Selected Musical Plays by Noël Coward: A Critical Anthology

This Year of Grace; Bitter Sweet; Words and Music; Pacific 1860; Ace of Clubs; Sail Away; The Girl Who Came to Supper

Noël Coward, Arianne Johnson Quinn

• Publisher: Methuen Drama
• Year: 2022
• Print ISBN: 9781350234680
• eBook ISBN: 9781350234703
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Media & Performing Arts
• Subtopic: British Drama

Although Noël Coward's work as playwright, songwriter and actor has long been celebrated, his contributions to the British musical have largely been forgotten. Selected Musical Plays by Noël Coward: A Critical Anthology rectifies this omission from the musical theatre landscape, demonstrating how Coward's adaptability, creativity, and myriad of styles is imitated in the incredible musicals he authored. From flop shows at Drury Lane with Mary Martin through to his Broadway hits with Elaine Stritch, this anthology chronicles the variety of styles written by Coward, from revue to musical comedy to operetta. The works in this volume provide a contemporary critical introduction that illustrates the breadth and depth of his work, and highlighting the diverse identities of the collaborators and performers with whom he worked. Though the style of these works varies, they are linked together by his creative thread, and his ability to craft barbed and witty observations of his social world. A timely portrait of Coward's oeuvre and its lasting influence on the wider world of the British musical, Selected Musical Plays by Noël Coward contains previously unpublished musical plays by a central figure in theatre history, collected together with critical apparatus for students, scholars, and fans.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Halftitle page
• Title page
• Copyright page
• Contents
• Introduction
• PART I 1920s and 1930s: The Cochran Revue
• This Year of Grace
• Bitter Sweet
• Words and Music
• PART II Post-war Musical Plays
• Pacific 1860
• Ace of Clubs
• PART III Broadway Plays of the 1960s
• Sail Away
• The Girl Who Came to Supper