Post on 08-Sep-2018
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
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.”
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
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.
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
President: HRH The Duke of Kent, KG, GCMG, GCVO, ADCVice Presidents: Tammy Grimes • Penelope Keith CBE • Barry Day OBE • Stephen Fry
THE NEWSLETTER OF THE NOËL COWARD SOCIETY - AUGUST 2009
2009 • The Year of the Society’s 10th Anniversary
Free to members
of the Society
Price £2 ($4)
A Booking form is enclosed for our 10th Anniversary event at the Hurlingham Club
TPENELOPE KEITH appointed as Society Vice President
Gala Evening at the Noël Coward Room, the Hampton Hill Playhouse and RELATIVE VALUES
Penelope Keith as Judith Bliss in ‘Hay Fever’
Penelope Keith, Barbara Longford and Stephen Greenman
Penelope Keith and Eric Yardley
Dominic Vlasto and guests
Page 2
Amanda’ and I did that on the
television. I then played Judith Bliss
in London and a year later played
it on television and was reunited
with an actor with whom I had
worked off and on for four
years, Paul Eddington who
played David Bliss. So that
was a nice rounding of the
circle. I think after that I
did a concert version of
‘After The Ball’ with
opera singers - which
was fascinating. I
played the Duchess
of Bristol and that was
my only chance to be a
‘diseuse.’ Then we went on to
Chicago and did it there. I came
back and did a wireless
version of ‘A Suite in Three
Keys.’ I was then asked to
play Arcati and of course
leapt at the chance to
play it - the right age
this time.
And that was the
last Coward play I
did. I feel I have
come full circle
now and I suppose
the only progression is
‘Waiting in the Wings’ but I am
going to wait a few years. . . !
Meanwhile I feel very honoured to be your
Vice President, thank you so much for asking me.”
The evening was completed by a performance of the
Teddington Theatre Club’s production of Relative Values
Coward’s famed comedy of manners written in the 1950s and
built on a clash between the cultures of Hollywood and the
English aristocracy - to great effect.
A Gala Evening to be remembered!
both Amanda in ‘Private Lives’ and Madame Arcati, in ‘Blithe
Spirit’. And as well as her extensive work in the theatre,
Penelope is also the President of the Actors’ Benevolent fund, a
role she took over on the death of Lord Olivier. She served as
High Sheriff of Surrey from 2002 -2003 and is now Deputy
Lieutenant of the County. She was appointed C.B.E., in 2007.
Miss Keith was chosen to succeed the late Moira Lister, as
Vice President, by all our members because we feel that of all
the actresses who have played Coward in recent years, your
performances have best reflected the style and standards of
which Noël Coward himself would have wholeheartedly
approved.”
Stephen Greenman presented Miss Keith with her scroll of
appointment and a gift from the Noël Coward, London Office,
now part of the NCS Archive Collection.
Stephen said: “Members of the Society regard you as an
actress of high comedy par excellence and we are very
fortunate that you have performed so many of Noël Coward’s
signature roles including if I may say, the definitive
representation of Judith Bliss in ‘Hay Fever’ both on stage in
the West-End and for the BBC recording.
More recently as Madame Arcati, in ‘Blithe Spirit’ at the
Savoy Theatre, the critics were effusive and if I can paraphrase
Charles Spencer for a moment, he wrote:
‘With Penelope Keith, that most gloriously mannered of
theatrical grand dames, Madame Arcati, sniffs for ectoplasm
like a hungry hunting dog, throwing cucumber sandwiches
over her shoulder with mad abandon, making this comedy
about death still to die for.’
I believe we have cucumber sandwiches on the menu today
should the urge take you... on behalf of all our members it is
my very great honour and pleasure to present you with this
scroll to welcome you as Vice President of the Noël Coward
Society and this small gift, a first edition of Sir Noël’s only
novel: Pomp & Circumstance, as a memento of the occasion
today. Miss Keith, Welcome to the society and thank you.”
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
rude about directors, I thought that might cheer them up. So I
chose that little knowing that I would be lucky enough to create
that part on stage some years later.
After that I played in ‘Fallen Angels’ with Fenella Fielding
at Watford and then I was really lucky. A marvellous producer
at the BBC phoned me up one day and said, ‘Would you like to
play Amanda?’ To my eternal shame I actually said to Cedric
(Messina), ‘Amanda who?’ But it did turn out to be ‘the
PHOTOS: taken by Andrew Weeks and John Knowles
and received from Miss Keith and Teddington Theatre Club.
Page 3
are hung with portraits of Francis Bacon, the Duke of Sussex
and the Marquis of Granby. There is a large Adam fireplace, a
Wedgewood ceiling and many tall gilt framed mirrors. Perhaps
not an ideal setting for a play written and placed in 1929,
nevertheless it was an intimate space and when Sibyl and Elyot
entered our disbelief was immediately suspended. Lizzy
Barber (Sybil) who gave a consistently estimable performance,
was wearing appropriate flapper clothing and pure silk
stockings and despite the potentially upsetting circumstances of
having to abandon the original set, she and Alexander Owen
(Elyot) gave us a fine opening scene and as they departed to
dress for dinner, Gertrude Lawrence’s recording of ‘Someday
I’ll Find You’ was playing.
Johan Munir, an utterly credible Victor, in dinner jacket and
wing collared bow tie, looked most distinctly in period, and,
with his jaunty moustache, like a young Ramon Novarro. His
clear and precise diction was a delight.
A surprising aspect of this production was the ferocity of
the quarrel scenes, which the cast attacked with enormous
passion and gusto. No actors I’ve previously seen have made
the arguments and fights quite so hot, raw and credible. Indeed
at one point I feared for Sybil’s health when she became
entangled trying to separate the warring Elyot and Amanda in
Act III. The initial quarrel between Sibyl and Elyot in Act I
was exciting and effective leading to the hilarious lines,
Sibyl: “mother was
perfectly right. She said you
had shifty eyes”.
Elyot: “Well, she can’t
talk. Hers are so close
together, you couldn’t put a
needle between them.”
Elizabeth Donnelly
(Amanda) and Alexander
Owen (Elyot) were a little
disappointing when acting
together in the incomparable
love scene of Act I. There
was a lack of rapport
between them and one
couldn’t believe they were
madly in love. Alex Owen
did not make the most of the
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
Vice 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.
From the Society’s side, the protagonist was NCS
Secretary, Denys Robinson, himself a graduate of Brasenose
College, Oxford, who has been working with the students for
many months encouraging their interest in Coward and signing
them up for Society membership. From Trinity College,
Alexander Winterbotham took the lead; already the President
of the University’s Dryden Society, he masterminded the
productions and the development of the new faculty.
On Thursday 11th June thirty members made their way to
Cambridge on a sunny morning for a student performance of
‘Private Lives’ in the large, peaceful and immaculately kept
Fellows’ Garden of Trinity College. Alex Winterbotham, who
directed the play, was waiting to greet us and issue our tickets,
but within seconds our infamous British weather kicked in with
a vengeance. A huge cloudburst saw us all scuttling off
towards various trees underneath which sheltered diverse
groups of members clutching glistening umbrellas and trying to
behave with some sang
froid.
I saw some of the
actors, waiting in the
open air wings,
Elizabeth Donnelly
(Amanda) in a short
sleeveless silk dress,
high heels and stockings
and young gents in black
tie, with rapidly sodden
trouser legs. As the
deluge continued, a
performance in the open
air became out of the
question and the Rob
Mills’ set had to be
abandoned.
Members were then
guided out of the lovely gardens, across the Queen’s Road (the
Backs) and into the hallowed precincts of Trinity College; one
of the loveliest places in England. We waited outside the
College Hall, for the production team to reassemble the
furniture and props. Some members had dressed with distinct
panache. Anthony Skyrme, sporting his flamboyant mutton
chop whiskers, had dressed in white flannels, a striped 1930’s
period pullover, necktie and jaunty straw boater. Naturally, he
had been punting on the Cam before lunch.
