Difference between revisions of "Private Lives"

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A 1930 comedy of manners by [[Noël Coward]] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_Lives].  An immensely popular musical comedy originally written for Gertrude Lawrence, and produced in 1930 with Coward and Laurence Olivier. It was Coward's most enduringly successful work and is generally regarded as the high point of his career both commercially and artistically.  
+
'''''Private Lives''''' is a 1930 comedy of manners by [[Noël Coward]] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_Lives].  An immensely popular musical comedy originally written for Gertrude Lawrence, and produced in 1930 with Coward and Laurence Olivier. It was Coward's most enduringly successful work and is generally regarded as the high point of his career both commercially and artistically.  
  
 
== Performance history in South Africa ==
 
== Performance history in South Africa ==
19**: [[Margaret Inglis]] and [[Robert Langford]] the play in 19**, starring Robert himself and [[Shelagh Holliday]].
+
1947: Presented by the [[Brian Brooke Company]] in Muizenberg, Somerset West, Rondebosch, Paarl starring [[Cynthia Klette]] and [[Bob Courtney]] (as Victor, later replaced by [[Brian Brooke]]), directed by [[Petrina Fry]]. The season ended at the [[Hofmeyr Hall]] in Cape Town.
  
1947: Presented by the [[Brian Brooke Company]] in Muizenberg, Somerset West, Rondebosch, Paarl starring [[Cynthia Klette]] and [[Bob Courtney]] (as Victor, later replaced by [[Brian Brooke]]), directed by [[Petrina Fry]]. The season ended at the [[Hofmeyr Hall]].
+
The [[Brian Brooke Company]] presented this play on another occasion, probably at the [[Brooke Theatre]], Johannesburg, in the 1950s, starring [[Dulcie Gray]] and Michael Denison.
  
1953: Directed by [[Minna Millsten]] for [[Johannesburg Repertory Society|Johannesburg Reps]] starring [[Marjorie Gordon]].  
+
1953: Directed by [[Minna Millsten]] for [[Johannesburg Repertory Society|Johannesburg Reps]] from 17 April at the [[Reps Theatre]].  Cast: [[Marjorie Gordon]] (Amanda), [[Cameron McClure]] (Elyot), [[Olive King]] (Sybil), [[Richard Gray]] (Victor) .  
  
1968: Presented by [[NAPAC]] Drama, directed by [[Frank Shelley]], July.
+
1953: Presented by the [[Port Elizabeth Amateur Theatre Guild]].
 +
 
 +
1963: [[Margaret Inglis]] and [[Robert Langford]] revived the play in 1964, starring Robert himself and [[Shelagh Holliday]] as well as [[Patrick Mynhardt]] as Victor.
  
 
1968: Opened at the Durban Jewish Club on 2 July, directed by [[Frank Shelley]], for [[NAPAC]]. Cast [[Erica Rogers]], later replaced by [[Valerie Miller]], [[Danvers Walker]], [[Moira Waldron]], and [[Ian Hamilton]].
 
1968: Opened at the Durban Jewish Club on 2 July, directed by [[Frank Shelley]], for [[NAPAC]]. Cast [[Erica Rogers]], later replaced by [[Valerie Miller]], [[Danvers Walker]], [[Moira Waldron]], and [[Ian Hamilton]].
  
1969: [[Jane Osborne]] as Amanda Prynne and [[Arthur Clarke]] as Elyot Chase produced by [[Ann Botha]] for the [[Grahamstown Amateur Dramatic Society|GADS]].
+
1969: [[Jane Osborne]] as Amanda Prynne and [[Arthur Clarke]] as Elyot Chase produced by [[Ann Botha]] for the [[Grahamstown Amateur Dramatic Society|GADS]] (Grahamstown Amateur Dramatic Society).
  
1974: Presented by [[Pieter Toerien]] and [[Shirley Firth]] at The [[Intimate Theatre]], Johannesburg, directed by [[John Fernald]].
+
1974: Presented by [[Pieter Toerien]] and [[Shirley Firth]] at The [[Intimate Theatre]], Johannesburg, directed by [[John Fernald]] starring South African-born [[Hildegard Neil]].
  
