View source for Private Lives

{{Short description|1930 play by Noël Coward}}
{{other uses}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Infobox play
| name       = Private Lives
| image      = Private Lives Theatre De Lys.jpg
| caption    = Poster from the 1968 [[Lucille Lortel Theatre|Theatre De Lys]] production featuring a sketch of Coward
| writer     = [[Noël Coward]]
| genre      = [[Romantic comedy]]
| setting    = A hotel in [[Deauville]], France, and a flat in Paris in the 1930s
| subject    = A divorced couple unexpectedly honeymoon at the same place with their new spouses
| premiere   = {{date and age|18 August 1930}}
| place      = [[King's Theatre, Edinburgh|King's Theatre]], Edinburgh
| orig_lang  = English
}}
'''''Private Lives''''' is a 1930 [[comedy of manners]] in three acts by [[Noël Coward]]. It concerns a divorced couple who, while [[honeymoon]]ing with their new spouses, discover that they are staying in adjacent rooms at the same hotel.  Despite a perpetually stormy relationship, they realise that they still have feelings for each other. Its second-act love scene was nearly censored in Britain as too risqué. Coward wrote one of his most popular songs, ‘[[Someday I'll Find You]]’, for the play.

After touring the British provinces, the play opened the new [[Phoenix Theatre (London)|Phoenix Theatre]] in London in 1930, starring Coward, [[Gertrude Lawrence]], [[Adrianne Allen]] and [[Laurence Olivier]]. A [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] production followed in 1931, and the play has been revived at least a half-dozen times each in the [[West End theatre|West End]] and on Broadway. The leading roles have attracted a wide range of actors:  among those who have succeeded Coward as Elyot are [[Robert Stephens]], [[Richard Burton]], [[Alan Rickman]] and [[Matthew Macfadyen]], and successors to Lawrence as Amanda have included [[Tallulah Bankhead]], [[Elizabeth Taylor]], [[Joan Collins]], [[Elaine Stritch]], [[Maggie Smith]], [[Penelope Keith]] and [[Lindsay Duncan]]. Directors of new productions have included [[John Gielgud]], [[Howard Davies (director)|Howard Davies]] and [[Richard Eyre]]. The play was made into a [[Private Lives (1931 film)|1931 film]] and has been adapted several times for television and radio.

==Background==
Coward was in the middle of an extensive Asian tour when he contracted [[influenza]] in [[Shanghai]].<ref name=lahr59>Lahr, p. 59</ref> He spent the better part of his two-week convalescence sketching out the play and then completed the actual writing of the piece in only four days.<ref name=lahr59/> He immediately cabled [[Gertrude Lawrence]] in New York to ask her to keep autumn 1930 free to appear in the play. After spending a few more weeks revising it, he typed the final draft in [[Peace Hotel|The Cathay Hotel]] in [[Shanghai]] and sent copies to Lawrence and his [[theatre producer|producer]] and manager, [[John C. Wilson]], with instructions to cable him with their reactions.<ref>Coward (1937), p. 299</ref>

Coward received no fewer than 30 telegrams from Lawrence about the play. She first said that she had read the play and there was "nothing wrong with it that can't be fixed." Coward "wired back curtly that the only thing that was going to be fixed was her performance."<ref>Coward (1937), p. 307.</ref> Lawrence was indecisive about what to do about her previous commitment to [[André Charlot]]. Coward finally responded that he planned to cast the play with another actress.<ref>Coward (1937), p. 308</ref> By the time he returned to London, he found Lawrence not only had cleared her schedule but was staying at [[Edward Molyneux]]'s villa in [[Cap-d'Ail]] in southeastern France learning her lines.<ref>Coward (2007), p. 181</ref> Coward joined her, and the two began rehearsing the scenes they shared. 

At the end of July they returned to London where Coward began to direct the production. Coward played the part of Elyot Chase himself, [[Adrianne Allen]] was his bride Sibyl, Lawrence played Amanda Prynne, and [[Laurence Olivier]] was her new husband Victor. Coward wrote Sibyl and Victor as minor characters, "extra puppets, lightly wooden ninepins, only to be repeatedly knocked down and stood up again."<ref>Lesley, p. 136</ref> He later insisted, however, that they must be credible new spouses for the lead characters: "We've got to have two people as attractive as Larry and Adrianne were in the first place, ''if'' we can find them."<ref>Lesley, p. 137</ref>

Rehearsals were still under way when the [[Lord Chamberlain]] took exception to the second act's love scene, labelling it too risqué in light of the fact the characters were divorced and married to others. Coward went to [[St. James's Palace]] to plead his case by acting out the play himself and assuring the censor that with artful direction the scene would be presented in a dignified and unobjectionable manner.<ref>Morley, p. 196.</ref> Coward repeats one of his signature theatrical devices at the end of the play, where the main characters tiptoe out as the curtain falls – a device that he also used in ''[[Present Laughter]]'', ''[[Hay Fever (play)|Hay Fever]]'' and ''[[Blithe Spirit (play)|Blithe Spirit]].''<ref>Kaplan, p. 113</ref>

The play contains one of Coward's most popular songs, "Some Day I'll Find You" (sometimes printed as "[[Someday I'll Find You]]"). The Noël Coward Society's website, drawing on performing statistics from the publishers and the [[Performing Rights Society]], ranks it among Coward's ten most performed songs.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20090105170739/http://www.noelcoward.net/ncmiindex/appendices/appendix3.html "Appendix 3 (The Relative Popularity of Coward's Works)"]}}, Noël Coward Music Index, accessed 9 March 2009</ref>

==Synopsis==
;Act 1
Following a brief courtship, Elyot and Sibyl are honeymooning at a hotel in [[Deauville]], France,<ref>Coward's opening directions in the text specify merely "a hotel in France", but in Act III (p. 87) Sibyl makes it clear that the hotel is in Deauville</ref> although her curiosity about his first marriage is not helping his romantic mood. In the adjoining suite Amanda and Victor are starting their new life together, although he cannot stop thinking of the cruelty Amanda's ex-husband displayed towards her. Elyot and Amanda, following a volatile three-year-long marriage, have been divorced for five years, but they now discover that they are sharing a terrace while on their honeymoons with their new and younger spouses. Elyot and Amanda separately beg their new spouses to leave the hotel with them immediately, but both new spouses refuse to cooperate and each storms off to dine alone. Realising they still love each other and regretting having divorced, Elyot and Amanda abandon their spouses and run off to Amanda's flat in Paris.

