station, London comed members and guests from luncheon, June talked about an er’s joy when Noël asked if he Waiting In The Wings 30 Sep to 4 Oct The Old Market, Brighton across the globe into the gently lit early meeting with Noël when she could come along to a party June 10 to 12 Apr Angel Players, The Holy Angels Church Hall, Poole, Dorset private room at The Ivy. Guests auditioned for Ace of Clubs in 1950 was holding - everyone was natu- Critics Choice ***** This evening includes short pieces by 5 choreographers. One of the pieces included the actress June Whitfield, and secured the part of Sunny rally delighted that such an impor- uses Coward’s song Dearest Love and is choreographed by Matthew Bourne. singer Lorna Dallas, broadcaster and Claire. After a pre-West End run tant figure was attending. Noël 2&3 Apr The Lowry Salford played the piano and sang 1 May South Hill Park, Bracknell and behaved, as he would 20 & 21 May Nottingham playhouse have said ‘beautifully’. 28 & 29 May May Oxford Playhouse 2 Jun Salisbury Playhouse Later during a dinner with 5 June His Majesty’s, Aberdeen Hugh Martin and Jack 14 Jun Brighton Dome Gray at June’s home the 22 Jun Milton Keynes Theatre subject of which of Noël's 26 Jun Theatre Royal, Norwich plays would make a good musical was discussed, All correspondence for Home Chat to: The Noël Coward Society, 29, Waldemar Avenue, Hellesdon, Norwich, NR6 6TB June’s mother - a keen Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 (0)1603 486 188 Fax: +44 (0)1603 400 683 amateur actor - suggested Page 16 Blithe Spirit. Some contribution to the development of Committee Spotlight ... more involved in production and I console myself with vanished years time later Coward was the Society - started in 1999 Stephen Greenman our new Secretary direction for some time. Since then he Remember laughter, remembered tears, won over by the idea through the efforts of Gareth Pike Stephen started his working life as an has been working in education And the peace of the changing sea and High Spirits was and Michael Imison. This box was auctioneer in the mid 70s but left the currently senior manager for a new born! The second treat from Noël's Cadogan Square UK a few years later to tour around college in Greenwich where he has When I feel sad, as Keats felt sad, That my life is so nearly done of the afternoon was apartment and was an engraved the world as a professional Ice Skater responsibility for finance and with Holiday on Ice. During which facilities. It gives me comfort to dwell upon the glorious singing of gift to him in 1931. Unusually, John Remembered friends who are dead and gone Lorna Dallas accom- was lost for words ... The lunch- time he discovered Coward whilst Footnote ... treading in his footsteps throughout And the jokes we had and the fun panied with panache eon ended when Robert Gardiner Sheridan Morley began our celebration the Far East and South America. He at The Ivy with this Coward verse: by Michael Haslam. presented flowers and gave a vote How happy they are I cannot know retired from the frozen stage in the mid When I have fears as Keats had fears Lorna sang a selection But happy am I who loved them so. of thanks for 90’s having stopped skating and being Of the moment I’ll cease to be of Noël's songs, some the marvellous © The Estate of the Late Noël Coward drawn from her recent contributions role in the concert version of Pacific 1860 at that both June WHAT’S ON? ACROSS THE GLOBE (* denotes Premiere, TBC = To be confirmed) New York’s, York Theatre. Amongst her Whitfield and Where known, professional companies are shown in red and amateur companies in black songs was a personal favourite Later Than Lorna Dallas America & Canada Spring used in Sail Away but written had made to Blithe Spirit 24 Apr to 10 May Whitby Courthouse Theatre, Whitby, Ontario originally for a musical film of the same this wonderful Mar to Apr 2004 Denver Center, Denver, CO name that was simply never more than an celebration. Jul to Aug Atlantic Thr. Co., Wolfville, Nova Scotia idea. It is a beautiful expression of the value Robert was Jun to Aug Purple Rose Thr., Chelsea, Mich. Sep to Oct Utah (more information to follow...) of love found later in supported by Hay Fever 7 to 19 Jun The New Harmony Theatre Opening, New Harmony Indiana. life. Mad About the the whole 24 Jun to 31 Aug Utah Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City, Utah, USA. More Boy and Matelot company when info:www.bard.org. written for Graham, he thanked Geoffrey Skinner for June Westport Country Playhouse, Westport, Conn Payn were followed all his care and hard work in Sept.-Oct Pacific Repertory Thr., Carmel, CA by a selection from planning and managing such a Jul Highlands Playhouse, Highlands, South Carolina Pacific 1860 includ- splendid occasion.