When the stage set was reassembled, we entered the Old
Combination Room for the performances. The Georgian
windows of this elegant room overlook the quad and its walls
COWARD AT CAMBRIDGE The Launch of the Cambridge University Faculty of the Noël Coward Society
T
Alexander Winterbotham and Elizabeth Donnelly
Alexander Winterbotham
Elizabeth Donnelly
Page 4
sexual longing implicit in the line “There isn’t a particle of you
that I don’t know, remember, and want.” However, by the time
they reached Amanda’s apartment in Paris in Act II, they had
both become comfortable in their roles and the love and
passion were played for real. Now Elizabeth Donnelly had
grown into the role and was a convincing Amanda.
Incidentally, Elyot was unable to “look awfully sweet in your
little dressing-gown”, the line was cut as he wasn’t wearing
one. It may have been sodden in the earlier downpour.
Act II was particularly effective and very moving. There
were tears in my eyes when
Elyot spoke about his trip round
the world and all the beautiful
things he’d seen .... “scarlet
flamingoes flying over deep,
deep blue water. Breathlessly
lovely, and completely unexciting
because you weren’t there to see
them with me”. ‘You were There’
has always been my favourite
Coward song and Alex Owen
brought out the full poignancy of
that universally experienced loss.
Similarly with the lines about desire fading along with passion
and Amanda saying “Oh dear, shall we like that?” Elyot: “It
all depends on how well we’ve played”, Alex Owen
emphasised the enigma inherent in that thought.
This production allowed us to look at Private Lives afresh.
Members were particularly impressed to see a play with which
we are all so familiar, given a new interpretation by such gifted
young students.
After an interval of canapés and Pimms, we settled down to
watch the cabaret, which had been conceived to take place in
the Old Combination Room. Billed as
A Light Evening of Noël Coward’s Music, it
was produced by Elizabeth Donnelly and
Alexander Winterbotham, with the
assistance and advice of NCS music expert,
Dominic Vlasto. Johan Munir has a lovely
singing voice also and his ‘Nina’ was
delivered at full strength with great
confidence and was accompanied by a
dance by Jennie Dunne and Tadhgh Barwell
O’Connor. The sweet voices of Hannah
Blaikie and Charlotte Reid, a blonde and a
brunette both wearing short black silk
dresses with black shoes and stockings,
gave an attractive ‘Someday I’ll Find You’,
which was followed by a mature and self-
assured version of ‘I Wonder What
Happened to Him?’ with excellent timing
and use of pauses, by Simon Haines. Then
Lizzy Barber, who had been simply perfect
in the role of Sybil, sang ‘Mrs Worthington’, with a little too
much acting technique. The words of the song don’t really
need of such support. But her performance was very well
received. After a second interval, with more canapés and
bubbly, wearing a black dress and sequinned bolero Georgina
Hunt sang a version of ‘Mad About the Boy’, similar to that of
Julie London, with which I think Noël himself would have
been delighted.
The penultimate song was a pleasurable ‘Uncle Harry’,
performed by Alexander Winterbotham and then Denys
Robinson took the floor to deliver his vote of thanks.
Denys began by welcoming the Chairman of the Noël
Coward Society, Barbara Longford; the Treasurer, Stephen
Greenman and the Editor and Webmaster, John Knowles. He
then talked about another Committee member, Robert
Gardiner, who was unable to be present because as a Trustee of
the Noël Coward Foundation, Robert was attending a Trustees
Meeting at Les Avants. Robert had generously agreed to
underwrite the funding required for the launch of the
Cambridge faculty. However, because so many NCS members
had turned out, despite transport strikes, it was hoped that
Robert would not have to dig too
deeply into his own pockets. We all
expressed our appreciation for
Robert’s kind gesture. Denys then
credited Alexander Winterbotham,
Elizabeth Donnelly, Emily Tesh,
Salvador Lloret Farina and Rob
Mills with leading roles in setting
up the Cambridge branch. He also
thanked Joe Bunker for his skilled
piano accompaniment and Dominic
Vlasto, who was unable to be
present, for his expert musical
advice.
Denys talked about the characters of Victor and Sybil. In
this production they were by no means also rans and their
characters were given equal prominence with Elyot and
Amanda. This, said Denys, was a commendable aspect of
Alex’s production and was close to Coward’s intention. They
were not simply figures of fun and we were allowed today to
see matters clearly from their perspective.
Denys then read an extract from The Noël Coward Diaries,
as follows.
“Oh, how fortunate I was to have been
born poor. If Mother had been able to afford
to send me to private school, Eton and Oxford
or Cambridge, it would have probably set me
back years. I have always distrusted too much
education and intellectualism; it seems to me
that they are always dead wrong about things
that really matter................. I believe that had
my early formative years been passed in more
assured circumstances I might quite easily
have slipped into preciousness; as it was I
merely had to slip out of precociousness and
bring home the bacon.”
Member Stuart Griffiths, a former
President of the Oxford Union, referred to the
quotation later and commented that if Pinter,
Osborne or Stoppard had read English at
Oxford or Cambridge, in his opinion it would
have totally cramped their style and originality.
The evening concluded with ‘A Bar on the
Piccola Marina’, sung by Tadhgh Barwell O’Connor, with
accompanied movements mimed by Tamara Astor, who,
although tall, young and slim, did very well as the tipsy and
middle-aged Mrs Wentworth-Brewster.
On behalf of the Committee and members, a particular
thanks to Denys Robinson and Alex Winterbotham, who has
written to me to say “I can’t wait for more similar events to
take place in the future; I think this society branch has a huge
potential to attract a cult following and great acclaim.” Our
sentiments entirely.
Barbara Longford
Alexander Winterbotham, Lizzy Barber and
Johan Munir
Anthony Skyrme, Tamara Astor and Oliver Davey
Page 5
that I knew actually when I had been there for only a few days.
Principal among these was the abiding loyalty among
Australians to England.”
Kerry Hailstone and John Knowles
A pdf of the complete programme is available from the
Members’ Page on the newly redesigned NCS website at
www.noelcoward.net (members will have been informed of
the passwords for this part of the website in the letter they
received on joining or renewing their membership).
rogrammes are rarely scarcer
than this one from one of Noël
Coward's 1940 appearances in
Sydney. It was sent to Australian
NCS member, Kerry Hailstone
by a Sydney member of the Australian Noël
Coward Appreciation Society. The front
cover pen sketch captures Noël Coward as
he was for Australians in 1940. It is
interesting to see how the programme was
arranged with information on the object of
the fund-raising event to support those in
Britain made homeless by the bombing
during the Battle of Britain that took place
in the Summer and Autumn of 1940.
Coward writes in Future Indefinite:
“ My farewell performance in Sydney,
which closed my tour , was a special
matinée given in aid of the bombed-out
victims of the London blitzes. Lord Gowrie drove in a hundred
miles from the country to support it and all the leading artists
of Australia appeared willingly and gladly as theatre people
always do. It was a tremendous success and, with the help of
generous donations, a total of two thousand pounds was
raised.”
In the preface to the published book of the broadcasts he
made in Australia and New Zealand at this time, Australia
Visited, he wrote,
“My visit to Australia was a strange experience and a very
moving one. I
toured all the
states of that
unique continent
in seven weeks.
There was not
time to absorb
many details of
the war effort
there, but there
are some things
ORPHANS OF THE STORMA programme from a special matinee show featuring Noël Coward
during his war-time visit to Australia in1940.
P
Noël broadcasting in Australia
HOME CHAT ONLINE:This edition of Home Chat can be seen online at
http://www.noelcoward.net/members/members.html
together with recent back copies of the magazine.