;Act 2
[[File:Private-Lives-1931-1b.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.5|Noël Coward and Gertrude Lawrence in the Broadway production of ''Private Lives'' (1931)|alt=young white man, clean shaven, facing a young white woman with bob cut hair across a small round table set with wine glasses and demitasse cups; both are smoking using cigarette holder]]
After dinner at the Paris flat several days later, Elyot and Amanda use their code word "Solomon Isaacs", soon abbreviated to "Sollocks", to stop their arguments from getting out of hand. They kiss passionately, but the harmony cannot last: whilst Elyot and Amanda cannot live without each other, neither can they live together. They argue violently and try to outwit each other, just as they had done during their stormy marriage. Their ongoing argument escalates to a point of fury, as Amanda breaks a record over Elyot's head and he retaliates by slapping her face. They seem trapped in a repeating cycle of love and hate, consumed by their private passions and jealousies. At the height of their biggest fight, Sibyl and Victor walk in.

;Act 3
The next morning Amanda tries to sneak away early but is surprised to find Sibyl and Victor there. As they talk, Elyot enters, and he and Amanda start bickering again. It has been decided that neither of the new spouses will grant a divorce for a year, to give Amanda and Elyot time to confirm if this is really what they want. As tempers rise, Sibyl and Victor begin to bicker with each other, defending their respective spouses. Amanda and Elyot realise that Sibyl and Victor are as suited to each other as they are, forgive each another and sneak out, leaving the younger two together. As Elyot and Amanda tiptoe out, Victor and Sibyl have reached the point of mutual violence.

==Productions==

===Original productions===
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Produced by [[Charles Blake Cochran|C. B. Cochran]], the play premiered on 18 August 1930, at the [[King's Theatre, Edinburgh|King's Theatre]] in [[Edinburgh]], directed by Coward and starring Coward as Elyot, [[Gertrude Lawrence]] as Amanda, [[Laurence Olivier]] as Victor and [[Adrianne Allen]] as Sibyl.  Sets and costumes were designed by [[Gladys Calthrop]].<ref>"Gladys Calthrop", ''Who's Who in the Theatre'', 14th edition 1967, Pitman</ref> After successfully touring [[Liverpool]], [[Birmingham]], [[Manchester]] and [[Southsea]] for five weeks, the production opened the new [[Phoenix Theatre (London)|Phoenix Theatre]] in London on 24 September 1930. A week after the play opened, [[Heinemann (book publisher)|Heinemann]] published the text; a week later, [[His Master's Voice (British record label)|His Master's Voice]] issued recordings of scenes from the play performed by Coward and Lawrence.<ref>"His Master's Voice", ''The Times'', 8 October 1930, p. 19. The original recordings (catalogue number C2043) have been reissued on compact disc on several labels, such as Pavilion, PASTCD9715</ref> Coward disliked appearing in long runs, and the London run was therefore a limited three-month season. It sold out within a week and was still playing to packed houses when, despite "the gratifying knowledge that we could have run on for another six [months]," it ended on 20 December 1930.<ref>Coward (1937), p. 312; and "Theatres", ''The Times'', 18 December 1930, p. 12</ref>

The first [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] production opened at the [[Times Square Theatre]] on 27 January 1931 with Coward, Lawrence and Olivier reprising their roles and [[Jill Esmond]], who had married Olivier a few months earlier, as Sibyl.<ref>Adrianne Allen was pregnant and unable to travel to New York. The child to whom she gave birth was [[Daniel Massey (actor)|Daniel Massey]], to whom Coward was godfather. See Castle, p. 115</ref> [[Walter Winchell]] described the production as "something to go quite silly over."<ref>Morley, p. 202.</ref> The New York critics were enthusiastic about the play and Coward's performance.<ref>[http://www.globetheatrelive.com/20032004season/privatelives/studyguide_privatelives.htm "Private Lives"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090908204101/http://www.globetheatrelive.com/20032004season/privatelives/studyguide_privatelives.htm |date=8 September 2009 }}, Globe Theatre Study Guide, 2004, accessed 17 March 2009</ref> A few weeks before Coward and Lawrence were scheduled to be replaced by [[Otto Kruger]] and [[Madge Kennedy]], Lawrence collapsed with a combined attack of [[laryngitis]] and [[Neurasthenia|nervous exhaustion]]. Coward appeared at five performances with her understudy, and then closed the production for two weeks to allow Lawrence to recuperate. She returned, and the two continued in their roles until 9 May 1931.<ref>Coward (2007), p. 219</ref> The production ran a total of 256 performances.<ref>Morley, pp. 203–05.</ref>

===Major revivals (1940s to 1970s)===
[[File:Noel Coward (1963) by Erling Mandelmann - 2.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Coward in 1963]]
The first [[West End theatre|West End]] revival was at the [[Apollo Theatre]] in 1944 starring [[John Clements (actor)|John Clements]] and [[Kay Hammond]].<ref>"Private Lives", ''The Times'', 2 November 1944, p. 6</ref> [[Googie Withers]] took over as Amanda during the run.<ref>Castle, p. 119</ref>

Over the years, the play has been revived on Broadway six times.  The first of these, in 1948, starred [[Tallulah Bankhead]] as Amanda and [[Donald Cook (actor)|Donald Cook]] as Elyot, with [[Barbara Baxley]] as Sibyl and William Langford as Victor, in a production directed by [[Martin Manulis]] at the [[Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre|Plymouth Theatre]], where it ran for 248 performances.<ref>Atkinson, Brooks. [https://www.nytimes.com/1948/10/05/archives/at-the-theater.html?scp=2" "At the Theater"]. ''The New York Times'' (abstract), 5 October 1948, p. 30</ref><ref>[http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=2025 ''Private Lives'', 1948"]. Internet Broadway Database listing, accessed 6 March 2011</ref> The production toured all but three states of the U.S., and grossed more than $1.5 million.<ref>Hoare, p. 372</ref> Coward went to see the production "with my heart in my boots and was very pleasantly surprised ... her (Bankhead's) vitality was amazing, and, strange to say, she played the love scene quite beautifully."<ref>Coward (2007), p. 534</ref>