1978: Directed by [[Peter Curtis]] for [[CAPAB]] in 1978. Settings by [[Peter Krummeck]], costumes [[Jennifer Craig]], lighting [[John T. Baker]]. The cast included [[Helen Bourne]], [[John Whiteley]], [[Mary Dreyer]], [[Liz Dick]] and [[Peter Cartwright]].
+
1978: Directed by [[Peter Curtis]] for [[CAPAB]], opening 28 February. Settings by [[Peter Krummeck]], costumes [[Jennifer Craig]], lighting [[John T. Baker]]. The cast included [[Helen Bourne]] (Amanda Prynne), [[John Whiteley]] (Elyot Chase), [[Mary Dreyer]] (Sybil Chase), [[Liz Dick]] (Louise, a maid) and [[Peter Cartwright]] (Victor Prynne).
  
1988: In 1988 the play was presented by [[Pieter Toerien]], opening 18 March in the [[Leonard Rayne Theatre]], starring [[Sandra Duncan]], [[Philip Godawa]], [[Vanessa Cooke]], [[Neville Thomas]] and [[Eleni Cousins]], directed by [[Robert Whitehead]].
+
1988: In 1988 the play was presented by [[Pieter Toerien]], opening 18 March in the [[Leonard Rayne Theatre]], starring [[Sandra Duncan]], [[Philip Godawa]], [[Vanessa Cooke]], [[Neville Thomas]] and [[Eleni Cousins]], directed by [[Robert Whitehead]]. At the [[National Arts Festival]] Sybil Chase was played by [[Gaynor Young]]. Subsequently presented by [[NAPAC]] Drama and Pieter Toerien at the [[Hexagon Theatre]], Pietermaritzburg, and the [[Loft Theatre]], Natal Playhouse, directed by [[Robert Whitehead]], from 26 July.
presented by NAPAC Drama and Pieter Toerien at the Hexagon Theatre, Pietermaritzburg, and the Loft, Natal Playhouse, directed by Robert Whitehead, from 26 July 1988.
 
  
 
2002: Presented by [[KickstArt]] at the [[Kwasuka Theatre]], directed by [[Greg King]], from 26 September.
 
2002: Presented by [[KickstArt]] at the [[Kwasuka Theatre]], directed by [[Greg King]], from 26 September.
  
2002: Staged by [[Pieter Toerien Productions]] at the [[Grahamstown Festival]] in 2002, directed by [[Maralin Vanrenen]], with [[Suanne Braun]], [[Warren Kimmel]], [[Alexandra Bairnsfather Cloete]], [[James van Helsdingen]] and [[Elise van Niekerk]]. Sets by [[Keith Anderson]], costumes by [[Bronwyn Lovegrove]] and [[Margo Fleisch]], lighting by [[Jannie Swanepoel]]. The same production was presented at the [[Montecasino Theatre]] in July 2002 and subsequently at [[Theatre on the Bay]].
+
2002: Staged by [[Pieter Toerien Productions]] at the [[Grahamstown Festival]], directed by [[Maralin Vanrenen]], with [[Suanne Braun]] (Amanda), [[Warren Kimmel]] (Elyot), [[Alexandra Bairnsfather Cloete]] (Sybil), [[James van Helsdingen]] (Victor) and [[Elise van Niekerk]]. Sets by [[Keith Anderson]], costumes by [[Bronwyn Lovegrove]] and [[Margo Fleisch]], lighting by [[Jannie Swanepoel]] (Louise). The same production was presented at the [[Montecasino Theatre]] in July 2002 and subsequently at [[Theatre on the Bay]].
 +
 
 +
2013: Staged by the [[Claremont Dramatic Society]]  in the [[Masque Theatre]] in Muizenberg, directed by [[John Carne]], with [[Faeron Wheeler]] (Sybil), [[Dante Greeff]] (Elyot), [[Brandon Gregory]] (Victor), [[Liz Roodt]] (Amanda), [[Kim Randleff-Rasmussen]], [[Helen Broekmann]] and [[Melissa Sanderson]].
  
 
==Translations and adaptations==
 
==Translations and adaptations==
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[[ESAT Bibliography Bri-Bru|Brooke]] 1978. 164-5.
 
[[ESAT Bibliography Bri-Bru|Brooke]] 1978. 164-5.
  
''Private Lives'' theatre programmes, 1978, 2002.
+
''Private Lives'' theatre programmes, 1978 (CAPAB), 2002.
  
 
''[[See How They Run]]'' theatre programme, 1988.
 
''[[See How They Run]]'' theatre programme, 1988.
  
[[ESAT Bibliography Tra-Tz|Tucker]], 1997.
+
National Arts Festival programme, 1988. 58.
 +
 
 +
[[ESAT Bibliography Tra-Tz|Tucker]], 1997. 67, 182, 307.
  
