Noel Coward: The Playwright's Craft in a Changing Theatre

This book explores Noël Coward's working practices as a playwright, from manuscript to performance, and argues that he experimented with both form and content, adapting familiar formulas while emphasizing theatrical self-consciousness and exploring radical social and sexual relationships. It discusses selected texts from successive phases of his career, including unproduced or uncompleted work, and explores how his post-1945 work failed to achieve the same success he had enjoyed in earlier periods. The final chapter examines his approach to his craft in response to the new theatrical and cultural environment.

Format: Hardback
Length: 232 pages
Publication date: 19 May 2022
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

This groundbreaking book is the first of its kind to extensively utilize unpublished archive material to provide a comprehensive account of the composition and reception of some of Noël Coward's most significant plays. It delves into the playwright's working practices, from the initial manuscript to the final performance, shedding light on his creative process. The study argues that while Coward did not fully embrace any of the more radical theatrical 'isms of his time, he nonetheless experimented with both form and content. He adapted familiar theatrical formulas while simultaneously emphasizing theatrical self-consciousness and exploring radical social and sexual relationships.

After providing an overview of Coward's career and the critical reception of his plays, the work delves into selected texts from different phases of his artistic journey. It includes unproduced or incomplete works as well as perennial favorites such as "The Vortex," "Hay Fever," "Private Lives," "Design for Living," "Blithe Spirit," and "Present Laughter." Furthermore, the study explores how Coward's post-1945 work, despite facing significant changes in social and political circumstances, failed to achieve the same level of success he had experienced in earlier periods.

The final chapter examines Coward's approach to his craft in response to the new theatrical and cultural environment that emerged after the two world wars. It highlights the new freedom in the treatment of homosexuality represented by his play "Suite in Three Keys" and his final, uncompleted play, "Age Cannot Wither." This chapter sheds light on Coward's evolving perspective on his art and his willingness to adapt to changing societal norms.

In conclusion, this book offers a comprehensive and insightful exploration of Noël Coward's theatrical legacy. It provides a deep understanding of his working practices, artistic influences, and the societal context in which his plays were created. Through its extensive use of unpublished archive material, it sheds new light on Coward's creative process and contributes to our appreciation of his enduring contribution to the world of theater.

Dimension: 216 x 138 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350246065