This library of past editions will be extended to allow new
members to catch up on past articles and series pieces in
the magazine. Your password to access these pages is
included in your membership acceptance letter.
n Cole Lesley’s biography of Noël Coward he recalls the
joy felt by Noël with the initial success of his play I‘ll
Leave It to You.
“For the first time he found fans waiting for him
outside the stage door, as he had done in earlier years for
Pavlova, Gertie Millar or Lily Elsie. From then on unless he
was hopelessly late or for some other valid reason, he never
refused to give his autograph. ‘When I was young, I wanted
more than anything to be a star; when I became one I realised
it brought certain obligations. As long as there are people who
wait for my autograph, I shall give it. And if the day ever
comes when no one waits, I shall miss it dreadfully.’ the
unthinking behaviour of fellow-stars who brushed their
fans aside upset him. ‘You mark my words the day will
come...’ And it did for some of them; not for Noël.”
In earlier childhood days we know that Noël spent
hours perfecting his signature in preparation for the
stardom that he knew would come. The following story
gives an example of an early Coward signature that was
to develop into the unique autograph of Noël Coward.
Jean Goodwin, the Artistic Director of the
Teddington Theatre Club wrote an article in the latest
edition of the Teddington Theatre Club magazine about this
recent find amongst the items in their archive:
“A historical detective story this month. Found in our
script cupboard recently, together with books about Noël
Coward, a beautiful 1910 edition of ‘The Sleeping Beauty
and other fairy tales from the Old French,’ retold by
A.T.Quiller-Couch and Illustrated by Edmund Dulac. The
book bears the inscription:
‘To Mrs Clifford Mills with best love from all her
Rainbow Children - mortals and fairies - & with love from
those that take care of the children in their work - A book of
fairy tales - To one
who has written us a
beautiful new one -
Garrick Theatre 1915-
16’
It includes the
signature of Noël
Coward and Italia
Conti.
Mrs Clifford Mills
was a co-author (with
John Ramsey) of the
then highly popular
children’s play, ‘Where
the Rainbow Ends,’
which was premiered
in 1911 and performed
almost every
Christmas in various West End theatres until World War II.
After the war, it fell out of favour because of its overt Empire
content but is still in Samuel French’s play list today.
For the 1911 production, Italia Conti was asked to train the
children and this marked the beginnings of the Italia Conti
Academy. Noël Coward (aged 12) was in this as well as the
1915-16 production which was the subject of this presentation.
Coward went on to appear in the play until he was 22 at least,
obviously moving from a child to an adult role. At various
times, he appears in the play with Jack Hawkins and Gertrude
Lawrence.
The book has been put in our Coward display cabinet for
all to see. But if anyone can remember how we acquired this
precious item please let me know.” Jean Goodwin
The finely honed version of Coward’s autograph we know
was not the only signature he used.
In Barry Day’s book, The Letters of Noël Coward there are
singularly familiar sign-offs such as RABBIT’S BOTTOM and
Annamary Dickey to
intimates and of course
Noël, Noël, Noely and Noelie
and on later occasions,
Master.
A recent acquisition shows this signature of the Master on
two cards to the actress Stella Moray who in 1962 appeared as
Maimie Candijack, and understudied Elaine Stritch, in Sail
Away at London’s Savoy Theatre.
The dedication with shown above with Noël’s normal
signature is in a copy of The Theatrical Companion to Coward
sent to Stella at the time. The correspondence relates to the
sending and receiving of good wishes and a gift during the
production run. “Mr. Candyjack” [sic] is a reference to Elmer
Candijack, Stella’s stage husband in the show.
On his paintings Noël adopted an almost childlike signature
often painted in block capitals with a stiff-bristled filbert brush
but sometimes he used mixed upper and lower case letters. In
later paintings he occasionally used a version of his written
signature.
Although we know that his signature has been successfully
forged at times, its distinctive use of the dieresis and an
elongated ‘C’ across the ‘o’ of Noël plus the sweeping ‘N’ of
Noël and the long tail of the ‘d’ in Coward make a flowing and
unhesitant signature difficult for the copyist.
For Noël his signature was as much a statement about
himself as any of the other tools he applied to his iconic image
and trade.
Given Coward’s thoughts on signing autographs it was
interesting to note that at a recent Coward event at Pizza On
The Park a famous film actor refused to give his autograph...
mm... we haven’t seen him in much lately either...!John Knowles
Page 6
A SIGN OF THE TIMES A look at the signatures of Noël Coward and the story they tell . . .
I
Page 7
Jim and Bobi say that this is perhaps
the best revue they have ever seen. It
compares favourably with Oh Coward
and Cowardy Custard. John Abernal of the Windy City
Times put his appreciation of this hugely
successful show thus:
Fans of Noël 'The Master' Coward
will have a field day with this
effervescent new revue, handsomely
staged with simple elegance by David
Ira Goldstein and performed with stylish
authority by Mark Anders, Carl
Danielsen and gifted comedienne Anna
Lauris. Call it elan, brio, panache or
pizzazz, these three have it. Whether it's
Anders casually enunciating 'Mad Dogs
and Englishman' in a manner NOT
imitative of Coward, or Danielsen
sincerely rendering Coward's musical
epitaph 'If Love Were All,' or Lauris
climaxing Act I with Coward's musical
comedy burlesque, 'The Coconut Girl,'
there are treats aplenty.
And Coward isn't easy. Take his
lyrics for 'Don't Put Your Daughter on
the Stage, Mrs. Worthington' and 'Mrs.
Wentworth-Brewster' ( both performed
in the show ). Just when you expect a
line to end a quatrain with a rhyme, it
runs on to a second quatrain in a
different meter. Only Coward—writing
performance pieces for himself—could
compose music that perfectly matched
his witty but odd lyrics, often
incorporating key changes that sound
too studied and arch although
entertaining. Lacking formal musical
training, Coward never learned you
shouldn't do such things, not that he wouldn't have anyway. The
cast, backed by a bright trio, handles all with aplomb.
The show's roughly divided between specialties written for
revues and cabaret, and Coward's more serious incidental
songs and operetta numbers. The revue songs smack of ribaldry
and corn, albeit clever corn, for Coward very much was a
traditionalist whose heart never completely left the English
music hall. A Marvelous Party offers several lesser-known
revue gems such as 'What Ho! Mrs. Brisket,' the double
entendre 'Would You Like to Stick a Pin in My Balloon?' and
the aforementioned 'The Coconut Girl.' But apart from these unfamiliar revue tunes, A
Marvelous Party mostly replays Coward's greatest hits, and one wonders why.
There already are at least two other perfectly charming Coward revues, Cowardy
Custard and Oh, Coward. Why create another one if you aren't going to mine
substantially new territory? There's also one real misstep: the inclusion of Coward's
parody of Cole Porter's 'Let's Do It,' written by Coward for his 1950’s Las Vegas solo
act. The cast admits it doesn't play well today and offers updated parody lyrics of their
own. Why bother? Surely, for the show's penultimate number, they could have found a
suitable song by Coward himself?
Familiar as they may be, the Coward words and music are wonderful to hear and A
Marvelous Party does them proud. But it's odd how Coward's music so frequently is
A MARVELLOUS PARTYJim Griffith and Bobi Sanderson sent in these cuttings on this successful show that originated in Chicago,
written by Carl Danielsen, who also performs in the show
anthologized but rarely performed in
context. Wouldn't it be swell to see a full
production of ‘Bitter Sweet’ or
‘Conversation Piece’ or ‘Sail Away,’
rather than just hear songs from them?
John Abernal
NEXT EDITIONItems have been coming in thick
and fast for this edition of your
favourite magazine on the world of
Noël Coward. (Is this the only
magazine in the world dedicated to
the Master? Probably!)
In the next edition we look at
one of the less well-remembered
homes of Noël Coward - Bermuda.
