We Were Dancing
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''We Were Dancing'' is a short comic play in two scenes by
Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and ...
. It is one of ten short plays that make up ''
Tonight at 8.30 ''Tonight at 8.30'' is a cycle of ten one-act plays by Noël Coward, presented in London in 1936 and in New York in 1936–1937, with the author and Gertrude Lawrence in the leading roles. The plays are mostly comedies, but three, '' The Astoni ...
'', a cycle written to be performed in groups of three plays across three evenings. The original production, starring Coward and
Gertrude Lawrence Gertrude Lawrence (4 July 1898 – 6 September 1952) was an English actress, singer, dancer and musical comedy performer known for her stage appearances in the West End of London and on Broadway in New York. Early life Lawrence was born Gertr ...
played in a pre-London tour, and then the West End, and finally New York, in 1935–1937. ''We Were Dancing'' has been revived periodically and was adapted for the cinema in 1942. The play depicts a married woman who falls in love with a divorced man at a dance on a South Pacific island. They plan to go to Australia, but in the cold light of morning, they realise that they have nothing in common and go their separate ways,


Background

In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Coward wrote a succession of hits, ranging from the
operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs, and dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, length of the work, and at face value, subject matter. Apart from its s ...
'' Bitter Sweet'' (1929) and the epic ''
Cavalcade A cavalcade is a procession or parade on horseback, or a mass trail ride by a company of riders. The focus of a cavalcade is participation rather than display. Often, the participants do not wear costumes or ride in formation. Often, a cava ...
'' (1931), requiring a large cast, gargantuan sets and a complex hydraulic stage, to the intimate comedies ''
Private Lives ''Private Lives'' is a 1930 comedy of manners in three acts by Noël Coward. It concerns a divorced couple who, while honeymooning with their new spouses, discover that they are staying in adjacent rooms at the same hotel. Despite a perpetuall ...
'' (1930), in which Coward starred alongside
Gertrude Lawrence Gertrude Lawrence (4 July 1898 – 6 September 1952) was an English actress, singer, dancer and musical comedy performer known for her stage appearances in the West End of London and on Broadway in New York. Early life Lawrence was born Gertr ...
, and ''
Design for Living ''Design for Living'' is a comedy play written by Noël Coward in 1932. It concerns a trio of artistic characters, Gilda, Otto and Leo, and their complicated three-way relationship. Originally written to star Lynn Fontanne, Alfred Lunt and Cowa ...
'' (1932). Coward said that after ''Private Lives'', he felt that the public enjoyed seeing him and Lawrence together on stage, and so he wrote the play cycle ''Tonight at 8.30'' as "acting, singing, and dancing vehicles for Gertrude Lawrence and myself".Hoare, pp. 268–270 In the programme for the London run Coward wrote: ''We Were Dancing'' was the first of the ''
Tonight at 8.30 ''Tonight at 8.30'' is a cycle of ten one-act plays by Noël Coward, presented in London in 1936 and in New York in 1936–1937, with the author and Gertrude Lawrence in the leading roles. The plays are mostly comedies, but three, '' The Astoni ...
'' cycle to be presented. All the plays in the cycle starred Coward and
Gertrude Lawrence Gertrude Lawrence (4 July 1898 – 6 September 1952) was an English actress, singer, dancer and musical comedy performer known for her stage appearances in the West End of London and on Broadway in New York. Early life Lawrence was born Gertr ...
. Coward directed the plays and wrote the words and music for songs in four of them. In this play Lawrence's character sings the song "We Were Dancing" in the first scene.


First performances

''Tonight at 8.30'' opened at the
Opera House, Manchester The Opera House in Quay Street, Manchester, England, is a 1,920-seater commercial touring theatre that plays host to touring musicals, ballet, concerts and a Christmas pantomime. It is a Grade II listed building. The Opera House is one of the ma ...
, on 15 October 1935, the first play on the bill, followed by two others from ''
Tonight at 8.30 ''Tonight at 8.30'' is a cycle of ten one-act plays by Noël Coward, presented in London in 1936 and in New York in 1936–1937, with the author and Gertrude Lawrence in the leading roles. The plays are mostly comedies, but three, '' The Astoni ...
'': '' The Astonished Heart'' and ''
Red Peppers ''Red Peppers'', described as "an interlude with music", is a short comic play in two scenes by Noël Coward. It is one of ten short plays that make up '' Tonight at 8.30'', a cycle written to be performed in groups of three plays across three e ...
''."Theatres", ''
The Manchester Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'', 16 October 1935, p. 11
It then opened in London on 9 January 1936 at the Phoenix Theatre,"Phoenix Theatre", ''The Times'', 10 January 1936, p. 10 but for the first three weeks of the run only six of the plays were presented. ''We Were Dancing'' was added on 29 January, and the other three followed later in the run. As in Manchester, ''We Were Dancing'' was followed by ''The Astonished Heart'' and ''Red Peppers''. After a try-out in
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, the Broadway opening took place on 24 November 1936 at the National Theatre, again starring Coward and Lawrence. ''We Were Dancing'' was included in the first of the three programmes in the cycle, along with ''
Fumed Oak ''Fumed Oak'' is a short play in two scenes by Noël Coward, one of ten that make up '' Tonight at 8.30'', a cycle written to be performed across three evenings. Coward billed the work as an "unpleasant comedy in two scenes". The play concerns ...
'' and ''
Shadow Play Shadow play, also known as shadow puppetry, is an ancient form of storytelling and entertainment which uses flat articulated cut-out figures (shadow puppets) which are held between a source of light and a translucent screen or scrim. The cut-ou ...
''.


