Hay Fever

Hay Fever is a 1925 comedy of manners that is both funny and unsettling, celebrating abnormality and exploring the pleasures and pains of not being able to restrain oneself. It was Coward's first major commercial success and is published in Methuen Drama's Modern Classics series to coincide with the 125th anniversary of his birth.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 104 pages
Publication date: 01 June 2023
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

When four guests, all invited by different members of the Bliss family, arrive for a weekend at their country house near Maidenhead, they're expecting an idyllic retreat. But this peaceful promise is quickly trounced when the self-absorbed eccentricities of the Blisses are trained on the guests, who leave the country mansion humiliated and embarrassed. First produced in 1925, Hay Fever is a technical masterpiece, seamlessly combining high farce with a comedy of manners, and delivering Coward his first major commercial success. This new edition is published in Methuen Drama's iconic Modern Classics series to coincide with the 125th anniversary of Coward's birth and features a new introduction by Michael Billington.

The play is set in the country house of the Bliss family, located near Maidenhead, where four guests arrive for a weekend. The guests are all invited by different members of the Bliss family, and they are expecting a peaceful and idyllic retreat. However, their expectations are quickly shattered when they are subjected to the self-absorbed eccentricities of the Blisses.

The play is a celebration of abnormality and a disquieting study of both the pleasures and the pains of not being able to restrain oneself. The Blisses are a family of four, each with their own unique quirks and eccentricities. The father, David Bliss, is a retired doctor who is obsessed with his own health and spends much of his time reading medical books and attending medical conferences. His wife, Judith Bliss, is a socialite who is constantly trying to impress her friends and family with her wit and charm. Their daughter, Cecily Bliss, is a young woman who is obsessed with her own beauty and spends much of her time primping and preening in front of the mirror. Their son, Noel Bliss, is a young man who is obsessed with his own music and spends much of his time playing the piano or composing his own songs.

As the guests arrive at the country house, they are immediately subjected to the Blisses' peculiarities. The father, David, is constantly lecturing the guests on his medical theories and his own experiences with illness. He is also constantly complaining about his own health and his own physical ailments. The mother, Judith, is constantly trying to impress her guests with her wit and charm, but her attempts are often met with awkwardness and discomfort. The daughter, Cecily, is constantly primping and preening in front of the mirror, and she is often rude and dismissive of her guests. The son, Noel, is constantly playing the piano or composing his own songs, and he is often loud and obnoxious, especially when he is playing his own compositions.

As the weekend progresses, the guests become increasingly humiliated and embarrassed by the Blisses' behavior. They are constantly subjected to their eccentricities and their self-absorption, and they feel like they are being treated like objects rather than human beings. The play explores the themes of social hierarchy. Class, and the pressures of social convention and expectations. The Blisses are a wealthy and privileged family, and they are constantly trying to maintain their social status and their reputation. They are constantly striving to impress their friends and family with their wit and charm, and they are willing to go to great lengths to do so. However, their attempts to impress others are often met with awkwardness and discomfort, and they are unable to connect with people on a personal level.

The play also explores the theme of love and relationships. The Blisses are a family of four, but they are not particularly close to each other. They are often selfish and self-absorbed, and they are unable to express their love and affection for each other in a meaningful way. The play explores the complexities of human relationships and the challenges of maintaining healthy and fulfilling relationships.

In conclusion, Hay Fever is a brilliant and witty comedy of manners that is both funny and unsettling. It is a celebration of abnormality and a disquieting study of both the pleasures and the pains of not being able to restrain oneself. The play is a technical masterpiece, seamlessly combining high farce with a comedy of manners, and delivering Coward his first major commercial success. The new edition of the play is published in Methuen Drama's iconic Modern Classics series to coincide with the 125th anniversary of Coward's birth, and it features a new introduction by Michael Billington. The play is a must-read for anyone who loves theatre and literature, and it is a testament to the enduring power of Coward's writing.

Weight: 132g
Dimension: 129 x 198 x 7 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350354111