Len Brown has researched
Noël’s Bermuda home and visited
the island with his wife Janice to
do - what he calls - ‘a little house-
hunting.’
The results, with extracts from
local journals, explores Spithead
Lodge (below) and the waterfront
property that became the studio
Watergate that Noël used as his
own bedroom.
to all those members, who returned
the ‘Expressions of Interest’ form.
The response was excellent, so the second tranche of deposit
has been paid to the club and this event is confirmed. Booking
is now open and a Booking Form is enclosed.
The Hurlingham Club (www.hurlinghamclub.org.uk) is
situated on the banks of the River Thames, in Fulham and is set
in 42 acres of magnificent grounds, with a striking Georgian
clubhouse. From before 1066 the lands of which Hurlingham
forms part belonged to the Bishops of London who had their
summer residence at Fulham Palace. In 1760, Dr William
Cadogan, a famous physician of his day and a friend of Garrick
and Sheridan, leased nine acres from the then Bishop on which
to build himself a “cottage”. This is the core of the present
Hurlingham House. In 1797 the lease was re-granted
to John Ellis, formerly of Jamaica who, in
1800, acquired the freehold with an
additional eleven acres. Mr Ellis
employed the architect George
Byfield (with Landscape advice from
Humphrey Repton) to enlarge the
‘cottage' into the neo-classic mansion
as we see it to-day. It is recorded that
George Canning, later Prime Minister,
used to visit the Ellises at Hurlingham
covering the distance from the House of
Commons in a gig with a fast
trotting horse in twenty minutes.
In 1807 the estate was sold to the 3rd Earl of
Egremont, a magnificent patron of the Arts
and the Turf, who, in 1820, sold it on to Mr John
Horsley Palmer, regarded as the greatest
financial expert of his time, who later became
Governor of the Bank of England. He added a further
sixteen acres to the property, the condition of which
was then described as dazzling!
Page 8
The Society’s 10th Anniversary Celebration ‘Don’t Put Your DaughterSaturday 10th October, 2009 • Black Tie • 5.45 p.m. – 8.45 p.m. • Optional Dinner at 9.p.m.
Our event will begin in the elegant Palm Court area, the
latest addition to the club’s premises with its towering palm
tree beneath an immense glass dome. We shall overlook the
fine croquet lawns which stretch out towards the banks of the
Thames. During the wine and canapés Reception, Barry Day’s
latest book The Essential Noël Coward Compendium, which is
due for publication at the end of September, will be launched
and our Vice President will be joining us and signing copies.
For this evening only members will be able to purchase
the book at a special discounted rate.
At 6.45 we repair to the
adjacent Mulgrave
Theatre for the evening’s
entertainment, which begins with a film by
John Knowles. Members will be able to take their
drinks into the theatre, which will be arranged in cabaret style.
This film entitled “Brief Encounters: selected images of
Noël Coward,” mirrors the intentions of Barry Day’s book by
providing film and video clips that are essential to the
understanding of the life and work of Noël Coward.
The centrepiece of the evening will be the Revue of Noël
Coward’s words and music, entirely presented by Members
themselves.
Dominic Vlasto is putting together a splendid and
entertaining display of the talents not only of our hero’s work
but also of the undoubted talents of many of our Members.
Those who saw the revue that was “thrown together” by
Dominic and Celia Cologne at our weekend House Party at
Burgh Island last year will remember the wide range of
material, and characterisations that marked that performance.
This time we have a brilliant young theatre technician, Rob
Mills, on the production team. We can certainly look forward
to something which will far surpass that.
THANK YOU
The Hurlingham Suite
Page 9
on the Stage’ at London’s Hurlingham Club
DO JOIN US, for what we hope will be a joyous and stylish occasion.
(The entrance to the Hurlingham Club is in Ranelagh Gardens, London SW6. The nearest tube station is Putney
Bridge and there is ample free and secure parking within the grounds.)
OPTIONAL DINNER • 9:00 pmMembers may stay on at the club for Dinner, which
will be served in the Palm Court area.
First courseGlazed Fig, Ricotta, Bayonne Ham & Toasted
Pinenut Salad, Walnut Oil DressingMain courseSeared Fillet of Red Mullet, Ratte Potatoes,
Charred Asparagus, Poached Langoustine,
Lobster Bisque, Carrot & Parsnip Crisp
PuddingWarm Lemon and Blueberry Pudding with
Clotted Cream Ice CreamTea, Coffee & Hurlingham chocolate mints
The cost of the above is £49.00 per person, including
VAT and Service charge. Wine is not included in the
price. There will be a vegetarian option.
Don’t Put Your Daughter on the Stage will not leave
you wondering whether we should or should not
be encouraging the theatrical trade - there is
certainly no lack of talent among our
members! We are particularly
looking forward to
catching a glimpse of
Celia Cologne in the
persona of Mrs. Wentworth-
Brewster, Elizabeth Donnelly as the
anguished diva Louisa, Martin Amherst Lock
delivering a Noël-ish “finger-wagging”, and Clive Montellier
promoting the very British values of the aristocracy and the Air
Force. The Revue will also showcase the talents of some of
our more recent, younger members in a classic song-and-dance
number, and features a wide selection of verse extracts along
the way.
The first part of the evening will end with the Presentation
of the Scroll of Honour marking His Royal Highness, The
Duke of Kent’s Presidency of the Society, which began in
2005, after the death of our former President, Sir John Mills,
CBE. We are delighted that Mr. Andrew Palmer, CMG, CVO
and his wife Davina have accepted our invitation to accept the
scroll on behalf of the Duke, who will be in Australia at the
time. Mr. Palmer was Private Secretary to HRH the Duke and
Duchess of Kent, from 1988 – 90, on secondment from the
Foreign and Commonwealth Office and when he retired from
the FCO, in 1996, the Duke invited him back into his
Household as Extra Equerry.
A ‘Vote of Thanks’ will conclude the first part of the evening.
The cost of the above is £65 per person.
Palm Court and Orangery
Page 10
n May 1, Houston Grand Opera gave the world
premiere of Brief Encounter, a two-act opera
by composer André Previn and librettist John
Caird that tells the unhappy tale, set in the
refreshments shop of an English railway
station, of an illicit, ultimately doomed love affair. The source
material for the opera is David Lean's 1945 film of the same
name; the movie screenplay, by Noël Coward, is itself an
adaptation of Coward's 1936 one-act, Still Life. The overall
cast to the opera's score is unreservedly sentimental, as befits a
romance set in the 1930s, but inadvertently evokes mid-
twentieth-century Broadway: the sweeping love motive heard
intermittently throughout the opera always brought "Make Our
Garden Grow" from Bernstein's Candide to mind. Previn and
Caird (who also directed) created arias that effectively distill
the interior agonies of the principal characters, but the opera is
less stirring than Lean's film, if only because the music offers
few challenges to the listener and the storyline remains close to
that of the movie while taking longer to unfold.
The cast was uniformly good. Elizabeth Futral played
Laura Jesson superbly: her rich, rounded singing was ideal for
the part, creating a sympathetic portrait of an intelligent,
sensitive woman, both lovely and pitiful in her predicament.
Nathan Gunn lent his bright, focused baritone to the role of
Alec Harvey, evoking both a lover's impetuousness and the
maturity of a middle-aged man.
Baritone Kim Josephson sang with warm resonance as
Laura's steadfast husband, Fred Jesson, who trusts and abides
throughout. Contralto Meredith Arwady, making her HGO
Brief Encounter, Houston Grand OperaReprinted courtesy of OPERA NEWS an article on André Previn’s opera BriefEncounter performed in May 2009 by HoustonGrand Opera, suggested by Geoffrey Johnson
Odebut, combined a large measure of deep-voiced Victorian
primness with a hint of flirtatious playfulness as Myrtle Bagot,
the railway shopkeeper; baritone Robert Orth, as ticket-checker
Albert Godby, Myrtle's love interest, complemented her
scrupulous respectability with playful working-class manners
and accent. As Laura's unwelcome train companion, Dolly
Messiter, soprano Rebekah Camm, an HGO Studio alumna,
prattled happily and obliviously, a properly strident contrast to
the mellow, disconsolate Laura.
