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Noel Coward Headshot

Noel Coward

Date of Death: March 26, 1973 (73)

Birth Place: Teddington, ENGLAND

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BIO

Noel was an English playwright, composer, actor, producer and director. His plays include The Vortex (1924), Hay Fever (1925), Private Lives (1930), Blithe Spirit (1941), Present Laughter (1943) and This Happy Breed (1943). He produced, wrote, starred in and co-directed (with David Lean) the Academy Award-winning film In Which We Serve (1942) as well as writing the screenplay for one of the most beloved British films of all time, Brief Encounter (1945). He wrote many songs now considered classics, including "Mad About the Boy", "Mad Dogs and Englishmen", "I’ll See You Again" and "20th Century Blues" and in 1955 performed a sell-out cabaret season in Las Vegas. His musicals include Bitter Sweet (1929) and Sail Away (1961). As an actor he enjoyed memorable roles onstage in many of his plays as well as on film playing Hawthorne in Our Man In Havana (1959) and Mr Bridger in The Italian Job (1969). He was knighted in 1970.

STAGE CREDITS

[Broadway]
1958
Garry Essendine

[Broadway]
1957
Sebastien

[Broadway]
1933
Leo

[Broadway]
Broadway Production, 1931
Elyot Chase

[Broadway]
Broadway Production, 1928
Performer

[Broadway]
1925
Nicky Lancaster

Productions

 
[West End, 2023]
Writer
 
[West End, 1964]
Director
 
[Broadway, 1964]
Director
 
[West End, 1962]
Director
 
[Broadway, 1961]
Director
 
[Broadway, 1958]
Director
 
[Broadway, 1957]
Director
 
[West End, 1950]
Director
 
[Broadway, 1939]
Director
 
[Broadway, 1935]
Director
 
[Broadway, 1934]
Director
 
[Broadway, 1933]
Director
Producer
 
[Broadway, 1931]
Director
 
[Broadway, 1929]
Director
 
[Broadway, 1925]
Director
 
[Broadway, 1925]
Director

Writing

Playwright
Playwright
Playwright
Playwright
Playwright
Playwright
Playwright
Playwright
Playwright
Playwright
Playwright
Playwright
Playwright
Playwright
Source Material
Source Material
Playwright
Bookwriter/Composer/Lyricist
Bookwriter
Composer
Lyricist
Bookwriter/Composer/Lyricist
Composer
Lyricist
Bookwriter
Bookwriter/Composer/Lyricist
Composer/Lyricist
Playwright
Bookwriter/Composer/Lyricist
Lyricist
Composer
Composer/Lyricist
Lyricist
Composer/Lyricist
Composer
Source Material
Composer/Lyricist
Conceiver
Composer/Lyricist
Bookwriter
Bookwriter
Composer/Lyricist
Composer/Lyricist
Lyricist
Composer
Composer
Text
Lyricist
Music
Composer/Lyricist
Composer/Lyricist
Bookwriter/Composer/Lyricist
Bookwriter/Composer/Lyricist
Playwright
Composer
Lyricist
Bookwriter
Bookwriter/Composer/Lyricist
Bookwriter/Composer/Lyricist
Composer
Bookwriter
Lyricist
Sketches/Composer/Lyricist
Composer/Lyricist
Lyricist
Bookwriter
Composer
Bookwriter/Composer/Lyricist
Lyricist
Composer
Bookwriter
Bookwriter/Composer/Lyricist
Bookwriter/Composer/Lyricist
Sketches/Composer/Lyricist
Lyricist
Composer

Movies

Forbidden Love
[ 1927 ] writer
The Vortex
[ 1928 ] writer
Bitter Sweet
[ 1933 ] lyrics and music - as Noel Coward
Design for Living
[ 1933 ] writer
Cavalcade
[ 1933 ] writer
Tonight Is Ours
[ 1933 ] writer
The Terrible Lovers
[ 1936 ] writer
We Were Dancing
[ 1942 ] writer
This Happy Breed
[ 1944 ] writer
Blithe Spirit
[ 1945 ] writer
Brief Encounter
[ 1945 ] writer
Our Man in Havana
[ 1959 ] Hawthorne
Bunny Lake Is Missing
[ 1965 ] Horacio Wilson
A Matter of Innocence
[ 1967 ] writer
Boom!
[ 1968 ] The Witch of Capri
Interlude
[ 1968 ] writer
The Italian Job
[ 1969 ] Mr. Bridger
Sidste akt
[ 1987 ] writer
Relative Values
[ 2000 ] writer
Easy Virtue
[ 2008 ] writer
Hay Fever
[ 2021 ] writer

