Noel Coward

We saw Private Lives at the Civic Theater yesterday with Isabella and Charlie. I was tickled to find Sue sitting in front of me. It gives me a little thrill to run into someone I know here in Spokane. (I’ve only lived here for about six months.)

We went after the play for pizza at Rocky Roccoco’s. What a good time we had. I find it interesting how as I grow older the “little” things we do sometimes seem so much more important and rewarding than the “big” things.

I’ve been a fan of Noel Coward since I stumbled upon Blithe Spirit while I was at Duke. I’ve also seen Design for Living, Present Laughter, and of course Private Lives, some of them more than once, and I’ve enjoyed various film versions of them. I just put Design for Living in my Netflix queue and bumped it up to # 1. One can’t get enough of Noel Coward.

I own four books by and about him:

CREAM OF NOEL COWARD (1996)

POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE (1960)

NOEL COWARD AND HIS FRIENDS (1979), by Cole Lesley, who is also the author of REMEMBERED LAUGHTER: The Life of Noel Coward (1976), which I’ve read and which I recommend.

NOEL COWARD: A Biography (1995), by Philip Hoare, which is excellent.