In the UK... In North America... Home Chat is the newsletter October 2006 October to December 2006 of The Noël Coward Society FREE TO Blithe Spirit wholly owned by Present Laughter MEMBERS OF 5 to 7 Oct & 10 to 14 Oct - Tabs 16 Nov to 17 Dec – Mad Cow Theatre, Noël Coward Ltd. which is part of the charitable trust: THE SOCIETY Productions, Chatham Theatre, Kent Orlando, Florida Price £3 ($5) 17 to 21 Oct - Cotswold players, The Food For Thought The Noël Coward Foundation. CHAT Cotswold Playhouse, Stroud, At The Players, located at 16 Gramercy Unless otherwise stated all OCTOBER 2006 - THE NEWSLETTER OF THE NOËL COWARD SOCIETY Gloucestershire Park South, New York City. Call 212/362- home images and text are copyright 11 to 14 Oct - Urchfont Players, Village 2560 for information. Two programmes as to NC Aventales AG Hall, Urchfont, Wiltshire follows: All correspondence to: Still Life Fumed Oak - Mon. Nov. 6 - 1:00 pm, and The Noël Coward Society, 7 Oct - Merrow Dramatic Society Shadow Play - 14 Nov - 5:30 pm 29 Waldemar Avenue, Electric Theatre, Guildford, Surrey Blithe Spirit Hellesdon, Norwich, Private Lives 22 Nov to 9 Dec - Belleville Theatre NR6 6TB, UK COWARD CONFERENCE AT OXFORD A RESOUNDING SUCCESS! Present to 4 Nov - Theatre by the Lake, Guild, Pinnacle Street, Bellville, Ontario email: johnknowles@noëlcoward.net hen Noël Coward was famously asked by Tel: +44 (0)1603 486 188 Keswick Hay Fever Dick Cavett, “You’re - you... what is the BARRY DAY HONOURED Fallen Angels 3 Nov to 4 Dec - Center Stage, Baltimore word when one has such terrific, prolific Editor: John Knowles W qualities?” Noël replied “Talent.” as our new Vice President 1 Sep to 31 Dec - Bill Kenwright Ltd, College Assistant Editor: s the final part of the UK Tour 19 to 28 Oct - Borelians Community Ken Starrett Yes talent - the defining quality for those who are Conference programme November and December 2006 theatre, Port Perry, Ontario Publication and Distribution: remembered, studied, seized as mentors and loved for the Private Lives Private Lives Stephen Greenman (UK) richness of their legacy. All of these qualities were A Barry Day was inducted Present to 4 Nov - Theatre by the Lake, Oct. 6-Nov. 30 - Wayne State University Ken Starrett (US) explored in the Society’s first successful conference as our newest Vice Keswick Theater, Detroit Music Correspondent: ‘Future Definite - A Celebration of Noël Coward’ at St. President joining Moira Lister, Blithe Spirit Present Laughter Dominic Vlasto Catherine’s College, Oxford on the first weekend of Sheridan Morley and Stephen Fry. 16 to 25 Nov - Stonegate Amateur 21 Sep to 7 Oct - Stage Centre September. In opening the conference Chairman Barbara Barry was clearly moved when Contributions are invited from Longford said, “Ladies and Gentlemen, A warm welcome accepting this latest honour in dramatic Society, Village Hall, Productions, Scarborough, Ontario members of the Society. Stonegate, East Sussex 2007 to the first residential conference of The Noël Coward recognition of his contribution to The editor reserves the right the world of Coward and the Present Laughter Private Lives to edit all copy, images and Society. Society. In presenting a scroll to 9 to 11 Nov - Lion and Unicorn Players, 13 Jan to 2 Feb, 2007 - Bloor West Village inclusion of items. I would particularly like to thank all those members Festival Hall, Petersfield, Hampshire Players, Bloor Street West, Toronto, Details of items included in who have supported the conference from the outset, when mark the occasion Barbara Sail Away Ontario What’s On? are as received, it was first publicised in Home Chat last October. If you Longford said: with our thanks, from: hadn’t all diligently filled out the expression of interest “And now seems a most 1 to 4 Nov - Theatre 2000, Christchurch, Waiting In The Wings Barry Day OBE and Samuel French UK and appropriate moment to say a few Dorset BO: 01202 480 397 28 Feb to 17 Mar, 2007 - Victoria Theatre forms showing your positive support, we should never Vice President of the Society Canada (Play Publishers and Fallen Angels Guild, Langham Court Thtre, Victoria, BC have been able to get the conference off the ground. This words about Mr Barry Day. I’ve Author's Representatives), conference has been arranged by members for members only known Barry for a few years, but in that short time alone he 1 Sep to 31 Dec - Bill Kenwright Ltd, 30 Mar to 8 Apr, 2007-Little Theatre of Ken Starrett (US), UK Tour New Smyrna Beach, Florida to give us all pleasure, information and inspiration and has done a great deal to help the Society. Last December many of Alan Brodie Representation us travelled to New York for the official opening of the Noël Coward 2007 Blithe Spirit (Professional Productions), an opportunity to get to know one another. It