In 1963, at the start of what Coward called "Dad's Renaissance", a London revival directed by [[James Roose-Evans]] at the [[Hampstead Theatre|Hampstead Theatre Club]] heralded Coward's return to critical favour.<ref>"Timeless Revival of Coward", ''The Times'', 26 April 1963, p. 6</ref> The success of the production, with [[Edward de Souza]] as Elyot and [[Rosemary Martin]] as Amanda, led to its transfer to the [[Duke of York's Theatre]].<ref>Fay, Gerard. "Private Lives at the Duke of York's", ''[[The Guardian]]'', 4 July 1963, p. 7</ref> The West End producer wanted to cast established stars in the transfer, but Coward insisted that the young Hampstead cast should be retained.<ref>Hoare, p. 480</ref> It ran in the West End for 212 performances.<ref>Coward (2007), p. 709</ref> A May 1968 [[Off-Broadway]] production directed by [[Charles Nelson Reilly]] starred [[Elaine Stritch]] as Amanda, and ran for nine performances at the [[Lucille Lortel Theatre|Theatre de Lys]].<ref>Sullivan, Dan. [https://www.nytimes.com/1968/05/20/archives/the-theater-private-lives-revived-noel-cowards-farce-stars-elaine.html?sq=%2522&scp=1 "The Theater: 'Private Lives' Revived; Noel Coward's Farce Stars Elaine Stritch"]. ''The New York Times'', 20 May 1968, p. 59</ref><ref>[http://www.lortel.org/LLA_archive/index.cfm?search_by=show&id=642 ''Private Lives'', 1968] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405080339/http://www.lortel.org/LLA_archive/index.cfm?search_by=show&id=642 |date=5 April 2012 }}. Internet Off-Broadway Database, accessed 6 March 2011</ref> A 1969 production, directed by [[Stephen Porter (director)|Stephen Porter]] and starring [[Brian Bedford]] as Elyot and [[Tammy Grimes]] as Amanda (winning a [[Tony Award]] for her performance), with David Glover as Victor and Suzanne Grossman as Sibyl, opened at Broadway's [[Nederlander Theatre|Billy Rose Theatre]] and then moved to the [[Broadhurst Theatre]] to complete its run of 198 performances.<ref>Barnes, Clive. [https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0D13FC355A107B93C7A91789D95F4D8685F9 "Theater: Tammy Grimes Cavorts in ''Private Lives''; Noel Coward Comedy of 1929 Revived Brian Bedford Plays Well-Bred Mate"] ''The New York Times'' (abstract), 5 December 1969, p. 52</ref><ref>[http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=3306 ''Private Lives'', 1969].  Internet Broadway Database, accessed 6 March 2011</ref> The last major revival during Coward's lifetime was at London's [[Sondheim Theatre|Queen's Theatre]] in 1972.  It was directed by [[John Gielgud]] and starred [[Maggie Smith]] and [[Robert Stephens]].<ref>Wardle, Irving. "Coward talk by moonlight ridicules without malice", ''The Times'', 22 September 1972, p. 9</ref> During the run of the production, [[John Standing]] took over as Elyot,<ref>Lewsen, Charles. "Private Lives", ''The Times'', 19 April 1973, p. 15</ref> and [[Jill Bennett (British actress)|Jill Bennett]] was a replacement as Amanda.<ref>"Private Lives", ''The Times'', 18 July 1973, p. 13</ref> Gielgud directed a 1975 Broadway transfer of his production, starring Maggie Smith and John Standing at the [[Richard Rodgers Theatre|46th Street Theatre]], where it ran for 92 performances.<ref>Barnes, Clive. [https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB091FFA3F5C137B93C5A91789D85F418785F9 "''Private Lives'', Still Surprising, Returns"]. ''The New York Times'' (abstract), 7 February 1975, p. 14</ref><ref>[http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=3724 ''Private Lives'', 1975"]. Internet Broadway Database, accessed 6 March 2011</ref> In 1978, Smith reprised her role (alongside [[Brian Bedford]]) in a [[Stratford Festival]] production of the play.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.stage-door.com/Theatre/2001/Entries/2001/6/3_Private_Lives.html|title = Review – Private Lives – Stratford Festival – Christopher Hoile}}</ref>

===Major revivals (1980s to present)===
[[File:Liz Taylor and Richard Burton 1971.jpg|thumb|right|[[Elizabeth Taylor]] and [[Richard Burton]] were the headline stars in a 1983 Broadway production]]
In 1980, a production from the [[Greenwich Theatre]] transferred to the [[Duchess Theatre]] in the West End.  It starred [[Michael Jayston]] and [[Maria Aitken]], and it was directed by Alan Strachan.<ref>See [[Ned Chaillet|Chaillet, Ned]]. "Still sparkling Coward: ''Private Lives'', Greenwich", ''[[The Times]]'', 8 March 1980, p. 8; and [[Irving Wardle|Wardle, Irving]]. "All the fun of the Master's fare: ''Private Lives'', Duchess", ''The Times'', 17 April 1980, p. 11</ref>  [[Elizabeth Taylor]] as Amanda and [[Richard Burton]] as Elyot were the headliners in a highly anticipated 1983 Broadway production directed by [[Milton Katselas]], which opened at the [[Lunt-Fontanne Theatre]] in May 1983 following a pre-Broadway run at the Shubert Theatre in [[Boston]] in April 1983.<ref>Barnes, Martie. "Taylor and Burton Open in Noel Coward Play", ''The Associated Press'', 8 April 1983, Domestic News. "Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton drew a packed house for their first joint appearance on stage in 17 years. ...  The twice-married, twice-divorced couple portray a divorced couple ... at the Schubert [sic] Theater before a packed house of 1,688 people. ...  The play is in previews here for two weeks before opening May 8 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theater".</ref><ref>"Liz Taylor and Richard Burton Leave Boston With ''Private Lives''", ''The Associated Press'', 25 April 1983, Domestic News</ref> It co-starred [[John Cullum]] as Victor and [[Kathryn Walker]] as Sibyl<ref>Rich, Frank. [https://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/09/theater/theater-private-lives-burton-and-miss-taylor.html?scp=3&sq=%22 "Theater: ''Private Lives'', Burton and Miss Taylor"]. ''The New York Times'', 9 May 1983, p. C12</ref> and ran for 63 performances.<ref>[http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=4225 ''Private Lives'', 1983].  Internet Broadway Database, accessed 6 March 2011</ref> After closing on Broadway, this production toured to the [[John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts]] in August and September 1983,<ref>Richards, David. "''Private Lives'': A Public Spectacle;Liz & Dick's Clumsy Coward at the Kennedy Center", ''The Washington Post'', 22 August 1983, p.C1</ref> the [[Bank of America Theatre|Shubert Theatre]], Chicago in September,<ref>"The show finally went on as Elizabeth Taylor, whose illness had forced the cancellation of four performances of "Private Lives," opened the Chicago run of the Noel Coward classic." "People in the News", ''The Associated Press'', 15 September 1983</ref> and the [[Saban Theatre|Wilshire Theatre]], Los Angeles in October 1983.<ref>"People in the News", "Domestic News", ''The Associated Press'', 13 October 1983</ref><ref>[http://www.dameelizabethtaylor.com/private_lives.html "'Private Lives'"]. Dame Elizabeth Taylor.com, accessed 7 March 2011</ref>

