In the UK... Fumed Oak and Red Peppers Home Chat is the newsletter Production News: 6 & 7 Ju - Aldborough Players, Community of The Noël Coward Society FREE TO The National Theatre has announced that Centre, Aldborough, Norfolk - directed by wholly owned by MEMBERS OF PRESENT LAUGHTER will open at the NCS Secretary John Knowles Noël Coward Ltd. which is THE SOCIETY Lyttleton in October with Alex Jennings. Blithe Spirit part of the charitable trust: Price £2 ($4) June 2007 8 to 25 Jul - St Austell Players, St Austell The Noël Coward Foundation. Hay Fever Arts Centre, St Austell, Cornwall JUNE 2007 - THE NEWSLETTER OF THE NOËL COWARD SOCIETY Unless otherwise stated all 5 Feb to 18 Jun - UK tour Peter Hall / Bill 18 to 29 Aug - Medway Little Theatre, CHAT images and text are copyright Kenwright production with Stephanie Rochester, Kent to NC Aventales AG Beacham & Christopher Timothy will be at 7 & 8 Aug - Rutherglen Repertory Theatre, All correspondence to: the Churchill Theatre, Bromley (0870 060 Town Hall, Rutherglen, Glasgow, Scotland The Noël Coward Society, COWARD IN TEN - OPENS AT TEN CHIMNEYS 6620) - from Mon 9th to Sat 14th April. The Vortex 29 Waldemar Avenue, 29 Jun to 7 Jul - Hever Lakeside Theatre 13 to 18 Aug - Centre Stage Theatre Coim- Hellesdon, Norwich, en Chimneys, the incredible estate in Genesee Coward In Ten poster at Ten Chimneys Cavalcade pany, Diverse Attractions, Edinburgh NR6 6TB, UK Depot, Wisconsin, that belonged to Alfred Lunt and 7 to 9 Jun - The City Lit, John Lyon Per- Private Lives [email protected] Lynn Fontanne, opened to the public in May 2003 Tel: +44 (0) 1603 486 188 formance Hall, London Jill Freud & Co - 28 Aug to 1 Sep - Alde- after years of painstaking restoration. When the Lunts lived there, many celebrated people in the arts were Cowardy Custard Tour burgh Summer Theatre 6 to 15 Sep - South- Editor: John Knowles Tue 5th June 2.30pm wold Summer Theatre Ass. Editor:Ken Starrett Twelcome guests. Noël Coward, a life-long friend of The Norwich City College, Norwich September and October Publication and Distribution: Lunts, was a frequent visitor and had his own room there. 01603 773582 Private Lives Stephen Greenman (UK) This year on April 27th, the Ten Chimneys Foundation Wed 6th June 7.30pm 19 to 29 Sep 2007 - The Maddermarket Ken Starrett (US) opened a special exhibition devoted to the friendships, life Kings Theatre Southsea Theatre, Norwich Music Correspondent: and career of Sir Noël Coward. This exhibition was created in 023 9282 8282 18 to 20 Oct - Barcombe Players, Bar- Dominic Vlasto collaboration with The Noël Coward Estate, The Noël Cow- Thu 7th June TBC combe, East Sussex ard Foundation and The Noël Coward Society, Contributions are invited from The Mill Arts Centre, Banbury November At the opening reception, President of Ten Chimneys, members of the Society. Sean Malone, welcomed Barry Day, author of many books on 01295 279002 Fallen Angels The editor reserves the right Sat 9th June 8.00pm 22 Nov to 1 Dec - Sewell Barn Theatre to edit all copy, images and Coward, by presenting him with a cake and candle, as this West End Centre, Aldershot Company, Sewwell Barn Theatre, Norwich decide on inclusion of items. was, coincidentally, his birthday. Everyone joined in singing 01252 330040 Details included in Happy Birthday. Favorite anecdotes about Coward were re- Sat. 23 June In North America... ‘What’s On?’ are as received, lated to the audience by Mr. Day. The next guest presented Kings Lynn Arts Centre` May and June 2007 with our thanks, from: was Alan Brodie, agent for The Noël Coward Estate, who Present Laughter Present Laughter Samuel French UK and gave thanks to the staff of Ten Chimneys for their exhibition 14 to 16 Jun - Creakes Drama Group, Village May 18 - June 17, 2007 Canada (Play Publishers and honoring Noël Coward. Mr. Brodie spoke of the sharp Cow- Author’s Representatives), Hall, North Creake, Fakenham, Norf. Victor Garber stars with the Huntington ard quips that he enjoyed. Ken Starrett, North American Di- Ken Starrett (US), rector of The Noël Coward Society, followed by telling the Blithe Spirit Theatre Company Boston, Massachusetts Alan Brodie Representation 22 to 23 Jun - Magpies DG, Village Hall, BO: 617/266-0800 (Professional Productions), audience how Coward made comic use of brief messages in Matfield, Kent Blithe Spirit NCS members and telegrams. Sean Malone next welcomed Geoffrey Johnson, 21 to 23 Jun - Staines Players, Chertsey Hall, 4 to 27 May, 2007 - Mount Dora Theatre theatre companies. agent and long-time friend of Noël Coward. Mr. Johnson Cherstey, Surrey Company, Florida made a presentation to Mr. Malone of a triptych photo of Artefacts on display at Ten Chimneys 27 to 30 Jun - St James Players, New 1 to 16 Jun - Theatre Aurora, Aurora, For details of rights for Noël, Alfred