has been Suite at the Algonquin Hotel. Barry had contacted and lunched The Vortex - Will Young - The Royal 4 to 27 May, 2007-Mount Dora Theatre NCS members and funded by us all.” Barbara’s intention of providing a Exchange Theatre from the 17th January Company, Florida theatre companies. celebration rather than a colloquium, created with the British Consul General, Sir Philip Thomas, many months to March 10th 2007. Tickets are 16 Feb to 18 Mar - Central Alberta Thtr involvement at all levels. As she said later in her beforehand and had invited him to make the formal dedication. available on 0161 615 6815 or 0161 833 Soc Red Deer, Alberta For details of rights for introduction, “Finally, as many of you will know, Noël Barry, together with Geoffrey Johnson, chose and sourced 9833 1 to 16 Jun - Theatre Aurora, Aurora, professional productions Coward was concerned that he might not be playbills, photographs, posters, paintings and letters and worked contact: Private Lives Ontario remembered. You may not be aware of it, but I must tirelessly with the Algonquin staff to ensure that the items were Alan Brodie Representation inform you that every single one of the speakers and elegantly displayed in the Suite. And all of us who have seen the 19 to 27 Feb 2007 - The Bancroft 22 May to Jun 2 - Kanata Thtr, Kanata, www.alanbrodie.com Players, The Queen Mother Theatre, Ontario entertainers who are participating in this conference has Noël Coward Suite agree that the end result is quite outstanding. For amateur productions Barry also arranged an unforgettable evening of cabaret for us, in Hitchin, Hertfordshire Fallen Angels contact: agreed to waive their the Oak Room at The Algonquin, with Steve Ross as Master of 19 to 29 Sep 2007 - The Maddermarket 20 Mar to 7 Apr - Ottowa Little Theatre, Samuel French Ltd. fee. They are all Theatre, Norwich Ottawa, Ontario www.samuelfrench.com or participating out of Ceremonies and with the crème de la crème of New York artists – Blithe Spirit www.samuelfrench- love for Noël and his singers and actors performing for us. During the Society’s first visit to New York in 2004, Barry’s 25 to 28 Apr 2007 - Knutsford Little In the Rest of the World... london.co.uk work. What better Theatre, Knutsford, Cheshire Australia For publishing rights for Noël tribute to the Master adaptation of ‘After the Ball’ was in rehearsal at the Irish Repertory Coward contact: 13 to 16 Feb - St Edwards College DS, October and November could we possibly Theatre and he arranged for members to watch rehearsals and meet Methuen wish for. ” the director and designer, Tony Walton. St Edwards College, Liverpool Private Lives www.methuen.co.uk The Seven Stages of Love 19 Oct 2006 - 14 Nov 2006 - Queensland What followed Most recently Barry and Geoffrey Johnson were advisers for the For music rights contact: Service of Thanksgiving for Graham Payn and they also helped to 14 Feb - At the Wigmore Hall, Gillian Theatre Co & State Theatre Co of South Warner Chappell over three days select items for display in the new Noël Coward Theatre. Keith Iestyn Davies, Andrew Kennedy, Australia, Brisbane www.warnerchappell.co.uk revealed just how The King’s Consort and Robert King - a 10 Nov 2006 - 2 Dec 2006 - Queensland significant Noël Indeed, Barry has been the Society’s consultant, friend and concert for Valentine’s Day - includes Theatre Co & State Theatre Co of South Officers of the Society are: Coward is in the adviser, since its inception in 1999. But, we are honouring him arrangements of Noël Coward songs. Australia, Adelaide Chairman: Barbara Longford lives of so many today largely because of his work as a writer about Noël Coward Still Life Merry Noël! General Secretary: people and his and his unique involvement with Graham Payn and the Noël Stephen Greenman importance to the Coward Estate. 2 Mar - After Dark Theatre Company, 17 to 19 Dec - John Michael Swinbank Barbara and Patrick Longford on General Manager: worlds of writing, Outstanding amongst Barry’s many works is his 1998 The Train Station, Carnforth, Lancashire Old Mill Theatre in South Perth - six John Knowles the Oxford Walk at the conference composing and publication: Noël Coward “The Complete Lyrics”, that was (Where the station scenes of the film performances.www.bocsticketing.com.au North American Director: Continued on column 2 page 2... Brief Encounter were shot) Ken Starrett theatre. Continued on column 1 page 2... Page 12 Details of Coward Birthday Events inside - PLUS news of our latest event at Birmingham ON WITH THE DANCE! ...continued from column 1 page 1 ...continued from column 2 page 1 he Society is organising a very special event in demonstration/tuition of the dance-styles of that era, under the For the 13 students attending the conference it was a written to celebrate the Centenary.