A defining element of the story is the coming and going of
the trains that first bring Laura and Alec together but then
impose an unyielding schedule on their meetings. The
shortness of the lovers' time together — and their keen
awareness of its passing — were starkly emphasized by Bunny
Christie's set design, first with a huge clock face on the
downstage screen shown at the beginning of each act, then
with eleven large clocks on the walls of the set itself. Likewise,
chimes are the first sounds of the opera, and train noise in a
bustling string motive recurs throughout to mark the end of
each furtive meeting.
What the opera offers that the movie cannot are musical
explorations into the interior life of the characters. Laura's
soliloquy at the conclusion of Act I offers a dark, gripping
portrayal of her remorse that is made all the more poignant by
her recollection-recitation of her marriage vows on a single
high pitch. Alec's monologue of anxious expectation while
waiting for Laura, however, seemed more of a make-work solo
for the part that falls flat dramatically: he agonizes over
whether she will appear, and then she appears. Here, Previn
and Caird mean to add depth to Alec, who is seen almost
entirely through Laura's eyes in the movie. The more
successful fleshing out is that of Fred's character. By giving
him a scene of doubt and worry, Previn and Caird prepare
Fred's later lines of gratitude at Laura's return and underscore
the disastrous implications of her affair.
Ultimately, it is Laura's thoughts that we follow, and the
opera ends with a haunting glimpse of her perspective: while
she is warmly and gratefully reconciled to her life with Fred,
singing with him in the foreground, she simultaneously
remembers (hears) Alec, who sings in the background in
shadow. Nothing like this occurs in the movie, and that final
moment of irresolution between reconciliation and
remembrance offers a memorable piece of theater in Previn's
new opera. Gregory Barnett
[PHOTOS: Felix Sanchez, Courtesy of Houston Grand Opera]
Maquette of the set used in Brief Encounter
Elizabeth Futral and Nathan Gunn
Kim Josephson and Elizabeth Futral
Page 11
The Antaeus Academy Presents
“The Young Idea: The Next Generation CelebratesNoël Coward!”
Supported by a grant from the Noël Coward Foundation,
and guided by The Antaeus Company’s Artistic Director,
Jeanie Hackett, the Antaeus Academy embarked on The Young
Idea Project with the particular goals of training young actors
in the technical skills required to play Coward’s characters,
fostering love of Coward in young audiences, and providing
mentors for young directors interested in The Master.
Artistic Associate Cindy Marie Jenkins
(cindy@antaeus.org) was the coordinator for all events and
activities leading up to and including their first weekend of
presentations and workshops, The Young Idea: The Next
Generation Celebrates Noël Coward!, which took place at the
Deaf West Theatre in North Hollywood on June 26-28, 2009.
The weekend included six workshops: a presentation on
Coward the Man; a remarkable Coward the Crooner coaching
session; an exhibit on Coward the Spy; movie screenings of
Our Man in Havana, Brief Encounter, and John Knowles’s
video, I Like America; and a roundtable discussion on Coward
the Playwright.
IntensivesIn preparation for the readings, Antaeus matched the plays
with a Coward Mentor (Jonathan Lynn, Barry Creyton, and Art
Manke) and an upcoming, young director (Douglas Clayton,
Jessica Bard, and Kari Hayter). Each play had one day of
intensive rehearsal/exploration led by the mentor, then two
additional rehearsals with
the young director and
actors before the staged
reading. Each intensive
covered general technique
and skills (such as dialect),
then focused on its specific
Coward play.
Mentor Jonathan Lynn
commented on the process of the intensive for Hay Fever: “We
sat around the table and worked meticulously through the play,
stopping to consider what Coward might have intended with
every moment and looking to find the comic rather than the
dramatic choice.” When asked, “Do you have any advice for
the actors in this reading before they embark on their own?”,
Lynn replied, “The same advice I have for all actors in a
comedy: no characters should ever know they are funny.”
Events of the Coward Weekend
Coward the Man and I Like AmericaCoward the Man was the first event on Friday. About 30
people attended this half-hour talk by Kathy Williams, which
combined biographical notes on Coward from Ken Starrett,
along with quotes and visuals - images of the “Ten
Chimneys/Star Quality” panels, provided by Sean Malone, plus
some additional pictures of Coward, his family, and friends.
Immediately following the talk was the first west-coast
screening of I Like America, a 22-minute compilation of
Coward’s “home movies” of the Americas. This video, created
by John Knowles, was first seen in the U.S. last December
when Ken Starrett presented it at the The Paley Center for
Media in New York. I Like America was so well received that
a second screening was added on Sunday for members of the
Antaeus Company and audience who couldn't attend Friday's
screening. All attendees received handouts: their own copies of
the special I Like America edition of Home Chat and the
brochure from the Museum of Performance & Design with
gorgeous photos and descriptions of the exhibit, Star Quality:
The World of Noël Coward.
Readings of the Plays
For the readings of Hay Fever, Peace In Our Time, and
Easy Virtue, each cast was comprised primarily of Antaeus
Academy actors, aged 20-30. Nine Antaeus Company members
played “parental” roles, while 31 Academy and Young Guest
Actors played the “child” leading roles and supporting cast.
Quoting Cindy Marie Jenkins on the young-adult thread
that connects the three plays: “Each play in The Young Idea
Project hinges on one specific conflict: how can young
people’s ideals evolve and prosper when they are caught in the
very world which suffocates their parents?” We see the results
of late-adolescent children acting out against the wishes and
behaviors of their parents, or in the case of Peace in Our Time,
deceiving them to save all their lives. All the readings were
extremely well-presented.
Artistic Director Jeanie Hackett expressed the hope that
Antaeus will be able to expand The Young Idea Project, and
take one of the three plays to the next levels: a workshop
production, followed by a full production in the next season.
Coward on the Coast: August 2009
L to R: Raleigh Holmes (Hilda), Karianne Flaathen (Marion),
Joseph Delafield (John), Jocelyn Towne (Larita) and Ned Schmidtke (Col. Whittaker)
Jonathan Lynn and Douglas Clayton.
Page 12
Hay FeverDirector Douglas Clayton evoked a beautiful and hilarious
reading of this Coward favorite. In a post-show conversation,
young Californian actors talked about being taught about the
play’s central metaphor, which represents sanity, stability, and
civilized behavior: the importance of tea.
Director: Douglas Clayton • Mentor: Jonathan Lynn
Cast: Antaeus Company: Christina Pickles [Judith Bliss],
Robert Pine [David Bliss]. Antaeus Academy and Guests:
Brooke Bastinelli [Jackie Coryton], Etta Divine [Clara], Gabe
Diani [Simon Bliss], Drew Doyle [Richard Greatham],
Whitney Hudson [Stage Directions], Annie Melchor [Sorel
Bliss], Adam Meyer [Sandy Tyrell] & Adeye Sahran [Myra].
Peace in Our TimeIn what was very likely a U.S. Premiere, Peace in Our Time
was quite moving, and, atypical of Coward’s plays, delved
sharply into political matters. A number of older audience
members were heard commenting on how you would not think
this was a “Coward play” if you didn’t read his name in the
programme. Although grim and gritty, Peace in Our Time
presents the triumph of solidarity, courage, humor, and
determination over propaganda, brutality, terrorist tactics, and
military force.
When asked about her decision to place the central
character, Fred Shattock, at the edge of the stage, young
director Jessica Bard commented on the importance of him
visually grounding the action. Characters come and go (mainly
center stage), but Fred’s staunch presence in even his most
vulnerable moments proclaims: “London Pride!”