In 1990, a revival at London's [[Aldwych Theatre]], starring [[Keith Baxter (actor)|Keith Baxter]] and [[Joan Collins]], directed by Tim Luscombe, was not well received,<ref>Billington, Michael. "A looker lost for laughs", ''The Guardian'', 20 September 1990, p. 29</ref> although [[Sara Crowe]] won an [[Olivier Award]], Actress in a Supporting Role, as Sibyl.<ref name=Crowe>[http://www.olivierawards.com/about/previous-winners/view/item98525/Olivier-Winners-1991/ "Olivier Winners, 1991"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121120212702/http://www.olivierawards.com/about/previous-winners/view/item98525/olivier-winners-1991/ |date=20 November 2012 }}.  Olivierawards.com, accessed 6 March 2011</ref> [[Arvin Brown]] directed Collins as Amanda and [[Simon Jones (actor)|Simon Jones]] as Elyot in a 1992 Broadway production<ref>Rich, Frank. [https://www.nytimes.com/1992/02/21/theater/review-theater-private-lives-for-the-ardent-fans-of-collins-and-coward.html?scp=2 "Theater: ''Private Lives''; For the Ardent Fans of Collins and Coward"]. ''The New York Times'', 21 February 1992</ref> that closed after only 11 previews and 37 performances at the [[Broadhurst Theatre]].<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1992/03/17/theater/private-lives-closing-early.html "''Private Lives'' Closing Early"]. ''The New York Times'', 17 March 2011</ref> The last West End production of the 20th century was at the [[Royal National Theatre|National Theatre]], running from May to September 1999, with [[Anton Lesser]] as Elyot and [[Juliet Stevenson]] as Amanda, directed by [[Philip Franks]].<ref name=billington>Billington, Michael. "Love and Violence: Private Lives", ''The Guardian'', 14 May 1999, p. 18</ref><ref>[http://www.albemarle-london.com/Archive/ArchiveShow.php?Show_Name=Private%20Lives%20(1999) "''Private Lives'', 1999"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101213120605/http://albemarle-london.com/Archive/ArchiveShow.php?Show_Name=Private%20Lives%20(1999) |date=13 December 2010 }} albemarle-london.com, accessed 6 March 2011</ref>

A 2001 London revival emphasised the harshness and darker side of the play; it starred [[Alan Rickman]] and [[Lindsay Duncan]], directed by [[Howard Davies (director)|Howard Davies]] at the Albery Theatre (subsequently renamed the [[Noël Coward Theatre]]).  Duncan won the Olivier Award for her performance, [[Tim Hatley]] won for his set designs, and [[Jenny Beavan]] won for costumes.<ref>Taylor, Paul. "Another masterly reunion: ''Private Lives''", ''[[The Independent]]'', 8 October 2001, p. 10</ref><ref name=Olivier2002>[http://www.olivierawards.com/about/previous-winners/view/item98540/Olivier-Winners-2002/ "Olivier Winners, 2002"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016131843/http://www.olivierawards.com/about/previous-winners/view/item98540/Olivier-Winners-2002 |date=16 October 2013 }}. Olivierawards.com, accessed 6 March 2011</ref> A Broadway transfer of Davies's West End production, starring Rickman and Duncan, ran for 127 performances at the [[Richard Rodgers Theatre]] in 2002.<ref>Brantley, Ben. [https://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/29/theater/theater-review-take-hate-add-love-and-shake-tenderly-for-a-coward-cocktail.html "Theater Review; Take Hate, Add Love and Shake Tenderly for a Coward Cocktail"]. ''The New York Times'', 29 April 2002</ref><ref>[http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=13372 "''Private Lives'', 2002"] Internet Broadway Database, accessed 6 March 2011</ref> It won the Tony Award for Best Revival, while Duncan won for Leading Actress and Hatley won for sets.<ref>Pogrebin, Robin. [https://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/03/theater/tonys-millie-tops-but-its-book-score-aren-t-winners-include-stritch-albee.html "At Tonys, ''Millie'' Is Tops, but Its Book and Score Aren't; Winners Include Stritch and Albee, ''Private Lives'' and ''Urinetown''"]. ''The New York Times'', 3 June 2002</ref> In 2009 at its new home, the Hampstead Theatre presented a revival directed by Lucy Bailey, with [[Jasper Britton]] as Elyot and [[Claire Price]] as Amanda.<ref>Billington, Michael. "Cocktails and carping on Coward's trip to the dark side", ''The Guardian'', 28 January 2009, p. 21</ref>

