THE NEWSLETTER OF THE NOËL COWARD SOCIETY - AUGUST 2009 Free to members of the Society Price £2 ($4) President: HRH The Duke of Kent, KG, GCMG, GCVO, ADC Vice Presidents: Tammy Grimes • Penelope Keith CBE • Barry Day OBE • Stephen Fry 2009 • The Year of the Society’s 10th Anniversary PENELOPE KEITH appointed as Society Vice President Gala Evening at the Noël Coward Room, the Hampton Hill Playhouse and RELATIVE VALUES eddington’s association with Noël Coward adopted a new strand at the Gala Evening jointly hosted by The Teddington Theatre Club and The Noël Coward Society at the Hampton Hill Playhouse on Sunday 5th July, when Penelope Keith CBE, DL was officially appointed as a Vice President of The Noël Coward Society. Miss Keith and her husband attended a champagne reception T held in the Coward Room at the Playhouse where over 60 NCS members and members of the Teddington Theatre Club applauded her appointment. Miss Keith met many members at the reception including two new members from Cambridge University - one of whom told us, “ I was so surprised that she spent all of our time together asking about my interest in Noël Coward, my future plans and forthcoming entry into drama college - she was so interested in us! - it was marvellous to meet her. ” Dominic Vlasto and guests Miss Keith was welcomed by NCS Chairman Barbara Longford who said: “Welcome to the tenth anniversary celebrations of the Noël Coward Society and the Teddington Theatre Club at the Hampton Hill Playhouse. This event was conceived about a year ago, when Jean Goodwin, the club’s Artistic Chairman contacted the Society and invited us to join their celebrations. A Coward play, they Penelope Keith as Judith Bliss in ‘Hay Fever’ thought would be the most appropriate and Roger Smith would be the best director for ‘Relative Values’ particularly as Roger had done much work, as Chairman, to help build this excellent theatre. It’s very good to see the President of the theatre club, here today – Eric Yardley. Eric is an old friend of our Society and he was responsible for raising the funds – at least £850,000 - towards the building of this theatre. On behalf of Society members, thank you to the staff of the Teddington Theatre Club, for helping us to host this celebration and a particular thanks to the organiser – Sue Bell. Penelope Keith and Eric Yardley On the Society side, we are delighted that Alan and Alison Brodie have been able to join us today. Alan is the Chairman of the Noël Coward Foundation, which made a significant donation towards the funding of this theatre and which also gives greatly valued encouragement and funding to our own Society. Amongst our distinguished members, I should like particularly to welcome Blanche Blackwell and Michael Cox, as they were both personal friends of the man we still call ‘The Master’. Indeed, we are all honoured today to be joined by one of this country’s best loved actresses– Miss Penelope Keith and her husband, Mr Rodney Timson. Penelope starred in two of the most successful situation comedies in entertainment history, first as Margot Ledbetter in ‘The Good Life’ and later as Audrey Fforbes-Hamilton in ‘To the Manor Born’ and this year she is celebrating 50 years in the profession. Penelope must be one of the few actresses to have played Penelope Keith, Barbara Longford and Stephen Greenman A Booking form is enclosed for our 10th Anniversary event at the Hurlingham Club both Amanda in ‘Private Lives’ and Madame Arcati, in ‘Blithe Amanda’ and I did that on the Spirit’. And as well as her extensive work in the theatre, television. I then played Judith Bliss Penelope is also the President of the Actors’ Benevolent fund, a in London and a year later played role she took over on the death of Lord Olivier. She served as it on television and was reunited High Sheriff of Surrey from 2002 -2003 and is now Deputy with an actor with whom I had Lieutenant of the County. She was appointed C.B.E., in 2007. worked off and on for four Miss Keith was chosen to succeed the late Moira Lister, as years, Paul Eddington who Vice President, by all our members because we feel that of all played David Bliss. So that the actresses who have played Coward in recent years, your was a nice rounding of the performances have best reflected the style and standards of circle. I think after that I which Noël Coward himself would have wholeheartedly did a concert version of approved.” ‘After The Ball’ with Stephen Greenman presented Miss Keith with her scroll of opera singers - which appointment and a gift from the Noël Coward, London Office, was fascinating. I now part of the NCS Archive Collection. played the Duchess Stephen said: “ Members of the Society regard you as an of Bristol and that was actress of high comedy par excellence and we are very my only chance to be a fortunate that you have performed so many of Noël Coward’s ‘diseuse.’ Then we went on to signature roles including if I may say, the definitive Chicago and did it there. I came representation of Judith Bliss in ‘Hay Fever’ both on stage in back and did a wireless the West-End and for the BBC recording. version of ‘A Suite in Three More recently as Madame Arcati, in ‘Blithe Spirit’ at the Keys.’ I was then asked to Savoy Theatre, the critics were effusive and if I can paraphrase play Arcati and of course Charles Spencer for a moment, he wrote: leapt at the chance to ‘With Penelope Keith, that most gloriously mannered of play it - the right age theatrical grand dames, Madame Arcati, sniffs for ectoplasm this time. like a hungry hunting dog, throwing cucumber sandwiches And that was the over her shoulder with mad abandon, making this comedy last Coward play I about death still to die for.’ did. I feel I have I believe we have cucumber sandwiches on the menu today come full circle should the urge take you... on behalf of all our members it is now and I suppose my very great honour and pleasure to present you with this the only progression is scroll to welcome you as Vice President of the Noël Coward ‘Waiting in the Wings’ but I am Society and this small gift, a first edition of Sir Noël’s only going to wait a few years. ! novel: Pomp & Circumstance, as a memento of the occasion Meanwhile I feel very honoured to be your today. Miss Keith, Welcome to the society and thank you.” Vice President, thank you so much for asking me. ” In reply Miss Keith said: “Thank you very much indeed I feel very honoured to be a Vice President. I have been lucky enough to play quite a few Coward roles in my time. When I was at drama school I was in a production of ‘Still Life’ and I had the wonderful part, Joyce Carey’s part, and one of the only things I can remember about that was having to say, ‘cake or pastry?’ then when I went into rep., they did ‘Design for Living.’ I didn’t play Gilda, I played the maid and I had to pick up the telephone and say ‘allo’ and then go on saying ‘allo’ for about five times. However I progressed because when I went into rep. at Cheltenham I played Madame Arcati, I think I was about 25 at the time, and I remember thinking then, I need another bash at this when I’ve had a little bit more experience. The next time I spoke something from Coward was when I auditioned for the Royal Shakespeare Company and I chipped in something from the modern repertoire - an item I thought fitted the bill. I had been reading some Noël Coward short stories and I lifted a paragraph from a story.... called ‘Star Quality’ which was quite PHOTOS: taken by Andrew Weeks and John Knowles rude about directors, I thought that might cheer them up. So I and received from Miss Keith and Teddington Theatre Club. chose that little knowing that I would be lucky enough to create that part on stage some years later. The evening was completed by a performance of the After that I played in ‘Fallen Angels’ with Fenella Fielding Teddington Theatre Club’s production of Relative Values at Watford and then I was really lucky. A marvellous producer Coward’s famed comedy of manners written in the 1950s and at the BBC phoned me up one day and said, ‘Would you like to built on a clash between the cultures of Hollywood and the play Amanda?’ To my eternal shame I actually said to Cedric English aristocracy - to great effect. (Messina), ‘Amanda who?’ But it did turn out to be ‘the A Gala Evening to be remembered! Page 2 The Launch of the Cambridge University COWARD AT CAMBRIDGE Faculty of the Noël Coward Society he most significant event in this our tenth anniversary year must surely be the launch, by students of Trinity College Cambridge, of their own branch of the Society. When most of us have joined the feathered choir, these talented young people will, to quote our distinguished TVice President, Mr Barry Day; Balliol College, Oxford, “keep the Coward flame burning.” What a day they gave us! Such style. Such panache. Such professionalism. And oh, the energy of youth. Members were bowled over by the sheer joy the students brought to the proceedings. This was one of our most pleasurable Society events to date.