 
''EP Herald'', 5 July 2002.
 
''EP Herald'', 5 July 2002.

Latest revision as of 17:52, 3 November 2018

Private Lives is a 1930 comedy of manners by Noël Coward [1]. An immensely popular musical comedy originally written for Gertrude Lawrence, and produced in 1930 with Coward and Laurence Olivier. It was Coward's most enduringly successful work and is generally regarded as the high point of his career both commercially and artistically.

Performance history in South Africa

1947: Presented by the Brian Brooke Company in Muizenberg, Somerset West, Rondebosch, Paarl starring Cynthia Klette and Bob Courtney (as Victor, later replaced by Brian Brooke), directed by Petrina Fry. The season ended at the Hofmeyr Hall in Cape Town.

The Brian Brooke Company presented this play on another occasion, probably at the Brooke Theatre, Johannesburg, in the 1950s, starring Dulcie Gray and Michael Denison.

1953: Directed by Minna Millsten for Johannesburg Reps from 17 April at the Reps Theatre. Cast: Marjorie Gordon (Amanda), Cameron McClure (Elyot), Olive King (Sybil), Richard Gray (Victor) .

1953: Presented by the Port Elizabeth Amateur Theatre Guild.

1963: Margaret Inglis and Robert Langford revived the play in 1964, starring Robert himself and Shelagh Holliday as well as Patrick Mynhardt as Victor.

1968: Opened at the Durban Jewish Club on 2 July, directed by Frank Shelley, for NAPAC. Cast Erica Rogers, later replaced by Valerie Miller, Danvers Walker, Moira Waldron, and Ian Hamilton.

1969: Jane Osborne as Amanda Prynne and Arthur Clarke as Elyot Chase produced by Ann Botha for the GADS (Grahamstown Amateur Dramatic Society).

1974: Presented by Pieter Toerien and Shirley Firth at The Intimate Theatre, Johannesburg, directed by John Fernald starring South African-born Hildegard Neil.

1978: Directed by Peter Curtis for CAPAB, opening 28 February. Settings by Peter Krummeck, costumes Jennifer Craig, lighting John T. Baker. The cast included Helen Bourne (Amanda Prynne), John Whiteley (Elyot Chase), Mary Dreyer (Sybil Chase), Liz Dick (Louise, a maid) and Peter Cartwright (Victor Prynne).

1988: In 1988 the play was presented by Pieter Toerien, opening 18 March in the Leonard Rayne Theatre, starring Sandra Duncan, Philip Godawa, Vanessa Cooke, Neville Thomas and Eleni Cousins, directed by Robert Whitehead. At the National Arts Festival Sybil Chase was played by Gaynor Young. Subsequently presented by NAPAC Drama and Pieter Toerien at the Hexagon Theatre, Pietermaritzburg, and the Loft Theatre, Natal Playhouse, directed by Robert Whitehead, from 26 July.

2002: Presented by KickstArt at the Kwasuka Theatre, directed by Greg King, from 26 September.

2002: Staged by Pieter Toerien Productions at the Grahamstown Festival, directed by Maralin Vanrenen, with Suanne Braun (Amanda), Warren Kimmel (Elyot), Alexandra Bairnsfather Cloete (Sybil), James van Helsdingen (Victor) and Elise van Niekerk. Sets by Keith Anderson, costumes by Bronwyn Lovegrove and Margo Fleisch, lighting by Jannie Swanepoel (Louise). The same production was presented at the Montecasino Theatre in July 2002 and subsequently at Theatre on the Bay.

2013: Staged by the Claremont Dramatic Society in the Masque Theatre in Muizenberg, directed by John Carne, with Faeron Wheeler (Sybil), Dante Greeff (Elyot), Brandon Gregory (Victor), Liz Roodt (Amanda), Kim Randleff-Rasmussen, Helen Broekmann and Melissa Sanderson.

Translations and adaptations

Sources

Grütter, Wilhelm, CAPAB 25 Years, 1987. Unpublished research. p 90.

Teater SA, 1(1), 1968.

NELM: [Collection: Rhodes University. Drama Department]: 2006. 6. 5. 19.

Brooke 1978. 164-5.

Private Lives theatre programmes, 1978 (CAPAB), 2002.

See How They Run theatre programme, 1988.

National Arts Festival programme, 1988. 58.

Tucker, 1997. 67, 182, 307.

EP Herald, 5 July 2002.

The Star, 22 July 2002.

Go to ESAT Bibliography

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