A 2010 revival at the [[Vaudeville Theatre]] in London was directed by [[Richard Eyre]] and starred [[Matthew Macfadyen]] as Elyot and [[Kim Cattrall]] as Amanda.<ref>Billington, Michael. "Cattrall proves irresistible in a funny, clever take on Coward", ''The Guardian'', 5 March 2010</ref> The ten-week limited season ran from February to May 2010.<ref>[http://vaudeville-theatre.co.uk/ "Theatre history"], Vaudeville Theatre, accessed 7 March 2011.</ref> This production then moved to North America, starring Cattrall and [[Paul Gross]].  It had tryouts in Toronto from 16 September to 30 October 2011 and played on Broadway at the [[Music Box Theatre]] from 6 November, with an official opening on 17 November.  [[Simon Paisley Day]] played Victor, and [[Anna Madeley]] played Sibyl.<ref>Jones, Kenneth. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/154618-Prior-to-Broadway-Kim-Cattrall-and-Paul-Gross-Play-Private-Lives-Balcony-Scenes-in-Toronto-Sept-16-Oct-30 "Prior to Broadway, Kim Cattrall and Paul Gross Play Private Lives' Balcony Scenes in Toronto Sept. 16-Oct. 30"], ''Playbill'', 16 September 2011</ref> The production closed early, on 31 December 2011.<ref>{{cite web|last=Gans|first=Andrew| url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/157596-Broadway-Revival-of-Private-Lives-Featuring-Kim-Cattrall-Will-Close-Early|title =Broadway Revival of Private Lives, Featuring Kim Cattrall, Will Close Early|publisher=Playbill.com |date=13 December 2011}}</ref>

A production ran at the [[Chichester Festival Theatre]] from 28 September (previews from 21 September) to 27 October 2012, starring [[Anna Chancellor]] as Amanda and [[Toby Stephens]] as Elyot, with [[Anthony Calf]] as Victor and [[Anna-Louise Plowman]] as Sibyl.  It was directed by [[Jonathan Kent (director)|Jonathan Kent]].<ref>{{cite news | title = Private Lives – Minerva, Chichester | author = [[Michael Billington (critic)|Michael Billington]] | newspaper = [[The Guardian]] | date = 30 September 2012 | url = https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2012/sep/30/private-lives-review }}</ref><ref>Bosanquet, Theo. [http://www.whatsonstage.com/news/theatre/london/E8831344961222/Calf+%26+Plowman+join+Chancellor+%26+Stephens+in+Chichester+Private+Lives.html "Calf & Plowman join Chancellor & Stephens in Chichester Private Lives"], ''What's on Stage'', 14 August 2012</ref> This production was reprised with the same cast at the [[Gielgud Theatre]], in London, from 3 July (previews from 22 June) to 21 September 2013.<ref>{{cite news | title= It's odd kissing Toby Stephens with his wife in the cast, says Private Lives actress Anna Chancellor  | url = https://www.standard.co.uk/news/its-odd-kissing-toby-stephens-with-his-wife-in-the-cast-says-private-lives-actress-anna-chancellor-8687539.html |author1=Louise Jury |author2=Josh Pettitt | date = 4 July 2013 | work = [[Evening Standard]]|location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = Theatre review: Private Lives | newspaper = [[The Independent]] | author = Paul Taylor | date = 4 July 2013 | url = https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/reviews/theatre-review-private-lives--jonathan-kents-rendition-of-cowards-masterpiece-is-the-best-in-a-decade-8687498.html}}</ref> This performance was broadcast to participating cinemas in the UK from 6 February 2014, and in the US on 11 December 2013, by CinemaLive and [[Digital Theatre (website)|Digital Theatre]] in their West End Theatre Series.<ref>{{cite web|title=Digital Theatre and CinemaLive broadcast Private Lives|date=21 October 2013 |url=http://www.whatsonstage.com/-theatre/news/10-2013/digital-theatre-and-cinemalive-broadcast-private-l_32378.html|publisher=WhatsOnStage.com, Inc.|access-date=11 December 2013}}</ref>

A UK tour of ''Private Lives'' starring [[Patricia Hodge]] and [[Nigel Havers]] opened in October 2021 in [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]]. This production cast all the lead roles as much older than in previous productions, which was initially met with scepticism.<ref>{{cite web|title=Here's Five Shows Live you CAN Add to Your Diary!|url=https://www.londonboxoffice.co.uk/news/post/five-shows-add-to-diary|publisher=londonboxoffice.co.uk, Inc.|access-date=24 April 2020}}</ref> However, the change was received well by audiences and the tour broke several box-office records before ending in [[Nottingham]] in April 2022.<ref>{{cite web|title=Further Tour Dates For Private Lives Starring Nigel Havers & Patricia Hodge|date=19 October 2021 |url=https://theatreweekly.com/further-tour-dates-for-private-lives-starring-nigel-havers-patricia-hodge/|publisher=theatreweekly.com|access-date=27 January 2023}}</ref> This production transferred to the [[Ambassadors Theatre (London)|Ambassadors Theatre]] in the West End from 31 August to 25 November 2023.<ref>Wood, Alec. [https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/private-lives-with-patricia-hodge-and-nigel-havers-to-open-in-the-west-end_1508506/ "Private Lives with Patricia Hodge and Nigel Havers to open in the West End"], ''What's on Stage'', 4 July 2023</ref> 

Another revival ran at the [[Donmar Warehouse]] in London from 7 April to 27 May 2023. The production starred [[Stephen Mangan]], [[Rachael Stirling]], [[Laura Carmichael]] and Sargon Yelda.<ref> {{cite web|title=Donmar Warehouse announces Private Lives & new Jack Thorne play; Michael Longhurst to step down|date=26 January 2023 |url=https://www.westendtheatre.com/153155/news/donmar-warehouse-announces-more-30th-anniversary-shows-including-private-lives-michael-longhurst-to-step-down/|publisher=westendtheatre.com|access-date=27 January 2023}}</ref>

The [[Rose Theatre Kingston|Rose Theatre]], [[Octagon Theatre, Bolton|Octagon Theatre Bolton]] & [[Mercury Theatre, Colchester|Mercury Theatre]] co-production of the play directed by Tanuja Amarasuriya and supported by [[Royal Theatrical Support Trust|The Royal Theatrical Support Trust]] ran from 4 to 27 September at the Octagon Theatre in Bolton before transferring to Mercury Theatre in Colchester from 1 to 11 October. The tour ended with a run at the Rose from 14 to 25 October. The cast starred Jodie Cuaresma, Ashley Gerlach, Chirag Benedict Lobo and Pepter Lunkuse among understudies.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Private Lives — By Noël Coward |url=https://www.rosetheatre.org/whats-on/private-lives-j6ry |access-date=2025-10-21 |website=www.rosetheatre.org |language=en}}</ref>