In 1947 when Peace in Our Time was first produced in
London, it opened to a dismal reception — English audiences
were war weary, and critics and audiences alike had a mindset
of Coward as the icon of the 1920-30’s, old fashioned, and
dated. Alternatively, many just wanted to see his early, funny
works.
More than half a century later, it may seem unlikely for a
young American cast to have a deep understanding of the
play’s themes; however, the young actors’ informed reading is
grounded in the fact that they have grown up during a
seemingly unending war, cursed in the last eight years with the
banal and stupefying evil of torture condoned by our own
government. Based on conversations at post-show events, this
play resonated deeply for young audience members, many of
whom had never heard of Coward before the weekend and
were quite vague about World War II.
Amazing performances by all concerned.
Director: Jessica Bard • Mentor: Barry Creyton
Cast: Antaeus Company: Josh Clark [Fred Shattock], Lily
Knight [Nora Shattock], Melinda Peterson [Mrs. Massiter],
Phil Proctor [Mr. Grainger], Sally Smythe [Mrs. Grainger];
Antaeus Academy & Guests: Josh Ansley [ensemble], Eric
Bloom [Alfie Blake], Kendra Chell [Janet Braid], Brett
Colbeth [Stevie], Etta Devine [Alma Broughton], Danielle
Doyen [Gladys Mott], Drew Doyle [Doctor Venning], Karianne
Flaathen [Lily Blake], Jeff Gardner [George Bourne],
Alexandra Goodman [Doris Shattock], Aaron Lyons [Richter],
Kellie Matteson [Lyia Vivian], Mark Moore [Chorley
Bannister], John O’Brien [Billy Grainger], Maria Pallas
[Phyllis Mere]. Whitney Hudson [Stage Directions].
Easy VirtueA challenging play to sell to a modern audience - especially
one that had potentially seen the movie based on this play and
might be anticipating broad comedy with an American Girl as
the lead. A melodrama with some comedic turns, Easy Virtue
was in several ways the most ambitious of the three readings,
as evidenced by its use of more scenery and staging.
From young director, Kari Hayter: “As a director, I had to
decide what was the most effective way to tell this story. It was
my goal to guide the actors through the text in an academic
setting AND a theatrical setting in order to have the most
effective understanding of the play in such a short amount of
time.” Dramaturgy Intern Monet Hurst-Mendoza prepared a
34-page “Dramaturgical Actor Packet” to assist Hayter in the
educational process for the young actors. Congratulations to
director, actors, and staff for a commendable job!
Director: Kari Hayter • Mentor: Art Manke
Cast: Rhonda Aldrich [Mrs. Whittaker], Ned Schmidtke
[Colonel Whittaker], Brett Colbeth [Furber, H. Petworth], Joe
Delafield [John], Wyatt Fenner [Bobby Coleman], Karianne
Flaathen [Marion], Amy Hendrickson [Nina Vansittart],
Raleigh Holmes [Hilda], Aaron Lyons [Charles Burleigh], John
Brooke Bastinelli and Jessica Bard
The cast of Easy Virtue
Adeye Sahran as Myra and Gabriel Diani as Simon Bliss.
Page 13
O’Brien [Philip Borden], Jason Thomas [Henry Furley],
Jocelyn Towne [Larita Whittaker], Rebekah Tripp [Sarah
Hurst], and Nicol Zanzarella –Giacalone [ensemble/Stage
Directions].
Workshops and Roundtables
Acting a Noël Coward Song
This gem of a workshop, taught by Harry Groener and Nike
Doukas (with additional coaching by Jeanie Hackett), educated
not only the participants but also the very fortunate audience.
One particularly bright moment: Harry teaching two Academy
actors a bit for “Mad Dogs and Englishmen” — head bent
back, face to the sky, to add a very dog-like bark at just the
right moment. Urged on by the insistent crowd, Harry brought
the audience to its knees with his performance of “Mrs.
Worthington” as a curtain call at the end of the workshop. A
post-script was a sing-along - introduced as “how the Coward
Society ends all its gatherings” - of "I'll See You Again".
Coward the Spy: Screening of Our Man in Havana and an
exhibit on Coward’s work in World War II. The preamble to
Peace in Our Time, this informal workshop presented both
serious and humorous background information on Coward’s
work in films and during WWII.
Coward on Film: Screening: Brief Encounter and I Like
America.
Coward the Playwright: Roundtable discussion led by Jeanie
Hackett.
Antaeus actors came together with directors and audience
members for an exchange of ideas on Coward's themes, world-
view, and acting style. Among the topics covered: participants
described best (and worst) productions they had seen of
Coward’s plays, and what made them good or bad. Several
young audience members mentioned that they had never heard
of Coward before the weekend, came to the theatre because of
a friend (or a friend of a friend in the cast), and were amazed
and captivated by what they experience.
On the World Wide WebIn addition to all that happened at the Deaf West Theatre,
Antaeus has published news of The Young Idea Project on the
web: you may find it in cyberspace from Facebook to Twitter
to YouTube. For many more details, including interviews with
the mentors, blogs, photos, and videos, see:
http://antaeuscompany.wordpress.com/
http://www.facebook.com/AntaeusTheater
One particularly hilarious, unplanned improvisational work
resulted when Academy actor Abby Wilde was not cast for any
of the three readings. She developed her own idea, which you
may view on Antaeus’s Facebook page or directly on YouTube
as a multi-part series, including Abby’s Wilde Idea: Part 1.
Noël Coward The Man, plus Antaeus Strikes Back.
Kathy WilliamsL to R: Anne Gee Byrd, Kitty Swink and Jeanie Hackett
A TALENT TO AMUSE - My thanks to everyone who has been in touch with offers of help to get Noël Coward’s
70th Birthday Celebration show, held at the Phoenix Theatre on December 16th, 1969, released as a CD. Stephen Greenman
has kindly agreed to receive any sponsorship money from members who wish to sponsor the CD. All payments should be
sent to Stephen Greenman. If sending a cheque, amounts should be made out to, ‘The Noël Coward Society’ with the words
‘A Talent to Amuse CD Sponsorship,’ on the back of the cheque. Payments may also be made by credit card (UK and US) or
debit card (UK only) via email or post (see Sponsor Form for Stephen Greenman’s contact details). All other queries to John
Knowles please.
Sponsors may have a track from the CD (see track listing in the last Home Chat) dedicated to themselves or to someone
they nominate, together with a short message. I am also offering a copy of Present Indicative - that remains from the auction
of the Coward collection of the late Stephen Marshall - as a draw prize for all of those who sponsor the CD. It is an American
1st edition with some wrinkling in the external surface of the coverboards - there is no dustjacket. It is signed on the title
page, “For Stephen Marshall - Noël Coward,” There is a small additional inscription in another hand on the flysheet
“Hollywood February 1964.”
A draw ticket in your name will be entered in the draw for each sponsorship amount of £20 - so a sponsorship amount of
£100 will entitle the sponsor to 5 draw tickets. The draw will take place on September 1st 2009 and the resulting sponsorship
amount raised will be published in the October Home Chat. Details of the winner will not be published.
Why not contribute to the realisation of a historic recording and have the chance to win a signed copy of Noël Coward’s
first autobiography. A sponsorship form is included in this edition of Home Chat. John Knowles
Page 14
n the last edition of Home Chat the story was poised at
the point when Granville was reluctantly leaving the
protection of the Actors’ Orphanage in its evacuation
home in New York to head back to England with the
uncertainty of a wartime Atlantic-crossing facing him.
The story continues:
The ship slipped her moorings and proceeded down river to
the sea. Slowly the New York skyline disappeared as I fought
back the tears . It was October 4th 1942, two years to the day
since the Actors’ Orphanage children landed in Canada and
now, once again, 3000 miles of very hostile Atlantic ocean lay
ahead. I loved America. Thank you, Uncle Sam.