Awards and Nominations

Tony Awards - 1964 - Best Direction of a Musical

Noel Coward , High Spirits

Tony Awards - 1964 - Best Musical

Noel Coward, The Girl Who Came to Supper


winner
New York Drama Critics Circle Awards - 1942 - Best Foreign Play

Noel Coward, Blithe Spirit

Videos

News


Rory Bremner to Launch 2025 Live Tour MAKING AN IMPRESSION
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Mar 21, 2025

Master satirist Rory Bremner is back with an intimate show  that combines his signature stand-up with candid conversation, accompanied by a rotating cast of special guest hosts. Learn more about the tour here!
OPERATION MINCEMEAT Extends London Run
by Stephi Wild - Mar 3, 2025

Ahead of Operation Mincemeat's Broadway opening night at the John Golden Theatre on 20th March, the 2024 Best New Musical Olivier Award-winning show has announced its biggest West End extension to date.
Review Roundup: THE LAST LAUGH at Noël Coward Theatre
by Aliya Al-Hassan - Feb 27, 2025

Direct from a sell-out run at Edinburgh Fringe Festival, The Last Laugh is a brand-new laugh-a-minute play which re-imagines the lives of three of Britain's all-time greatest comedy heroes – Tommy Cooper, Eric Morecambe and Bob Monkhouse.
Review: THE LAST LAUGH, Noël Coward Theatre
by Gary Naylor - Feb 27, 2025

Homage to much-loved comedians and their deceptively dangerous art
Jeff Harnar's CONFESSIONS OF A NEW YORKER Comes to 54 Below in April
by Stephi Wild - Feb 20, 2025

54 Below will present the return of MAC and Bistro Award-winning concert artist Jeff Harnar – celebrating Manhattan in music with Confessions of a New Yorker. Learn more here!
Jacob Fowler and Courtney Stapleton to Lead THE MAD ONES at The Other Palace Studio
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Feb 20, 2025

Electric Press Productions will present the London debut of The Mad Ones, which will feature West End actors Jacob Fowler and Courtney Stapleton. Learn more and see how to purchase tickets.
THE BIG BITE-SIZE SHOW Makes Its London Debut And Returns To Brighton After 11 Years
by A.A. Cristi - Feb 8, 2025

Following a remarkable 18-year run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the multi-award-winning Bite-Size Plays returns with an enchanting series of mini theatrical productions this Spring.
Hadley Fraser Will Bring Solo Concert to Cadogan Hall
by Nicole Rosky - Feb 7, 2025

West End star Hadley Fraser will perform his first ever solo concert at Cadogan Hall. The event marks the launch of his upcoming album, Things That Come and Go
Photos: First look at The Alcove Dinner Theatre and Bruce Jacklin & Company’s MOON OVER BUFFALO
by Jerri Shafer - Feb 6, 2025

Moon Over Buffalo is a comedy play-within-a-play that follows the story of George and Charlotte Hay, a couple of Broadway stars who have taken their run-down touring company to Buffalo, New York. The play is set in the summer of 1953 and is rife with slapstick and situational humor, backstage shenanigans, and dysfunctional family dynamics. Charlotte and George Hay, an acting couple not exactly the Lunts, attempt to regain their former glory while on tour in Buffalo with a repertory consisting of Cyrano de Bergerac 'revised, one nostril version' and Noel Coward's Private Lives.
Review: Isaac Mizrahi's I KNOW EVERYBODY at Café Carlyle Is a Hilarious Escape
by Rebecca Kaplan - Feb 6, 2025

The legendary Isaac Mizrahi oozed charm at the opening night of his annual Café Carlyle residency on February 4. The show, funny and dishy with plenty of songs in between, is a perfect Valentine's week treat. It runs nightly through February 15.
Photos: FIGARO: AN ORIGINAL MUSICAL At The London Palladium
by A.A. Cristi - Feb 4, 2025

Check out production photos for Figaro: An Original Musical receiving its world premiere tonight at the London Palladium. The two fully-staged concert performances take place on Monday 3 February & Tuesday 4 February 2025.
MACBETH Cast Announced At Shakespeare's Globe
by A.A. Cristi - Jan 28, 2025

Shakespeare’s Globe has announced the cast of this year’s Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank production, Macbeth, directed by Lucy Cuthbertson (Director of Education, Shakespeare’s Globe) in the Globe Theatre.
Review: FARM HALL at Pico Playhouse
by Evan Henerson - Jan 25, 2025

The production’s thrifty staging directed by Judith Hendra for Topanga Actors Company feels stagnant instead of urgent, indifferent where it could have been thought-provoking.
Brian Cox Returns to Scottish Stages in James Graham's MAKE IT HAPPEN
by Stephi Wild - Jan 24, 2025

Brian Cox will return to Scottish stages in a new play by leading British playwright James Graham. This is the first major artwork to tell the story of Royal Bank of Scotland's role in the 2008 financial crash.
Sharon Lawrence Will Lead PARENTS IN CHAINS at Ensemble Theatre Company
by Stephi Wild - Jan 23, 2025

