Noel Coward's Career: Productions, Roles & Writings

Noel Coward 101

Coward's Career:
Productions, Roles and Writings

Compiled by John Kenrick

This list includes every Role or Cabaret engagement Coward ever played, every Play, Unproduced Play, Musical, Revue, Film, Book, Unfinished Work or TV Special he ever wrote, every production he ever Directed, and all major revivals. An asterisk (*) marks repeated roles, secondary productions, revivals, and films based on Coward's previously existing works.

1911

Role: Prince Mussel in The Goldfish (Various Theatres, London)
Role: Cannard the pageboy in The Great Name (Prince of Wales, London)
Role: William in Where the Rainbow Ends (Savoy, London)

1912

Role: Mushroom in An Autumn Idyll (Ballet - Savoy, London)
*Played William in return of Where the Rainbow Ends (Savoy, London)

1913

Role: Angel in Hanelle (Liverpool Repertory and Manchester)
Role: Slightly in Peter Pan (Duke of York's, London)

1914

* Played Slightly in Peter Pan (British tour)
* Played Slightly in Peter Pan (Duke of York's, London & tour)

1916

Role: Charley in Charley's Aunt (British tour)
Role: Basil Pycroft in The Light Blues (Shaftsbury, London)
Cabaret: Danced at Elysee Restaurant (London)
Role: Jack Morrison in The Happy Family (Price of Wales, London)

1917

Role: "Boy pushing barrow" in D.W. Griffith's film Hearts of the World
Play: Ida Collaborates, co-authored with Esme Wynne (Theatre Royal, Aldershot)
Role: Ripley Guildford in The Saving Grace (Garrick, London)

1918

Role: Courtenay Borner in Scandal (Strand, London)
Play: Woman and Whiskey, co-authored with Esme Wynne (Wimbledon Theatre)
Unproduced Plays: The Last Trick, The Imposible Wife
Unpublished novels: Cats and Dogs, Cherry Pan

1919

Role: Ralph in Knight of the Burning Pestle (Birmingham Repertory)

1920

Play: I'll Leave It To You (New Theatre, London)
Role: Bobbie Dermott in I'll Leave It To You

1921

Role: Clay Collins in Polly With a Past (St. James, London)

1922

Play: The Better Half (Little Theatre, London)

1923

Role: Sholo Brent in The Young Idea (Savoy, London)
Revue: London Calling! (Duke of York's, London - 316 performances)
Role: Himself in London Calling!
Unproduced Play: Weatherwise

1924

Revue: Songs for Yoicks! (Kingsway, London - 271 performances)
Revue: Songs for Andre Charlot's London Revue (Times Square, NY - 298)
Revue: Songs for Charlot's Revue (Prince of Wales, London - 518 performances)
Play: The Vortex (Everyman, Hampstead - Royalty, London)
Role: Nicky Lancaster, The Vortex

1925

Revue: On With the Dance (Pavilion, London - 229 performances)
Play: Fallen Angels (Globe, London)
* Played Nicky Lancaster in The Vortex (Henry Miller, NY - 157 performances)
Play: Hay Fever (London)
*Hay Fever produced on Broadway (Maxine Elliot's, NY - 49 performances)
Play: Easy Virtue (Empire, NY - 147 performances)
Revue: Charlot's Revue of 1926 (Selwyn, NY)

1926

*Played Nicky Lancaster in The Vortex (U.S. tour)
Play: The Queen Was in the Parlour (St. Martin's, London)
Role: Lewis Dodd in The Constant Nymph (London)
Play: This Was a Man (Klaw, NY - 31 performances)
Play: The Rat Trap (Everyman, Hampstead)
Unproduced Play: The Rat Trap, Semi-Monde

1927

Play: The Marquise (Criterion, London)
*This Was a Man produced in Berlin
*Fallen Angels produced on Broadway (49th St. Theatre, NY - 36 performances)
*The Marquise produced on Broadway (Biltmore, NY - 80 performances)
Play: Home Chat (London)
Play: Sirocco (London)

1928

Revue: Wrote and directed This Year of Grace (Pavilion, London - 316 performances)
*This Year of Grace produced on Broadway (Selwyn, NY - 158 performances)
Role: Appeared in This Year of Grace (NY)
Role: Clark Storey in The Second Man (London)
*Silent film version of The Queen Was in the Parlour
*Silent film version of The Vortex starring Ivor Novello
*Silent film version of Easy Virtue directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Unproduced Screenplay: Concerto

1929

Musical: Wrote and directed Bitter Sweet (His Majesty's, London - 617 performances)
Revue: Skits for Murray Anderson's Almanac (Erlanger's, NY - 69 performances)
*Bitter Sweet produced on Broadway (Ziegfeld, NY - 159 performances)

1930

Role: Stanhope in Journey's End (Singapore)
Play: Wrote and directed Private Lives (Phoenix, London - 101 performances)
Role: Elyot Chase in Private Lives (London)
Unfinished Novel: Julian Kane