MV Thorstrand was a very small German-owned ship
which had happened to be in a Norwegian port when the
Germans invaded the country; it was immediately
commandeered and sailed to England by a Norwegian crew.
Extra fuel tanks were fitted to enable it to cross the Atlantic
and thus far during the war it had made some twenty crossings.
The cargo holds were refrigerated as its original design was for
carrying fish from Norway to Germany. It was fast being able
to sustain a speed of eighteen knots.
New York had disappeared over the horizon, the night was
clear and the sea was calm but the ship was rolling
nevertheless. What, I wondered, would it be like when the sea
was rough? I had my own small cabin with wash basin which
was to prove invaluable later in the journey. At about seven
o’clock I went up to the small dining room and found just one
place left on the single table, next to the chief engineer who sat
at the top. Altogether there were ten around the table, the three
passengers eating with the ship’s officers. The captain did not
join us at any time , instead he remained on the bridge or in his
quarters nearby. The evening meal - and almost every
following meal - consisted of soused fish of some kind. There
were bowls of the stuff. The chief engineer, a large jovial man
who spoke reasonable English, would crunch up these
rollmops as a hedgehog crunches slugs. The very thought of
soused herring would turn my stomach even on dry land, but
when confronted with mounds of them on a rolling ship, that
was definitely it: I had to return to my cabin. The chief
engineer was a little concerned and he sent a young officer to
see me who, when I explained the problem, went to the galley
and fetched me some bread, cheese and a glass of milk. I
climbed on the bunk and cried; this was the start of a
nightmare. Just five weeks before there had been marvellous
hospitality on the Canby farm, and now, utter depression.
For the past twelve years the Actors’ Orphanage had been
my ‘other’ home, so was this the end or would we meet up
again some time in the future? I was the first of the evacuees to
be returning to England. The next morning dawned grey with a
choppy sea; the ship was travelling very slowly and rolling all
over the place. I went up for breakfast and managed a cup of
tea with half a slice of bread and jam. The jovial chief engineer
was sitting in his usual spot at the top of the table. John and
Betty, the other two passengers, were not looking too good
which, for some reason, made me feel a little better for
knowing they were suffering too.
“Why are we travelling so slowly?” John asked the Chief.
“So that we can rendezvous with the convoy,” he replied,
with a huge smile.
I went on deck but could see no other ships, just the grey
sea. I felt terrible and went back to my cabin where I stayed all
day. Three weeks of this would surely kill me, I thought.
The third day was a little better; clear skies and a calm sea,
shared now by two other ships. We were travelling slightly
faster and I managed to eat a breakfast of scrambled eggs,
keeping them down with a struggle. The Chief was all smiles,
as usual, and he told us not to worry saying the ship was far too
small to be hit by a torpedo, and too fast as well.
“Fast?” said John, “we are only crawling along.”
“Just wait for a couple of days, and then you will see
otherwise,” replied the Chief.
By evening the seas were quite big and I decided to try
some dinner. A special thick soup had been made for the
passengers, but the Chief and the officers stuck to pickled fish;
watching them eat turned me green.
The sea crashing against the ship woke me up the next day
when dawn was peeping through the porthole, but looking out
all I could see was the sky, then sea, then sky, then sea. I
struggled on deck before breakfast; there were many ships now
and U.S. Navy Catalina flying boats overhead. I thought I
would get used to the rolling and pitching, but there was no
chance for the ship had once again reduced speed. I returned to
the cabin after a cup of tea and a slice of toast.
There were many more ships on the fourth day, the nearest
being a big merchantman - we were now in a convoy. At
breakfast the Chief was beaming as usual.
“It’s bye-bye today,” he said, but did not elaborate.
Shortly, however, the captain signalled the next
merchantman after which our engines went to full speed.
Thorstrand turned south into the sun, leaving the convoy to
disappear over the horizon. Ships were not compelled to travel
in convoys, which always went at the speed of the slowest
ship, and the one we had left was travelling at seven knots. We,
on the other hand, were now at our full speed of eighteen
knots; no torpedo could possibly hit us unless by sheer fluke,
but if just one did get through we would have been blown to
smithereens.
The next thirty-six hours were sheer hell - where oh where
was that torpedo?
Eventually the storm abated and noticing that the ship had
slowed I went on deck. The sun was out and the sea more calm.
There was a lot of wreckage about and two lifeboats amongst
it. The captain checked them for survivors but they were both
empty. Mounted on the stern of the Thorstrand was a three-inch
calibre gun for defence against U-boats on the surface. When
the floundering lifeboat was six hundred yards astern, the
gunner decided to use it for target practice. Even at that range
he made a direct hit. This was encouraging but as all merchant
ships now carried a gun U-boats seldom surfaced to make their
attack.
I managed a little food before the next storm off the Irish
coast sent me back to my cabin again, but Liverpool was not
far away and land was already visible through the porthole. By
evening the ship had docked and it was bliss to be perfectly
still once more - for the first time in fifteen days - but I had lost
ten pounds in weight. It was the worst period in my life so far,
and even today, when a jar of pickled herrings is seen the
picture of a large jovial Norwegian engineer comes to my
mind.
The convoy we had left behind some nine days earlier had
suffered terribly; torpedo attacks had sunk many ships with
ILUCKY ORPHAN
The story concludes of the Actors’Orphanage from the memories ofGranville Bantock who attended the orphanage at Langley Hall andSilverlands and during its evacuation to America in World War II.
Page 15
much loss of life. It was a horrible, tragic period of the Atlantic
war and I was later saddened to learn that M.V. Thorstrand was
torpedoed and sunk with the loss of four lives in 1943.
After passing through customs at Liverpool and three train
journeys I arrived at Twickenham. there were no taxis but
Charlie was there with his barrow, so, with my cases loaded,
we walked to the bungalow and home. It was 20 October 1942.
My mother knew I had left New York and guessed I would
arrive any day - she was so excited. It was now back to the
blackout, food rationing and the occasional bomb; I was
shocked to see so much damage from the blitz. Two houses just
fifty yards from the bungalow had been flattened and the one
immediately next door had been hit by incendiary bombs. My
mother was concerned to see me so thin for she could have no
idea what I had just been through. “We’ll soon fatten you up,”
she said. But I thought that might be difficult with food
rationed as it was.
I was pleased to be back home but I missed Jane and the
other girls. It might, I thought be difficult to get established in
a social situation again, having been away for so long. It was
the first time I had lived at home since the age of 4 and now I
was three months from my seventeenth birthday. Uncle
Granville’s radio gramophone still worked and the records
were intact. The radio was marvellous; there were no adverts,
just hours of real uninterrupted music including of course,
Beethoven. After a good service my bike was back on the road,
my first journey to visit my cousin Gladys and her children in
Shepperton. They were all fine but very worried for Donald
who was fighting the Germans in North Africa. My mother
wanted me to start school as soon as possible, but first I had to
deliver Mr. Griffin’s large brown envelope to the secretary of
the Actors’ Orphanage. I resisted the temptation to steam it
open first. The secretary, now a Miss Rodda, was very pleased
to see me and wanted me to meet the committee at their next
meeting. Being the first of the children to return to England
there would be many questions they would ask.
It so happened that our neighbour taught French at a nearby
grammar school and he kindly arranged for me to meet the
headmaster. Tests were prepared for me, but it was soon
obvious that I had nowhere reached the standard attained by
other boys of my age. The head was unable to accommodate
me and he suggested a matriculation course at an evening
institute. I enrolled for classes in Richmond and started
immediately, but after just one week it was obvious that
catching up with the other students would be impossible.
One of the other students, Molly, was also finding things
difficult. We were the same age but she was exceptionally
mature; we became friends for a while. After the class I would
take her home on the crossbar of my bike searching for the
little gear in the ample folds of her bottom adding to the fun.