Ensemble Theatre Company in association with J. Todd Harris will present an add-on production to its season, Sharon Lawrence starring in the world premiere of a new comedy, PARENTS IN CHAINS.
BOYS FROM THE BLACKSTUFF Comes to Glasgow This Spring
by Stephi Wild - Jan 16, 2025

James Graham’s adaptation of Alan Bleasdale’s Boys from the Blackstuff will have its Scottish premiere at the Theatre Royal, Glasgow this spring. Learn more here!
Review: The HIGH SPIRITS 60th Anniversary Concert at 54 Below Was a Gem
by Rebecca Kaplan - Jan 13, 2025

Walter Willison’s concert production of High Spirits on 1/6 at 54 Below, was delightful. The semi-staged concert featured Judy Kaye, Christine Andreas, Ann Kittredge and more in perhaps one of the most bizarre musicals of the 20th century.
Jeff Harnar to Return to Birdland With CONFESSIONS OF A NEW YORKER
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jan 13, 2025

BIRDLAND JAZZ CLUB will present the return of MAC and Bistro Award-winning concert artist Jeff Harnar – celebrating Manhattan in music with Confessions of a New Yorker in February. Learn more and see how to purchase tickets.
Mindi Dickstein and Carmel Dean's New Musical MAIDEN VOYAGE Will Have Workshop at The Kiln Theatre
by Stephi Wild - Jan 7, 2025

 New Works Provincetown and Shared Experience will present a workshop in London of the new musical Maiden Voyage with book and lyrics by Mindi Dickstein and Carmel Dean.
See Linda Eder, Derek Klena & More Next Week at 54 Below
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jan 3, 2025

Next week, 54 BELOW will present some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond, including Linda Eder, Derek Klena and more.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How many Broadway shows has Noel Coward been in?

Noel Coward has appeared on Broadway in 6 shows.

How many West End shows has Noel Coward been in?

Noel Coward has not appeared in the West End

What awards has Noel Coward been nominated for?

Noel Coward has been nominated for several awards throughout his career. He was nominated for Best Direction of a Musical at the Tony Awards for his work on "High Spirits." He was also nominated for Best Musical at the Tony Awards for "The Girl Who Came to Supper." In addition, Coward received a nomination for Best Foreign Play at the New York Drama Critics Circle Awards for his play "Blithe Spirit."

What awards has Noel Coward won?

Noel Coward has won the Best Foreign Play award from the New York Drama Critics Circle Awards for his play "Blithe Spirit".

How many shows has Noel Coward written?

Noel Coward has written 50 shows including London Calling (Composer/Lyricist), André Charlot's Revue of 1924 (Composer), On With the Dance (Composer/Lyricist), The Vortex (Playwright), Hay Fever (Playwright), Charlot Revue (Composer), Easy Virtue (Playwright), This Was a Man (Playwright), The Marquise (Playwright), Fallen Angels (Playwright), This Year of Grace (Bookwriter/Composer/Lyricist), Murray Anderson's Almanac (Bookwriter), Bitter Sweet (Bookwriter), Private Lives (Playwright), Cochran's 1931 Revue (Composer/Lyricist), Ziegfeld Follies of 1931 (Composer), Cavalcade (Bookwriter/Composer/Lyricist), The Young Idea (Playwright), Words and Music (Sketches/Composer/Lyricist), Conversation Piece (Bookwriter/Composer/Lyricist), Point Valaine (Playwright), Tonight at 8:30 (Bookwriter/Composer/Lyricist), Operette (Bookwriter/Composer/Lyricist), Set to Music (Bookwriter/Composer/Lyricist), Sigh No More (Sketches/Composer/Lyricist), Pacific 1860 (Bookwriter/Composer/Lyricist), Ace of Clubs (Bookwriter/Composer/Lyricist), After the Ball (Bookwriter/Composer/Lyricist), Quadrille (Playwright), Nude With Violin (Playwright), Look After Lulu (Playwright), Sail Away (Bookwriter/Composer/Lyricist), The Girl Who Came to Supper (Composer/Lyricist), High Spirits (Source Material), Noel Coward's Sweet Potato (Composer/Lyricist), Cowardy Custard (Composer/Lyricist), Hay Fever (Playwright), Noel (Composer/Lyricist), Oh Coward! (Composer/Lyricist), Barbara Cook: A Concert for the Theatre (Composer), If Love Were All (Composer/Lyricist), Waiting in the Wings (Playwright), A Suite in Two Keys (Playwright), Design For Living (Playwright), Elaine Stritch At Liberty (Composer), A Marvelous Party (Composer/Lyricist), Blithe Spirit (Playwright), Brief Encounter (Playwright), Volcano (Playwright), The Rat Trap (Playwright).

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