Roles and original cast

*Louise Charteris –
Gertrude Lawrence Gertrude Lawrence (4 July 1898 – 6 September 1952) was an English actress, singer, dancer and musical comedy performer known for her stage appearances in the West End of London and on Broadway in New York. Early life Lawrence was born Gertr ...
*Hubert Charteris, ''Louise's husband'' –
Alan Webb Alan Webb may refer to: * Alan Webb (actor) (1906–1982), English actor * Alan Webb (runner) (born 1983), American track athlete * Alan Webb (footballer) (born 1963), retired English association football player See also

* Allan Webb (disambigu ...
*Karl Sandys –
Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and ...
*Clara Bethel, ''Hubert's sister'' –
Alison Leggatt Alison Joy Leggatt (7 February 1904 – 15 July 1990) was an English character actress. Career Born in the Kensington district of London, Leggatt trained under Elsie Fogerty at the Central School of Speech and Drama, then based in the Royal Alber ...
(
Joyce Carey Joyce Carey, OBE (30 March 1898 – 28 February 1993) was an English actress, best known for her long professional and personal relationship with Noël Coward. Her stage career lasted from 1916 until 1987, and she was performing on television ...
in New York) *George Davies –
Edward Underdown Charles Edward Underdown (3 December 190815 December 1989) was an English theatre, cinema and television actor. He was born in London and educated at Eton College in Berkshire. Notable work Early theatre credits include: Noël Coward's '' Words ...
*Eva Blake –
Moya Nugent Moya Nugent (27 March 1901 – 26 January 1954) was a British actress and singer. She made a few broadcasts and three silent films but was chiefly known as a stage performer, and was particularly associated with the works of Noël Coward, appear ...
*Major Blake –
Anthony Pelissier Harry Anthony Compton Pelissier (27 July 1912 – 2 April 1988) was an English actor, screenwriter, producer and director. Biography Pelissier was born in Barnet and came from a theatrical family. His parents were the theatre producer H. G. Pe ...
*Ippaga –
Kenneth Carten Kenneth Hare Bicker-Caarten (29 August 1911 - 1980) was an English actor who worked under the name Kenneth Carten. Biography Kenneth Hare Bicker-Caarten was born on 29 August 1911 at Blomfield Road, Maida Vale, London, the son of middle-class pa ...


Plot


Scene 1: The veranda of the country club on Samolo. Evening

At a dance at the club on a British South Pacific island colony, a young man and woman, George Davies and Eva Blake, leave the dance floor and drive off in his car, heading for a deserted beach where they can be alone. As they leave, Louise Charteris and Karl Sandys waltz in, locked in mutual fascination. They kiss, and are discovered by Louise's husband, Hubert, and his sister Clare. Hubert listens civilly to Karl's protestations of love for Louise, and admits to Karl that he himself is no longer madly in love with Louise after 13 years of marriage, although he still cares for her greatly. The exchange is interrupted by the entrance of Major Blake, looking for his wife, Eva. Clara fobs him off by saying that Eva is with mutual friends, the Baileys and he goes out. Hubert remains concerned that Louise is so sure that she wants to be with a man she has only just met. She replies in song – "We were dancing … When the world caught on fire"; emotion overcomes her and she faints in Karl's arms.


Scene 2: The veranda. Early morning

The four have been talking all night and are exhausted. Karl proposes to take Louise with him on a business trip to Australia, and Hubert, resignedly bidding him make her happy, leaves with Clara. Left alone together Louise and Karl realise that their earlier emotions were transitory and that they are not in love with each other. They dance together, but the spark has died. They part on good terms and she leaves. Eva Blake and George Davies return furtively from their illicit excursion hoping not to have been missed. Karl remembers the Major's enquiries and asks, "Is your name Eva?" When she says yes, he replies sardonically, "I congratulate you."