and Lynn for display in the exhibition. Coward Malden, Surrey Ontario professional productions: always kept this photo on his bedside table. Mr. Malone Relative Values 22 May to Jun 2 - Kanata Thtr, Kanata, ON Alan Brodie Representation stated that when the exhibition was finished, the photo would www.alanbrodie.com 6 to 21 Jun - St. Mary’s Theatre Club, Town Aug. 15 – 26 Williamstown Theatre Festi- reside permanently in Coward's bedroom in Ten Chimneys For amateur rights People attending this reception were able to view the ex- Hall, St. Mary’s Isles of Scilly val, Berkshire MASS. Samuel French Ltd. Red Peppers August 2007 www.samuelfrench.com or hibition which includes photographs, playbills, sheet music, Dewsbury Arts Group: Bitter Sweet www.samuelfrench- video clips of Coward's films, television appearances, and 9 Jun - Southport Arts Centre, Southport, 18 to 26 Aug, 2007 Light Opera Works – london.co.uk personal memorabilia, Mounted on the walls of the room are Lancashire Illinois Music Theatre Cahn Auditorium, For publishing rights: ten large photographic panels with text, each presenting a 16 Jun - Sheffield Library Theatre Evanston, IllinoisCall 845/869-6300 or Methuen view of a particular point in Coward's life - The Boy Actor - Private Lives www.LightOperaWorks.com www.methuen.co.uk The Daring Playwright - The Blithe Celebrity - The Renais- - for a full list see www.noëlcoward.net Items in red are professional companies 28 to 30 Jun - Actors of North Tawton, Town Waiting In The Wings For music rights: sance Man - The Not-So-Secret Agent - The Dear Friend - Warner Chappell Hall, North Tawton, North Devon 30 Mar to 8 Apr, 2007-Little Theatre of The Ten Chimneys Guest - The Forgotten Icon - The Rein- www.warnerchappell.co.uk Two of the ‘Ten Cowards’ This Happy Breed New Smyrna Beach, Florida vented Star and The Master. 4 to 9 Jun - Playmakers, Herne Bay Little Officers of the Society are: Three glass showcases in the middle of the room contain Theatre, Herne Bay, Kent Highlighted Production Chairman: Barbara Longford many fascinatging personal artifacts, such as a pair of slip- Hay Fever The Tyrone Guthrie Theatre Secretary: John Knowles pers given to Coward by Merle Oberon. Sean Malone and his 14 to 16 Jun - Drama 13, Baptist Church Minneapolis, Minnesota Treasurer: Stephen Greenman staff should be justifiably proud of this wonderful exhibition Hall, King’s Heath, Birmingham PRIVATE LIVES Public Relations: which will go far in acquainting people with the life and July and August 2007 July 21 - September 02 Jan Penn and Denys Robinson works of Sir Noël Coward. It will be on display until No- Hay Fever For tickets and information North American Director: vember 10, 2007. Ken Starrett 18 to 21 Jul - Runnymede Drama Group, call: 612/377 224 On the evening of April 28th “Conversation With Geof- Representative for France: frey Johnson.” was presented in the Visitors’ Center at Ten The Riverside Barn, Walton-On-Thames This is one of the most prestigious Hélène Catsiapis 15 to 25 Aug - The Edinburgh Makars, Mur- regional theatres in America, having been Chimneys. The audience was charmed by Mr. Johnson as he WHAT’S ON? Australian Representative: rayfield Parish Church hall, Edinburgh founded by Sir Tyrone Guthrie in 1963 Robert Wickham spoke of his incredible experiences during the years he Page 12 worked for Noël Coward. Knowing Coward also meant get- Artefacts on display at Ten Chimneys What Mad Pursuit (1985, w/Carroll Baker, Neil Cunningham, Bonus features: ting to know many of the celebrities who were a part of his Paul Daneman) life. Everyone was delighted by a story he told about a cock- This DVD set is described by the producers as follows: tail party at Coward's home in Switzerland, when a particular Disc 4: Noël Coward was a master playwright whose prodigious guest had not wanted to attend. At Coward's emphatic insis- Tonight at 8:30 talent dominated the theatre of the 1920s & 30s. The Vortex tence, she appeared and Mr. Johnson got to meet the great This is a mystery, because the play was made up of several made him an immediate hit and controversial sensation. Hay Garbo. At the end of the evening he graciously answered short ones. The only broadcast using the title I could find Fever, Private Lives, and Design for Living are as popular questions from the audience. This was the perfect occasion was a 1954 NBC Producers Showcase, including Red Pep- today as when they were first performed. His series of one- to end two days of paying tribute to The Master. pers, Still Life, and We Were Dancing. However, this disc acts Tonight at 8:30 which he performed with Gertrude Ken Starrett will include Red Peppers (1991, w/Joan Collins, Anthony Lawrence have become a treasure trove for modern theater Photographs by Alan Brodie and Ken Starrett Newley).