==Critical reception==
The original production received mixed reviews. Coward later wrote, "The critics described ''Private Lives'' variously as 'tenuous, thin, brittle, gossamer, iridescent, and delightfully daring'. All of which connoted in the public mind cocktails, repartee and irreverent allusions to copulation, thereby causing a gratifying number of respectable people to queue up at the box office."<ref>Richards, p. 48</ref> ''The Times'' wrote, "What an entertaining play it is!", but wondered if any other performers could bring it off.<ref>"Phoenix Theatre", ''The Times'', 25 September 1930, p. 10</ref> [[Allardyce Nicoll]] called it "amusing, no doubt, yet hardly moving farther below the surface than a paper boat in a bathtub and, like the paper boat, ever in imminent danger of becoming a shapeless, sodden mass."<ref>Morley, pp. 197–98.</ref> ''[[The Manchester Guardian]]'' commented, "The audience evidently found it a good entertainment, but Mr. Coward  certainly had not flattered our intelligence. The play appears to be based on the theory that anything will do provided it be neatly done."<ref>Brown, Ivor. "Private Lives", ''The Manchester Guardian'', 25 September 1930, p. 17</ref> ''[[The Observer]]'' also thought that the play depended on brilliant acting and thought the characters unrealistic, though "None the less, for a couple of hours they are delicious company when Mr. Coward is master of unceremonious ceremonies."<ref>"The Week's Theatres", ''The Observer'', 28 September 1930, p. 15. Both the ''Guardian'' and ''Observer'' reviews were by [[Ivor Brown]], whose austere view in the former (a daily paper) had evidently mellowed by the time he wrote for the latter, a Sunday paper.</ref> The ''[[New Statesman]]'' discerned a sad side to the play in its story of a couple who can live neither with nor without each other: "It is not the least of Mr. Coward's achievements that he has ... disguised the grimness of his play and that his conception of love is really desolating."<ref>''Quoted'' in Ellis, Samantha.  [https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2003/sep/17/theatre?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487 "Private Lives, London, September 1930"], ''The Guardian'', 17 September 2003, accessed 7 March 2011</ref>

When the text was published, ''[[The Times]]'' called it "unreadable",<ref>''The Times'' classed Coward alongside dramatists from [[Ben Jonson]] to [[J. M. Barrie]] as better on the stage than on the page. See [[William Haley|Edwards, Oliver]], "On Reading Plays", ''The Times'', 17 May 1956, p. 13</ref> and ''[[The Times Literary Supplement]]'' found it "inexpressibly tedious" in print but acknowledged that its effectiveness on stage was "proved by the delight of a theatrical audience."<ref>Morgan, Charles. "A Group of Plays", ''The Times Literary Supplement'', 23 October 1930, p. 858</ref> [[T. E. Lawrence]], however, wrote, "The play reads astonishingly well ... superb prose."<ref>Lesley, p. 139</ref> The editor of ''[[Gramophone (magazine)|The Gramophone]]'' greeted Coward and Lawrence's 1930 recording of scenes from the play as a success and added, "I wish that Noel Coward would find time to write a short play for the gramophone, for neither of these extracts has enough completeness to bear indefinite repetition."<ref>[[Compton Mackenzie|Mackenzie, Compton]], [http://www.gramophone.net/Issue/Page/December%201930/3/830018/EDITORIAL#header-logo "Editorial"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723142541/http://www.gramophone.net/Issue/Page/December%201930/3/830018/EDITORIAL#header-logo |date=23 July 2011 }}, ''The Gramophone'', December 1930, p. 3</ref>

==Literary analysis==
''Private Lives'' has been the subject of literary analysis under a range of literary theories.  Coward expressed a dim view of such analyses: "Many years ago an earnest young man wrote a book about my plays. It was very intelligent and absolute rubbish."<ref>Richards, p. 24</ref> In a 2005 article, Penny Farfan analyses the play from the point of view of [[queer theory]], arguing that "the subversiveness of [Coward's] sexual identity is reflected in his work," and that ''Private Lives'' questions "the conventional gender norms on which compulsory heterosexuality depends."<ref name=farfan>Farfan, Penny. [http://muse.jhu.edu/login?uri=/journals/modern_drama/v048/48.4farfan.pdf  "Noel Coward and Sexual Modernism: Private Lives as Queer Comedy".]''Modern Drama'', 48.4 (2005), pp. 677–88, Project Muse, accessed 6 March 2011. {{subscription required}} {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304131333/http://muse.jhu.edu/login?uri=%2Fjournals%2Fmodern_drama%2Fv048%2F48.4farfan.pdf |date=4 March 2016 }}</ref> Positing that the leading characters' portrayal as equals is evidence in support of this theory, Farfan instances the famous image (shown above) of Coward and Lawrence as Elyot and Amanda smoking and "posing as mirror opposites".<ref name=farfan/> Coward himself pronounced the play "psychologically unstable",<ref>Coward (1937), p. 296</ref> and [[John Lahr]] in a 1982 study of Coward's plays writes, "Elyot and Amanda's outrageousness is used to propound the aesthetics of [[Camp (style)|high camp]] – an essentially homosexual view of the world that justifies detachment.<ref>Lahr, p. 66</ref> However, in a 1992 article on "Coward and the Politics of Homosexual Representation", [[Alan Sinfield]], examining gay aspects of Coward's major plays, mentions ''Private Lives'' only in passing.<ref>Sinfield, Alan. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/2928631 "Private Lives/Public Theater: Noel Coward and the Politics of Homosexual Representation"], '' Representations'', No. 36 (Autumn, 1991), pp. 43–63, accessed 6 March 2011 {{subscription required}}</ref> The critic [[Michael Billington (critic)|Michael Billington]] writes of the piece, "It is not a closet gay play but a classic about the mysterious charm of {{sic|androgeny}}."<ref name=billington/>

