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We Were Dancing
''We Were Dancing'' 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 evenings. The original production, starring Coward and Gertrude Lawrence 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 '' Bitter Sweet'' (1929) and the epic ''Cavalcade'' (1931), requiring a large cast, gargantuan sets and a complex hydraulic stage, to the intimate comedies ''Private Lives'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 a downtrodden, middle-aged salesman who, having saved up enough money to cut all ties, walks out on his wife, mother-in-law and "horrible adenoidal daughter", having first told all three what he thinks of them. In the introduction to a published edition of the plays, Coward wrote, "A short play, having a great advantage over a long one in that it can sustain a mood without technical creaking or over padding, deserves a better fate, and if, by careful writing, acting and producing I can do a little towards reinstating it in its rightful pride, I shall have achieved one of my more sentimental ambitions." The play was first produced in 1935 in Manchester and on tour and played in London (1936) and New York (1936–1937). It has enjoyed severa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 of Jermyn Street Theatre, which he turned into a producing theatre. His West End credits include Stephen Sondheim's ''Saturday Night'' (for Primavera) which starred Helena Blackman, the runner-up of '' How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria''. Littler was also resident director of the 2009 revival of ''A Little Night Music'' at the Garrick Theatre and Menier Chocolate Factory. Littler directed the premiere of ''Dances of Death'' by Howard Brenton, a new version of ''The Dance of Death'' by August Strindberg at the Gate Theatre (London) in 2013, starring Michael Pennington. He also directed the premieres of Brenton's biographical play about August Strindberg, ''The Blinding Light'', at Jermyn Street Theatre, and his new version of ''Miss J ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 House restaurant and originally the cellar of the Kent & Sussex Tavern up until 1838. The space was transformed under the leadership of Howard Jameson and Penny Horner into a 70-seat studio theatre. They both remain the Chair of the Board and Executive Director respectively. In 1995, Neil Marcus became the first Artistic Director and Jermyn Street received their Lottery Grant in 1997. During this time, producer Chris Grady contributed to Jermyn Street Theatre's development. Princess Michael of Kent became the theatre's patron in 1995 and David Babani, later the founder of the Menier Chocolate Factory, took over as artistic director in 1998 until 2001. Jermyn Street Theatre has become a staple of London's Off-West End studio theatre. It rec ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 in several high-profile West End plays and musicals, and his portrayal of protagonist John Grant in the Australian film '' Wake in Fright'' (1971). Early life Bond was born in the village of Liss, Hampshire, England. He was the first born child of his parents. He was born into a family in which the army was the destined career for any family member, with his father and numerous uncles being in the army. As a result, it was always assumed that he would follow in this tradition and was frequently persuaded by his family that this was his career path. Yet Bond from a young age had always harboured a love for acting. He was educated in Churcher's College in Petersfield and later Portsmouth College of Technology. His father died in December ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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), and won a BAFTA TV Award in 1964. For her work on Broadway, she received Tony Award nominations for '' Side by Side by Sondheim'' (1977) and '' King of Hearts'' (1978), both for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Other television roles include her recurring role as Gertrude Moon in the NBC sitcom ''Frasier'' (2000–04) and Joan Margaret in ''Grace & Frankie'' (2017-2022). Life and career Martin was born in Romford, Essex. Theatre Early clippings show Martin as one of the cast in the pantomime "Dick Whittington" starring Jimmy Hanley at the Granada Tooting in December 1949 The following year she was in "Aladdin" at the Pavilion Bournemouth in