We would kiss goodnight, but it was never anything passionate.
My now knowing how far to go disappointed her and the
relationship fizzled out in the New Year.
By February it was obvious that my continuing with the
classes would waste the teacher’s time and the evening institute
became a thing of the past. At the same time that I had started
the classes, I found a job in a factory about five miles away.
The firm specialised in the manufacture of filters for all types
of liquids, but one of its major contracts was for the
construction of filters for army water tanks. I was employed as
a lab boy, washing up beakers and conducting routine tests on
Fullers Earth - the filtering medium. I progressed right through
the factory, spending time in all the workshops as well as the
drawing office. My year with the company was to stand me in
good stead.
Soon after arriving home I made an appointment to see the
Actors’ Orphanage dentist at Chertsey. He thought the
American dentist had been very hasty in extracting my front
teeth for the sake of cosmetic effect. He made me a very small
dental plate which was most comfortable to wear but without
clips it needed a lot of willpower to keep it in place.While I
was in Chertsey I toured the area on my bike including a visit
to Silverlands, finding that neither the building nor the ground
had changed since 54 children had left for America two years
earlier. There were no children playing around now, however
as the building was being used for quartering nurses employed
at nearby Botley’s hospital (now called St. Peter’s). The head
gardener, Bert Hazel, still lived in the bungalow near the main
gate; he and his wife were very pleased to see me and we
chatted for some time over tea and toast. They were fostering
some young children on behalf of the Actors’ Orphanage who
still owned the property. Mrs. Hazel was a kindly person and a
natural mother but she had four children of her own so the
small bungalow was bulging with youngsters of all ages. She
managed admirably though, and I kept in touch with her for
many years.
Just before Christmas, Miss Rodda asked me to attend a
meeting of the committee members at the office in Maiden
Lane, London. There were six ladies present and it felt a little
overwhelming, feeling that I was being grilled about rumours
that the children were misbehaving . I insisted that there was
no cause for concern as all the children were growing up and
behaving normally. I told the committee that the older girls,
who were now nearly eighteen, had moved from the
dormitories into rooms of their own in the main building of the
Foundation. What, I wondered did the committee mean by ‘bad
behaviour?’
Certainly the girls were causing no problems but perhaps
the Edwin Gould Foundation was becoming fed up with
housing some 54 English orphans who, after two years,
showed no sign of going home. Perhaps the Foundation feared
being lumbered with them until the war was over? Miss Rodda
expressed concern that a number of children had stopped
writing home, causing anxiety for their parents.
I suggested that any parent wishing to telephone me for
information about their child should do so, or if they preferred,
I would meet them. A number of them did telephone and I was
able to set their minds at rest. Over the following three years
several of the older boys and girls drifted back home to
England, but most of the younger ones were to remain at the
Foundation until the European war finished in May 1945. By
attending this meeting in 1942, my bond with the orphanage
finally broke, but I did see many of the children over the next
few years and I was able to make one final visit to the London
home in 1945. I never did find out what Mr. Griffin’s brown
envelope contained - a report on each and every one of us,
perhaps? Granville Bantock
Lost at sea at 19:17 on 6 March 1943
Home Chat is the newsletter of
The Noël Coward Society,
which is
generously funded by
The Noël Coward Foundation
Officers of the Society are:
Chairman: Barbara Longford
Secretary: Denys Robinson
Treasurer: Stephen Greenman
North American Director:
Ken Starrett
US West Coast Liaison:
Kathy Williams
Representative for Australia:
Robert Wickham
Representative for France:
Hélène Catsiapis
Unless otherwise stated all
images and text are copyright
to NC Aventales AG
Please send all correspondence
to:
The Editors,
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Tel: +44 (0)1603 486 188
Editors:
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Ken Starrett (US)
Design and Production:
John Knowles
Publication and Distribution:
Stephen Greenman
Music Correspondent:
Dominic Vlasto
Contributions are invited from
members of the Society.
The editor reserves the right
to edit all copy, images and
decide on inclusion of items.
Details included in
‘What’s On?’ are as received,
with our thanks, from:
Samuel French
(Play Publishers and Author’s
Representatives),
Ken Starrett (US),
Alan Brodie Representation
(Professional Productions),
NCS members and
theatre companies.
For details of rights for
professional productions:
www.alanbrodie.com
For amateur productions
www.samuelfrench.com or
www.samuelfrench-
london.co.uk
For publishing rights:
www.methuen.co.uk
For music rights:
www.warnerchappell.co.uk
Details of some productions, publications and events
see www.noëlcoward.net and www.noëlcoward.com for more. . . WHAT’S ON?
THE NOËL COWARD SOCIETY WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS!If you would like to join the Society please contact:
Stephen Duckham: stephenduckham50@btinternet.com Tel: 02476 229502
In North America contact Ken Starrett: cowardusa@nyc.rr.com Tel: 00 1 212 877 4259
The Essential Noël Coward CompendiumNoël Coward was a prolific entertainer with over fifty plays and
musicals, songs, verse, two and a half volumes of autobiography,
books of quotations, a novel, diaries, and letters to his name. For
fans and newcomers to Coward's work, this compendium
represents the very best of Noël Coward in one entertaining
volume - with extracts from the best scenes from his plays, and
screenplays, songs, poems, and a entire short story. Brief extracts
are also included from his autobiography, diaries and letters,
caricature drawings, photographs, anecdotes and trivia. If you
only buy one book on Noël Coward, this book represents an
excellent tasting menu for those who want to sample the full
flavour of Coward. This edition is due out in the UK only on September 2009 •
ISBN 978-14081-08697 Full Price: £16.99.
It is hoped to release the book in the US in the Fall of 2010.
Dick Hyman Plays Weill, Duke, and Coward Inner City Records has announced the re-release of three albums by Dick Hyman. Never before
available on CD and quite rare even on vinyl. These are solo
recordings, and demonstrate an inventive, ingenious and playful
take on the great composers of the twentieth century. For Coward
fans there is the one reissue of note: Mad About the Boy - The
Music of Noël Coward. This album features 15 songs, including
“A Room With A View,” “Twentieth Century Blues," and “Dance,
Little Lady.” This recording garnered a personal postcard from
Coward to the performer, calling these takes “delightful.” When
these recordings were made in the early '50s, they were intended
to be part of a larger set, featuring the music of the twentieth
century's greatest writers of popular song. Available online at:
http://www.musicminusone.com at $16.95 and by order from
record stores. Dominic Vlasto is hoping to provide a review of this
re-release in a future edition of Home Chat.
Roundabout's Broadway Revival of Present Laughter American Airlines Theatre on January 2, with an official opening planned for January 21.
The Roundabout Theatre Company's production of Noël Coward's Present Laughter,
starring Victor Garber and directed by Nicholas Martin
The play focuses on Garry Essendine (Garber), a matinee idol whose life is turned upside
down as he struggles to plan a trip to Africa. Garber and Martin previously worked on a
production of the play for the Huntington Theatre Company in Boston.
Garber's stage credits include Sweeney Todd, Art, Arcadia, Damn Yankees, Assassins, A Little
Night Music, and Little Me. His many film and television credits include Alias, Eli Stone,
Legally Blonde, and Titanic.
Tonight at 8.30 - The Shaw Festival, OntarioCurrent to November 1st, 2009 - Ontario’s Shaw Festival is presenting all 10 plays that make
up Noel Coward’s “Tonight at 8:30” series, including the rarely produced Star Chamber. It will
mark the first time that all of the plays have been produced in repertory by a professional
company since their London debut at the Phoenix Theater in the 1935-36 season. The plays will
be presented in three groups, one at each of the Festival’s three theatres, and on two occasions
all 10 can be seen on a single day, in an event christened, Mad Dogs and Englishmen.
Web: http://www.shawfest.com