The play has also been analysed as part of the [[theatre of the absurd]]. In a 1984 article, Archie J. Loss argues that nothing can ever happen in the relationship of Elyot and Amanda, because it is based on conflicting emotions: "they are bound to repeat themselves, playing out their scene again and again with different words and different props but always with the same result."<ref>Loss, Archie K. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/3831250 "Waiting for Amanda: Noël Coward as Comedian of the Absurd,"] ''Journal of Modern Literature'', Vol. 11, No. 2 (July 1984), pp. 299–306, accessed 6 March 2011.{{subscription required}}</ref> In a 2000 study of Coward, Jean Chothia instances surreal exchanges in the play, such as: "Have you ever crossed the Sahara on a camel?" "Frequently. When I was a boy we used to do it all the time. My Grandmother had a wonderful seat on a camel."<ref>Chiothia, Jean. "Playing with the audience" in Kaplan, p. 111</ref>

==''Taj Mahal'' dialogue==
A famous scene in ''Private Lives'' has Amanda and Elyot discuss Elyot's voyage to Asia, with questions on ''how China was'' (''"Very big"'') and ''"how was the [[Taj Mahal]]?"'' (''"Unbelievable, a sort of dream"'').<ref>{{cite web | url=https://theatreheritage.org.au/notable-productions/private-lives | title=Private Lives - Theatre Heritage Australia }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/01/28/arts/art-view-the-romance-and-banalization-of-the-taj-mahal.html | title=ART VIEW; THE ROMANCE AND BANALIZATION OF THE TAJ MAHAL (Published 1990) | website=[[The New York Times]] | date=28 January 1990 }}</ref> Already when Coward visited Australia in 1940, the line was famous enough to be mentioned in an [[Adelaide]] newspaper article.<ref>{{cite web | title=Noel Coward's Visit to Adelaide | work=Advertiser | date=7 December 1940 | page=13 | url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/74459500 }}</ref> The line has remained closely associated with Coward.<ref>{{cite web | title=Capturing the Romance of the Taj : County Museum exhibit of one of the world's most celebrated buildings is a gift for the holiday season | website=[[Los Angeles Times]] | date=17 December 1989 | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-12-17-ca-1404-story.html }}</ref>

==Film and broadcast versions==
[[File:Private Lives poster.jpg|thumb|right|Poster for the 1931 film, starring [[Norma Shearer]] and [[Robert Montgomery (actor)|Robert Montgomery]]]]
[[Hanns Kräly]] and [[Richard Schayer]] wrote the screenplay for a [[Private Lives (1931 film)|1931 film adaptation]] directed by [[Sidney Franklin (director)|Sidney Franklin]] and starring [[Norma Shearer]] as Amanda and [[Robert Montgomery (actor)|Robert Montgomery]] as Elyot. [[Una Merkel]] and [[Reginald Denny (actor)|Reginald Denny]] played Sibyl and Victor.  The film received mixed reviews.<ref>''The Times'', 8 February 1932, p. 10; Hall, Mordaunt. [https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9E07E1DF153DEE32A2575AC1A9649D946094D6CF "Spatting Couples of ''Private Lives'' Meet With High Favor"]. ''The New York Times'' 19 December 1931, accessed 6 March 2011</ref> Coward thought it "passable."<ref>Coward (2007), p. 279</ref>

On 21 April 1939, [[CBS Radio]] aired an hour-long adaptation of the play by [[Orson Welles]] for ''[[The Campbell Playhouse (radio series)|The Campbell Playhouse]]''. Guest star Gertrude Lawrence reprised her stage role as Amanda, and Welles played Elyot. Naomi Campbell and [[Robert Speaight]] played Sibyl and Victor.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://orsonwelles.indiana.edu/items/show/1985 |title=The Campbell Playhouse: Private Lives |website=Orson Welles on the Air, 1938–1946 |publisher=Indiana University Bloomington |access-date=2018-07-30 }}</ref>

On British television, Peter Gray and [[Maxine Audley]] starred in a 1959 presentation, and [[Alec McCowen]] and [[Penelope Keith]] took the leads in a [[BBC]] production in 1976.<ref>"Private Lives on Television", ''The Times'', 17 January 1959, p. 4; and Morley, Sheridan. "The darker side of Coward: Private Lives, BBC 1", ''The Times'', 29 December 1976, p. 7.</ref> [[BBC Radio 4]] broadcast a radio adaptation starring [[Paul Scofield]] and [[Patricia Routledge]] on 20 December 1975.<ref>It was reissued as a part of the BBC Audio Collection under the title ''Noël Coward Double Bill: Private Lives & Hayfever''.  It is also found on a BBC America audio cassette, ''Private Lives/Present Laughter'' (1989) and was rereleased in CD format by BBC in February 2010.{{cite web|url=http://www.scofieldsperformances.com/audio2.htm|title=Private Lives|publisher=BBC|access-date=4 May 2010}}</ref>

In the early 1980s, [[Peter Bogdanovich]] was asked to do a film adaptation of Coward's ''Private Lives'' with [[Elizabeth Taylor]] and [[Richard Burton]], which was set to be shot in the Rivera until they decided just to film it on stage.<ref>{{cite book|author=Yule, Andrew|page=[https://archive.org/details/pictureshowslife00yule/page/179 179-180]|title=Picture Shows: The Life and Films of Peter Bogdanovich|url=https://archive.org/details/pictureshowslife00yule|url-access=registration|year=1992|isbn=978-0879101534|publisher=Limelight}}</ref> Prior to this, around 1974, there had been talk of Bogdanovich staging it as a revival on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]], with the participation of [[Audrey Hepburn]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Pond|first=Steve|url=https://www.thewrap.com/peter-bogdanovich-says-it-took-one-good-idea-to-make-his-buster-keaton-doc-the-great-buster/|title=Peter Bogdanovich Says It Only Took 'One Good Idea' to Make His Buster Keaton Doc 'The Great Buster'|website=[[TheWrap]]|date=October 19, 2018|access-date=March 29, 2024}}</ref> Later on, in 1990, Bogdanovich wrote a second draft adaptation of the play, which he had hoped to make with Hepburn starring.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/peter-bogdanovich-private-lives-3258235333|title=PETER BOGDANOVICH PRIVATE LIVES ARCHIVE OF TWO SCREENPLAYS FOR AN #130779|website=WorthPoint|access-date=June 30, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://tremblesighwonder.com/2022/01/20/you-saved-one-of-my-best-pictures-my-adventures-with-peter-bogdanovichs-lost-last-picture-show/|title="You Saved One of My Best Pictures": My Adventures with Peter Bogdanovich and his Lost, Last Picture Show|date=January 20, 2022|first=James|last=Kenney|website=Tremble...Sigh...Wonder...|access-date=May 4, 2022}}</ref> However, Bogdanovich credits the film's demise to [[Billy Wilder]], who didn't like him: "The executives asked [Wilder] what he thought of the idea. He said, 'Bad idea.' That was the end of that."<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Goldman|first=Andrew|url=https://www.vulture.com/2022/01/peter-bogdanovich-in-conversation.html|title=In Conversation: Peter Bogdanovich|magazine=[[Vulture (magazine)|Vulture]]|date=January 6, 2022|access-date=September 25, 2023}}</ref>