1931

Revue: Songs for Cochran's 1931 Revue (Pavilion, London - 27 performances)
*Played Elyot Chase and directed Private Lives (Times Square, NY - 248 performances)
Play: Wrote and directed Cavalcade (Theatre Royal, London - 405 performances)
*British film version of Private Lives
*Hay Fever revived on Broadway (Avon, NY - 98 performances)

1932

Revue: Wrote and directed Words and Music (Adelphi, London - 164 performances)
*The Young Idea produced on Broadway (Heckscher, NY - 3 performances)

1933

Play: Wrote and directed Design For Living (Barrymore, NY - 135 performances)
Role: Leo in Design For Living (NY)
*British Film version of Cavalcade - wins Oscar for Best Film
*British Film version of The Queen Was in the Parlour - retitled Tonight is Ours
*British Film version of Bitter Sweet
Directed London revival of Hay Fever

1934

Musical: Wrote and directed Conversation Piece (His Majesty's, London - 177 performances)
Role: Paul in Conversation Piece (London)
Directed Ferber & Kaufman's Theatre Royal, a.k.a. Royal Family (Lyric, London)
Directed Biography (Globe, London)
*Conversation Piece produced on Broadway (44th St. Theatre, NY - 55 performances)

1935

Play: Wrote and directed Point Valaine (Barrymore, NY - 56 performances)
Role: Anthony Mallare in the US film The Scoundrel

1936

Play: Wrote and directed Tonight at 8:30, a repertory of nine one act plays and musicals (Phoenix, London - 157 performances)
Role: All male leads in Tonight at 8:30 (London)
*Tonight at 8:30 opened on Broadway (National, NY - 113 performances)
*Directed and played all male leads in Tonight at 8:30 (NY)
Directed Jacques Deval's Mademoiselle (Wyndham's, London)

1937

Directed Gerald Savory's George and Margaret (Morosco, NY - 85 performances)
Book: Present Indicative published - 1st Memoir

1938

Musical: Wrote and directed Operette (His Majesty's, London - 132 performances)

1939

Revue: Wrote and directed Set to Music (Music Box, NY - 129 performances)
Book: Short story collection To Step Aside published

1940

*MGM film version of Bitter Sweet starring Nelson Eddy & Jeanette MacDonald
Unproduced play: Time Remembered

1941

Play: Wrote and directed Blithe Spirit
(Piccadilly, London - 1,997 performances)
*Blithe Spirit produced on Broadway (Morosco, NY - 650 performances)

1942

Film: Wrote, produced and co-directed In Which We Serve
Role: Captain Edward V. Kincross in film In Which We Serve
Role: Charles Condomine in Blithe Spirit (British tour)
Role: Gary Essendine in Present Laughter (British tour)
Role: Frank Gibbon in This Happy Breed (British tour)
Film: We Were Dancing, based on one-act from Tonight at 8:30

1943

Role: Played Gary Essendine in Present Laughter (Theatre Royal Haymarket, London)
Role: Played Frank Gibbon in This Happy Breed (Theatre Royal Haymarket, London)
Produced British film version of This Happy Breed
Toured the Middle East to entertain Allied troops

1944

Toured South Africa, India, Burma and France to entertain Allied troops
Book: Middle East Diary published

1945

Revue: Wrote and directed Sigh No More (Piccadilly, London - 213 performances)
Adapted: British Film version of Blithe Spirit starring Margaret Rutherford
Film: Brief Encounter, based on Still Life from Tonight at 8:30

1946

Musical: Wrote and directed Pacific 1860 (Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London - 129 performances)
*Present Laughter produced on Broadway, starring Clifton Webb (Plymouth, NY - 158)

1947

*Played Gary Essendine in Revival of Present Laughter (Theatre Royal Haymarket, London)
*Point Valaine produced in London
Directed revival of Tonight at 8:30 (US tour)

Unproduced play:

Long Island Sound

1948

*Briefly took over male leads in US Tour of Tonight at 8:30 (San Francisco)
Directed revival of Tonight at 8:30 on Broadway (National, NY - 26 performances)
Role: Max Aramont in Joyeux Chagrins, a.k.a. Present Laughter (Brussels)
*Private Lives revived on Broadway (Plymouth, NY - 248 performances)

1949

Film: The Astonished Heart
Role: Christian Faber in film The Astonished Heart
Unproduced Musical: Hoi Polloi

1950

Musical: Wrote and directed Ace of Clubs (Cambridge, London - 211 performances)

1951

Cabaret: October engagement at Cafe de Paris (London)
Revue: Song for The Lyric Revue (Lyric, London - 141 performances)
Play: Wrote and directed Relative Values (London)
Play: Island Fling (Regional, USA)

1952

Revue: Songs for The Globe Revue (Globe, London - 234 performances)
*The Vortex revived in London (Lyric)
Cabaret: June engagement (2nd) at Cafe de Paris (London)
Play: Wrote and directed Quadrille (Phoenix, London)
Film: Meet Me Tonight based on segments of Tonight at 8:30