December 1950 and in May 1951 she appeared in "The Happiest Days of Your Life" at the Playh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 2019. History The original theatre (The Hampstead Theatre Club) was created in 1959 in Moreland Hall, a parish church school hall in Holly Bush Vale, Hampstead Village. James Roose-Evans was the founder and first Artistic Director, and the 1959–1960 season included '' The Dumb Waiter'' and '' The Room'' by Harold Pinter, Eugène Ionesco's ''Jacques'' and ''The Sport of My Mad Mother'' by Ann Jellicoe. In 1962 the company moved to a portable cabin in Swiss Cottage where it remained for nearly 40 years, before, in 2003, the new purpose-built Hampstead Theatre opened in Swiss Cottage. The main auditorium seats 373 people. The studio theatre, Hampstead Downstairs, seats up to 100 people and was turned into a laboratory for new wri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 parents Catherine and Edwin Hare Bicker-Caarten. His sisters were playwrights Waveney Carten and Audrey Carten. Tallulah Bankhead, a very close friend of his sister, Audrey, became a surrogate mother to Carten, who during the summer break from Eton College, went to live with them. In the late 1930s, with his sister, Audrey, he frequented the social circle of Elvira Mullens Barney. Appearances *1930: ''Charlot's Masquerade'' with Beatrice Lillie *1930: ''Wonder Bar'' with Gwen Farrar and Norah Blaney. *1933: ''Gay Love'' by Waveney Carten and Audrey Carten, with Gwen Farrar *1933: ''Please'' with Beatrice Lillie. *1934: ''Streamline'' with Tilly Losch. *1935: ''Roulette'' *1935: ''Full House'' by Ivor Novello. *1936: as Edward Valance ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anthony Pelissier
Harry Anthony Compton Pelissier (27 July 1912 – 2 April 1988) was an English people, English actor, screenwriter, Theatrical producer, producer and theatre director, director. Biography Pelissier was born in Chipping Barnet, Barnet and came from a theatrical family. His parents were the theatre producer H. G. Pelissier (who presented ''Pelissier's Follies'') and the actress Fay Compton. His uncle was Compton MacKenzie, who wrote ''Whisky Galore (novel), Whisky Galore''. Pelissier began acting in the 1930s. In 1935 and 1936, he was featured in Noël Coward's play cycle, ''Tonight at 8.30'', both in Britain and on Broadway. He also played in Coward's ''Set to Music'' (1939) He began writing in 1937 and directing in 1949. He was the screenwriter and director of four popular films: ''The History of Mr. Polly (film), The History of Mr Polly'' (1949), ''The Rocking Horse Winner (film), The Rocking Horse Winner'' (1950), ''Night Without Stars'' (1951), and ''Personal Affair'' starrin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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, appearing in twelve of his plays and two of his revues. Before that, she appeared early in her career in ''Peter Pan'', and was cast in other children's plays and pantomimes. She was in the West End casts of revues by Cole Porter and others, and in musical comedies such as '' Lilac Time''. Her last stage role was in 1950; she died suddenly in 1954, aged 52. Life and career Nugent was born in Dublin. At the age of ten she made her first appearance on the stage, at the Playhouse Theatre, London on 21 September 1911, as Meenie in ''Rip Van Winkle''.Parker, pp. 1818–1819 Later that year she played the Baby Mermaid and Liza in ''Peter Pan'' at the Duke of York's Theatre, repeating the roles in the three succeeding annual revivals of the play. Betwe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 and Music'' and '' Tonight at 8.30''; Cole Porter's '' Nymph Errant''; Moss Hart & Irving Berlin's ''Stop Press''; and ''Streamline''.University of Bristol Theatre Collection Database (2011). at http://www.bristol.ac.uk/theatrecollection, accessed 26 September 2011. His film credits include: '' They Were Not Divided'', '' Beat the Devil'', '' Wings of the Morning'', '' The Rainbow Jacket'', ''The Woman's Angle'', '' Her Panelled Door'', ''The Camp on Blood Island'', ''Dr. Terror's House of Horrors'', '' Thunderball'', ''Khartoum'', '' The Magic Christian'' and ''Digby, the Biggest Dog in the World''. Television appearances include: ''Dad's Army'', ''Danger Man'', '' The Saint'', '' The Avengers'', ''The Rat Catchers'', ''Weavers Green'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