In January 2010, BBC Radio 4 broadcast another adaptation of the play directed by Sally Avens, starring [[Helena Bonham Carter]] as Amanda and [[Bill Nighy]] as Elyot.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00phzvx|title=Private Lives|publisher=BBC|access-date=2 January 2010}}</ref>

==Awards==
When ''Private Lives'' premiered, the various awards now given for achievement in musical theatre, such as the [[Olivier Awards]] and [[Tony Awards]], had not yet been created, and therefore the original productions of the play received no such awards.  The first Broadway production of ''Private Lives'' to receive major theatre awards was the 1969 production, for which [[Tammy Grimes]] won both the [[Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play|Tony Award for Leading Actress in a Play]]<ref>[https://archive.today/20130204175600/http://www.tonyawards.com/p/tonys_search?start=0&year=&award=&lname=Tammy+Grimes&fname=&show= Tony Awards and Nominations, Tammy Grimes, 1961 and 1970]. Tonyawards.com, accessed 6 March 2011</ref> and the [[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play|Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress]]<ref name=awards>[http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=3306 "'Private Lives' Awards at Internet Broadway Database"]. IBDB.com, accessed 6 March 2011</ref> during the 1970 awards season. [[Brian Bedford]] won the [[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play|Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor]].<ref name=awards/> [[Sara Crowe]] won an [[Olivier Award]] for her performance as Sibyl in 1991.<ref name =Crowe/> For her performance as Amanda in the 1975 production, [[Maggie Smith]] was nominated for both the Tony<ref name=tony1>[https://archive.today/20130204143624/http://www.tonyawards.com/p/tonys_search?start=0&year=&award=&lname=&fname=&show=%3Ci%3EPrivate+Lives%3C/i%3E Tony Awards and Nominations, 'Private Lives', 1975 and 2002].  Tonyawards.com, accessed 6 March 2011</ref> and the Drama Desk Awards.<ref>[http://www.dramadesk.com/1974_1975dd.html Drama Desk Awards and Nominations, 1974–1975] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20080704130506/http://www.dramadesk.com/1974_1975dd.html |date=4 July 2008 }}. Dramadesk.com, accessed 6 March 2011</ref>

The 2001 London production won three [[Olivier Awards]] out of seven nominations, for [[Lindsay Duncan]] as Amanda and the set designs by [[Tim Hatley]] and costumes by Jenny Beavan.<ref name=Olivier2002/> On Broadway in 2002, the same production won three Tonys out of five nominations, including [[Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play|Best Revival]], Best Actress (Duncan) and [[Tony Award for Best Scenic Design|Best Scenic Design]] (Hatley).<ref name=tony1/><ref>Jones, Kenneth. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/75262-Millie-Is-Big-2002-Tony-Award-Winner-The-Goat-Grabs-Best-Play "''Millie'' Is Big 2002 Tony Award-Winner; ''The Goat'' Grabs Best Play"].  Playbill.com, 3 June 2002</ref> It also won the corresponding three Drama Desk awards, out of seven nominations.<ref>[http://www.dramadesk.com/2001_2002dd.html Drama Desk Awards and Nominations, 2001–2002] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704130017/http://www.dramadesk.com/2001_2002dd.html |date=4 July 2008 }}. Dramadesk.com, accessed 6 March 2011</ref>
{{clear right}}

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
*[[Castle, Charles]]. 1972. ''Noël.'' London: W. H. Allen. {{ISBN|0-491-00534-2}}.
*Coward, Noël. 1930. ''Private Lives: An Intimate Comedy in Three Acts.'' London: Methuen. Reissue, 2000. {{ISBN|0-413-74490-6}}.
*Coward, Noël. 1937. ''Present Indicative. Autobiography to 1931.'' London: Heinemann. Methuen reissue, 2004 {{ISBN|978-0-413-77413-2}}
*Coward, Noël; Barry Day (ed). 2007 ''The Letters of Noël Coward''. London: Methuen. {{ISBN|978-0-7136-8578-7}}.
*[[Philip Hoare|Hoare, Philip]]. 1995. ''Noël Coward, A Biography.'' London: [[Sinclair-Stevenson]]. {{ISBN|1-85619-265-2}}.
*Kaplan, Joel and Sheila Stowel. 2000. ''Look Back in Pleasure: Noël Coward Reconsidered.'' London: Methuen. {{ISBN|0-413-75500-2}}.
*Lahr, John. 1982. ''Coward the Playwright.'' London: Methuen. {{ISBN|0-413-48050-X}}.
*Lesley, Cole. 1976. ''The Life of Noël Coward.'' London: Cape. {{ISBN|0-224-01288-6}}.
*[[Sheridan Morley|Morley, Sheridan]]. 1969. ''A Talent to Amuse: A Biography of Noël Coward.'' Rev. ed. London: Pavilion, 1986. {{ISBN|1-85145-064-5}}.
*Richards, Dick. 1970. ''The Wit of Noël Coward.'' London: Sphere Books. {{ISBN|0-7221-3676-5}}

==External links==
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