The Astonished Heart
A short play in six scenes by Noël Coward, one of ten that make up Tonight at 8:30, a cycle written to be performed across three evenings. The tells the story through a series of flashbacks in reverse order.
First produced in 1935 in Manchester and on tour and played in London (1936), New York (1936–1937) and Canada (1938).
Performance history in South Africa
1947: Performed by an amateur group in the Camps Bay village hall led by Mary Fenton, and featuring an 18 year old Nigel Hawthorne.
1964: CAPAB, opening 24 June in tandem with Red Peppers and Fumed Oak under the collective title Tonight at 8.30. The production subsequently toured the Eastern Cape.
Translations and adaptations
Sources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Astonished_Heart
Lokval! programme (1964), announcement of future productions by CAPAB.
Hawthorne, 2002
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