1953

Role: King Carl Magnus in George Bernard Shaw's The Apple Cart (London)
Cabaret: 3rd engagement at Cafe de Paris (London)

1954

Musical: After the Ball (Globe, London - 188 performances)
Cabaret: 4th engagement at Cafe de Paris (London)
Book: Future Indefinite published - 2nd memoir
*Quadrille produced on Broadway (Coronet, NY - 150 performances)

1955

Cabaret: Engagement at Desert Inn, June-July (Las Vegas)
Role: Hesketh-Baggott in film version of Around the World in 80 Days
TV Special: Wrote, directed and co-starred with Mary Martin in
Together With Music on CBS, Oct. 22

1956

*Fallen Angels revived on Broadway (Playhouse, NY - 239 performances)
*Played Charles Condomine in CBS TV production of Blithe Spirit
Play: South Sea Bubble, revised Island Fling (Lyric, London)
*Played Frank Gibbons and directed CBS TV production of This Happy Breed
Play: Wrote and co-directed Nude With Violin (Dublin & London)
Unproduced play: Volcano

1957

Directed Nude With Violin on Broadway (Belasco, NY)
Role: Sebastian in Nude With Violin (NY)

1958

*Starred in Present Laughter and Nude With Violin (US Tour - Western States)

1959

Play: Look After Lulu! (Henry Miller's, NY)
*Look After Lulu! produced in London
Role: Hawthorne in film Our Man in Havana
Role: Former King of Anatolia in film Surprise Package
Ballet: Composed London Morning

1960

Play: Waiting in the Wings (Duke of York's, London)
Novel: Pomp and Circumstance published
Role: King Pavel II in UK film Surprise Package

1961

Role: Alec Harvey in NBC TV production of Brief Encounter
Musical: Wrote and directed Sail Away (Broadhurst, NY - 167 performances)

1962

*Sail Away produced in London

1963

Musical: The Girl Who Came To Supper (Broadway, NY - 112 performances)
*Revival of Private Lives (Hampstead, UK)

1964

Directed High Spirits, musical version of Blithe Spirit (Alvin, NY - 375 performances)
*Granada TV version of The Vortex
*Granada TV version of Design for Living
*Granada TV version of Present Laughter
*Granada TV version of Blithe Spirit
Directed revival of Hay Fever (National, London)
Role: Alexander Mayerheim in US film Paris When It Sizzles
Book: Short story collection Pretty Polly Barlow published

1965

Role: Wilson (the landlord) in UK film Bunny Lake is Missing

1966

Play: Suite in Three Keys (Queens, London)
Role: Hugo Latymeyer in A Song At Twilight (Queens, London)
Role: George Hilgay in Shadows of the Evening (Queens, London)
Role: Verner Conklin in Come Into the Garden Maude (Queens, London)

1967

Role: Caesar in Richard Rodgers' TV musical Androcles and the Lion
Book: Short story collection Bon Voyage published

1968

Role: Witch of Capri in Tennessee Williams UK film Boom
Revue: Noel Coward's Sweet Potato, using existing material (Barrymore, NY - 44 performances)

1969

Role: Mr. Bridger in UK film The Italian Job
*Private Lives revived on Broadway (Billy Rose Theatre, NY - 204 performances)

1970

*Hay Fever revived on Broadway (Helen Hayes Theatre, NY - 24 performances)

1972

Revue: Oh, Coward!, using existing songs & scenes (New Theatre, NY - 294 performances)
Revue: Cowardy Custard, using existing songs and scenes (Mermaid, London)

1974

*Noel Coward in Two Keys (Come Into the Garden Maude, Song at Twilight) on Broadway (Barrymore, NY - 140)

1975

Private Lives revived on Broadway, starring Maggie Smith (46th Street, NY - 92 performances)

1982

Present Laughter revived on Broadway, starring George C. Scott (Circle in the Square, NY - 175 performances)

1983

Private Lives revived on Broadway, starring Richard Burton & Elizabeth Taylor (Lunt-Fontanne, NY - 63 performances)

1984

Design for Living revived on Broadway (Circle in the Square, NY - 245 performances)

1985

Hay Fever revived on Broadway, starring Rosemary Harris (Music Box, NY - 124 performances)

1986

*Oh, Coward! revived on Broadway (Helen Hayes, NY - 56 performances)

1987

*Blithe Spirit revived on Broadway (Neil Simon, NY - 104 performances)

1988

*Bitter Sweet revived (Sadler's Wells, London)

1992

*Private Lives revived on Broadway (Broadhurst, NY - 37 performances)

1996

*Present Laughter revived on Broadway, starring Frank Langella (Walter Kerr, NY - 175 performances)

1999

*Waiting in the Wings on Broadway (Walter Kerr, NY - 186 performances)

2001

*Design for Living revived on Broadway (American Airlines, NY - 69 performances)