Revivals and adaptations

''We Were Dancing'' was included in a triple bill of plays from ''Tonight at 8.30'' at the
Hampstead Theatre Hampstead Theatre is a theatre in South Hampstead in the London Borough of Camden. It specialises in commissioning and producing new writing, supporting and developing the work of new writers. Roxana Silbert has been the artistic director since ...
in 1970, together with ''Red Peppers'' and ''Family Album'', starring
Millicent Martin Millicent Mary Lillian Martin (born 8 June 1934) is an English actress, singer, and comedian. She was the lone female singer of topical songs on the weekly BBC Television satire show ''That Was the Week That Was'' known as TW3 (1962–1963), a ...
and
Gary Bond Gary James Bond (7 February 1940 – 12 October 1995) was an English actor and singer. He is known for originating the role Joseph in Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'', his performances ...
. The production transferred to the West End in 1971. The play was given in 2018 at the
Jermyn Street Theatre Jermyn Street Theatre is a performance venue situated on Jermyn Street, in London's West End. It is an off-west end studio theatre. History Jermyn Street Theatre opened in August 1994. It was formerly the changing rooms for staff at a Spaghetti ...
, London, as part of a three-evening cycle of ''Tonight at 8.30'', directed by
Tom Littler Tom Littler is a British theatre director and the Artistic Director of the Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond, London. He was the founder of theatre company Primavera Productions, a former Associate Director of Theatre503 formerly Artistic Director ...
, with
Sara Crowe Sara Crowe is a Scottish film and stage actress who mainly plays comedy roles. Biography Career After beginning her career on stage and in television, Crowe began to take film roles, including a part in ''Carry On Columbus'' and as the 'first ...
and
Ian Hallard Ian Christopher Hallard (born 9 November 1974) is an English actor and writer. His work includes acting roles in the West End, including the lead role of Michael in a revival of Mart Crowley's '' The Boys in the Band''; at the National Theatre ...
as Louise and Karl. The piece was presented at the
Shaw Festival The Shaw Festival is a not-for-profit theatre festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada. It is the second largest repertory theatre company in North America. The Shaw Festival was founded in 1962. Originally, it only featured production ...
, Canada, in 1971 and at the
Williamstown Theatre Festival The Williamstown Theatre Festival is a resident summer theater on the campus of Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1954 by Williams College news director Ralph Renzi and drama program chairman David C. Bryant. I ...
in 2000.Brantley, Ben
"How to Savor Fleeting Joys: Smiles Suave, Brows Arched"
''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', 28 June 2000
The Antaeus Company in Los Angeles revived all ten plays in October 2007, as did the Shaw Festival in 2009. The play, together with ideas from '' Ways and Means'', another play in the ''Tonight at 8.30'' cycle, was loosely adapted as a film of the same name in 1942. It was directed by
Robert Z. Leonard Robert Zigler Leonard (October 7, 1889 – August 27, 1968) was an American film director, actor, producer, and screenwriter. Biography He was born in Chicago, Illinois. At one time, he was married to silent star Mae Murray with the two formin ...
and starred
Norma Shearer Edith Norma Shearer (August 11, 1902June 12, 1983) was a Canadian-American actress who was active on film from 1919 through 1942. Shearer often played spunky, sexually liberated ingénues. She appeared in adaptations of Noël Coward, Eugene O'N ...
and
Melvyn Douglas Melvyn Douglas (born Melvyn Edouard Hesselberg, April 5, 1901 – August 4, 1981) was an American actor. Douglas came to prominence in the 1930s as a suave leading man, perhaps best typified by his performance in the romantic comedy ''Ninotchka ...
. The plot was modified to so that the couple were now expatriate impoverished European aristocrats, professional houseguests of, and looking for mates among,
nouveau riche ''Nouveau riche'' (; ) is a term used, usually in a derogatory way, to describe those whose wealth has been acquired within their own generation, rather than by familial inheritance. The equivalent English term is the "new rich" or "new money" ( ...
Americans who are impressed by their titles.


Critical reception

Coward described the piece as "a light episode, little more than a curtain-raiser" and felt that it fulfilled that function adequately". His friend the actress
Lynn Fontanne Lynn Fontanne (; 6 December 1887 – 30 July 1983) was an English actress. After early success in supporting roles in the West End, she met the American actor Alfred Lunt, whom she married in 1922 and with whom she co-starred in Broadway and We ...
disagreed, and told him that the audience needed to believe that the two main characters were in love, but that the idea came across as very silly. At the time of the first production ''
The Manchester Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' described the play as "a witty little piece", but subsequent critical opinion has varied. In 1970 the critic Michael Billington considered it one of the most durable of the ''Tonight at 8.30'' plays; in 2009 Coward's biographer Barry Day wrote that it was generally considered the weakest of the cycle.Day, p. x


Notes


References

* * * * {{Authority control Plays by Noël Coward 1936 plays