Short biography of the life and times of Sir Noél Coward, English versatile entertainer, with flair for the theatre and music.

Noél Coward, a famous personality in theatre and music of the 20th century, was an English actor, dramatist, filmmaker & director, author, and composer. He wrote and produced the popular wartime films Brief Encounter (1945), Blithe Spirit (1945) and In Which We Serve (1942).

Knighted in 1970, Coward is known for his humour and witty English comedies and quotations, part of a tradition that began with William Congreve and continued with Oscar Wilde. He was a versatile entertainer, with a talent to amuse. He died in Blue Harbour, Jamaica.

Early Life

Sir Noél Pierce Coward was born on Dec 16, 1899, in Teddington, near London. Encouraged by his mother, he began as a child actor in The Goldfish at twelve, then in Peter Pan, and selling his first comedy, The Last Trick, at age 19.

His first play, I'll Leave it to You, was followed by many successes, starting from his first big one with the production of The Vortex. Coward acted in the main role of this serious story about an irresponsible mother and her drug-addicted son.

Coward the Playwright

In all his plays, he displayed a strong satiric humour and unique gift for witty dialogues. From the 1920s to 1940s, Coward wrote popular and funny plays. Comedies such as Hay Fever, Private Lives, and Blithe Spirit still delight audiences today with their absurd, lovable characters. These plays were thought daring at that time because the main characters had unconventional attitudes but shown to be much less clever and witty.

As Britain faced invasion in World War II, Coward wrote This Happy Breed, a patriotic story about a working-class family's fortune.

Actor, Screenwriter, Film Producer and Director

Aside from working for the theatre, Coward wrote and acted in films. He made his own screen debut in Hearts of the World (1918) and continued to appear in films. He played the leading role in In Which We Serve (1942), a tribute to the Royal Navy that he wrote, produced, and co-directed with David Lean. Other films he produced based on his own scripts include This Happy Breed (1944), Blithe Spirit (1945) and Brief Encounter (1945).

Coward the Composer

As a composer, he was primarily self-taught. He wrote music for some of his plays, including his operetta Bitter Sweet and play Cavalcade. He also wrote numerous songs, including the witty "Mad Dogs and Englishmen."

Coward the Author

He wrote novels, and two volumes of autobiography – Present Indicative (1937) and Future Indefinite (1954).

Plays or Music Written by Coward

• The Last trick 1918
• The Vortex 1925
• Hay Fever 1925
• Bitter Sweet 1929, operetta
• Private Lives 1930
• Cavalcade 1930-31, play
• Tonight at Eight-Thirty 1936
• Present Laughter 1939
• Blithe Spirit 1941
• This Happy Breed 1943
• Nude with Violin (1956)

Sources:

Fontana Dictionary, edited by Alan Bullock and R.B. Woodings, (1983)

Larousse Dictionary of Writers, edited by Rosemary Goring (1994)

The Grove Concise Dictionary of Music, edited by Stanley Sadie, MacMillan (1994)