PRESENT LAUGHTER By Noel Coward


One of the highlights of our visit to New York City was seeing Keven Kline in one of my favorite Noel Coward plays, Present Laughter. Set in 1939, Keven Kline plays an aging comedy actor. His life is a three-ring circus of humor. His secretary, Monica (Kristine Nielsen), the wife of his business partner, Joanna Lyppiatt (Cobie Smulders), Kline’s character’s wife, Liz Essendine (Kate Burton), and a talented cast swirl around Kline as he prepares for a trip to Africa. I’ve read Present Laughter but had never seen it performed before this. The sold-out St. James Theatre rocked with laughter as Coward’s play unleashes its wit and cleverness. Present Laughter is the best play I’ve seen in a decade. GRADE: A

If you want to listen to an entertaining audio version of Present Laughter you might want to check out the box set of Coward’s plays here.

16 thoughts on “PRESENT LAUGHTER By Noel Coward

    1. george Post author

      Dan, I’m a big Noel Coward fan. This revival of PRESENT LAUGHTER features a terrific performance by Kevin Kline. The excellent cast produces plenty of laughs.

      Reply
  1. Jeff Meyerson

    True. We’ve seen 10 plays on and off Broadway in the three months since we got back from Florida, and this one was the best, hands down. It was also the best of the three times we’ve seen it – the others starred Donald Sinden (London, 1981) and Victor Garber (Broadway, 2010, a very lackluster production).

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Jeff, this version of PRESENT LAUGHTER with Kevin Kline earns top grades from me (and Diane). It’s witty, funny, and well performed by the talented cast!

      Reply
  2. mary mason

    This is one I would have loved to see. So glad you enjoyed it.

    I just finished an audio of Hay Fever, the one mentioned in the link to Coward’s plays. I enjoyed it, but it’s frustrating to only have the audio and not to see the visuals with it. It’s funny, but I had to keep checking the cast list as Seymour sounded to me like Christina Pickles.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Maggie, in that audio set I recommended, several “name” actors can be heard. It’s not as good as seeing the play live, but it’s the next best thing.

      Reply
    2. Jeff Meyerson

      Maggie, we saw HAY FEVER at the historic Gate Theatre on our only trip to Dublin in 1981. We saw it again in London, in 1999, with Stephen Mangan and Geraldine McEwan. I don’t have any memory of that production at all. I love McEwan and the Savoy Theatre, where it played, is great, located under the famous hotel. You have to walk down several flights to the theatre. Ten years later we saw Mangan in the starring role in THE NORMAN CONQUESTS on Broadway.

      Reply
      1. george Post author

        Jeff, I liked the fact that PRESENT LAUGHTER was playing one block away from the Westin. A short, 5-minute walk and we were there!

      2. mary mason

        You have amazing theater memories, J&J!

        I’m looking forward next year to the harry potter show Beth is up for the trip. Maybe Margaritaville will be there then, though I don’t think Beth will want to see that. I want to see it to compare the staging.

        If anyone is interested in the hay fever audio, let me know quick

  3. mary mason

    George: I like the Marriott Marquis. I saw Drowsy Chaperone there when I went to thrillerfest there, before I moved to the conv. hotel, the hyatt regency.

    Jackie has me convinced to be a Marriott fan! I should have enough points for at least 3-4 free nights next summer!!

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Maggie, we’re going to be staying in a Marriott for the October wedding. Diane has several hotel reward cards. We usually just go with the best deal.

      Reply
  4. Rick Robinson

    Six hours of which is enough for today!! Plus the carpet cleaning guy came this morning and the cat is totally freaked. What a day, with more to come…so many adjustments to make.

    Reply
  5. Rick Robinson

    It’s not so much “learning” as it is setting up the damn network. Until the new iMac came, and the new Airport router, the laptop upstairs would print remotely to the printer downstairs. Now, no. The answer is buried somewhere deep in the settings. Sheesh.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Rick, upgrades like yours are always painful. Art Scott bought a new computer (and printer) recently. He had a few problems, but managed to get just about everything working right.

      Reply

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