{"title":"Noël Coward","description":"\u003cp\u003eDiscover the wit and charm of \u003cstrong\u003eNoël Coward\u003c\/strong\u003e, whose plays and writings capture the elegance and intricacies of social life with sparkling dialogue and sharp humour. From the mischievous supernatural comedy of \u003cem\u003eBlithe Spirit\u003c\/em\u003e to the sophisticated tensions of \u003cem\u003ePrivate Lives\u003c\/em\u003e, Coward’s work deftly explores relationships and human folly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eReaders can expect a rich blend of comedy and drama, where wit meets emotional insight in beautifully crafted settings. These timeless works offer a unique glimpse into the art of theatre and the subtle dance of character and conversation, making them essential for lovers of \u003cem\u003eArts \u0026amp; Culture\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"present-laughter-by-noel-coward-9781350354029","title":"Present Laughter","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"An honest, even profound reflection on the price of fame, with some genuine sexual frisson and an undercurrent of pathos.\"\u003cem\u003e - The Hollywood Reporter\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAt the centre of his own universe sits matinee idol Garry Essendine: suave, hedonistic and too old, says his wife, to be having numerous affairs - his line of harmless, infatuated debutantes is largely tolerated but playing closer to home is not. Just before he escapes on tour to Africa the full extent of his misdemeanours is discovered... and all hell breaks loose.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNoël Coward's \u003cem\u003ePresent Laughter\u003c\/em\u003e premiered in the early years of the Second World War just as such privileged lives were threatened with fundamental social change, and remains one of the playwright's most enduring hits.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis new edition is published in Methuen Drama's iconic Modern Classics series to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Coward's death and features a new introduction by Russell Jackson.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47464165605612,"sku":"9781350354029","price":24.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781350354029-present-laughter.jpg?v=1775039287"},{"product_id":"private-lives-by-noel-coward-9781350353718","title":"Private Lives","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Noel Coward's glittering gem\" - \u003ci\u003eThe Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eElyot Chase and Amanda Prynne, recently divorced from one another after a five-year marriage, coincidentally arrive at the same French hotel... where they are both honeymooning with their respective new spouses. Jarred by this encounter, Elyot and Amanda realise that they are still very much horrified and fascinated by the other.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFrequently performed and revived in the West End, \u003ci\u003ePrivate Lives\u003c\/i\u003e is a comedy of manners that remains one of Coward's most popular plays.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis new edition is published in Methuen Drama's iconic Modern Classics series to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Coward's death and features a new introduction by Simon Stephens.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47464166719724,"sku":"9781350353718","price":23.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781350353718-private-lives.jpg?v=1775039437"},{"product_id":"blithe-spirit-by-noel-coward-9781350353497","title":"Blithe Spirit","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"Some of [Coward's] most sparkling dialogue ever... This play is about something substantial - the way past relationships come back to haunt us - but it's the gossamer-like nature of the piece, its sheer levity of spirit, that makes it such an enduring achievement\" - \u003ci\u003eThe Telegraph\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhen socialite and novelist Charles Condomine attends a séance hosted by eccentric medium Madame Arcati, he's only hoping to gather material for his next book; he never expected to be haunted by his temperamental ex-wife, Elvira. Can Charles keep this wilful spirit at bay, or will his new marriage to his second wife, Ruth, come to an untimely demise?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith unforgettable characters, witty dialogue and farcical situations, \u003ci\u003eBlithe Spirit\u003c\/i\u003e ran for decades on the West End, becoming one of the most well-known plays in the British canon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis new edition is published in Methuen Drama's iconic Modern Classics series to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Coward's death and features a new introduction by Arianne Johnson Quinn.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47470109556972,"sku":"9781350353497","price":23.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781350353497-blithe-spirit.jpg?v=1775212676"},{"product_id":"private-lives-by-noel-coward-9781472523730","title":"Private Lives","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCoward's wit and precision as a modern dramatist is nowhere better exemplified than in this classic modern play from 1930. \u003cem\u003ePrivate Lives\u003c\/em\u003e tells the story of Elyot Chase and Amanda Prynne (originally played by Gertrude Lawrence and Noël Coward), who were recently divorced from one another five years previously.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThey arrive coincidentally at the same French hotel, honeymooning with their respective new spouses. Encountering one another by chance, each is at once horrified and fascinated by the other. Together they leave for Paris and begin a roundelay of quarrels and love intrigues that culminate in their getting back together.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47471408677100,"sku":"9781472523730","price":27.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781472523730-private-lives.jpg?v=1775241998"},{"product_id":"design-for-living-by-noel-coward-9781350353671","title":"Design for Living","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Its fusion of passion and mischief remains striking and there is something undeniably heady about its celebration of a kind of sexual liberation that looks a lot like flippancy\" \u003ci\u003e- Evening Standard\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFrom 1930s bohemian Paris to the dizzying heights of Manhattan society, a tempestuous love triangle unravels between a vivacious interior designer, Gilda, playwright Leo and artist Otto—three people unashamedly and passionately in love with each other. But can such a lavish love affair survive the real world?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eExploring themes of bisexuality, celebrity, success and self-obsession, \u003ci\u003eDesign for Living\u003c\/i\u003e is a stylish and scandalous comedy, often revered as Coward's most controversial and risqué work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis new edition is published in Methuen Drama's iconic Modern Classics series to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Coward's death and features a new introduction by Oliver Soden.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47596204490988,"sku":"9781350353671","price":27.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/2dd503ac720f0be8946308fbe660710a.jpg?v=1777930926"},{"product_id":"tonight-at-830-by-noel-coward-9781472589439","title":"Tonight at 8.30","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWritten as a vehicle for Coward’s own acting talents alongside his frequent stage partner Gertrude Lawrence, \u003cem\u003eTonight at 8:30\u003c\/em\u003e is Coward’s ambitious series of ten one-act plays which saw him breathe new life into the one-act form.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFrom vaudeville to satire, from farce to intricate comedy of manners, from melodrama to romance, these plays span the full, glorious range of Coward’s writing. Peep through your fingers at the chaotic \u003cem\u003eRed Peppers\u003c\/em\u003e music-hall show, witness a bankrupt couple use all \u003cem\u003eWays and Means\u003c\/em\u003e to scheme their way out of debt, and break your heart along with Laura in the famous \u003cem\u003eStill Life\u003c\/em\u003e, the original version of the film \u003cem\u003eBrief Encounter\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFirst performed in London in 1936, the plays perfectly showcase Coward's talents as a playwright, providing a sparkling, fast-paced and remarkably varied selection of theatrical gems. Coward wrote of the first series of three plays with characteristic delight: ‘They are all brilliantly written, exquisitely directed, and I am bewitching in all of them.’ Gertrude Lawrence wrote to Coward in 1947, ‘Dearest Noël, wherever I go... all I hear is \"please revive \u003cem\u003eTonight at 8.30\u003c\/em\u003e!\"'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAll ten plays are collected together into this volume that features both Coward’s own preface and an introduction by Barry Day, Coward expert and editor of \u003cem\u003eThe Letters of Noël Coward\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis new edition of \u003cem\u003eTonight at 8.30\u003c\/em\u003e is published to coincide with English Touring Theatre and the Nuffield Southampton's revival for the first time in the UK since Coward starred in them in 1936.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47600837853420,"sku":"9781472589439","price":36.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781472589439-tonight-at-8-30.jpg?v=1777992539"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/noel-coward.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}