Present Laughter

Present Laughter by Noël Coward. A comic play written by in 1939 and first staged in 1942 on tour.

Performance history in South Africa

Produced in South Africa by Brian Brooke in 1948/49 , directed by John Roberts with Petrina Fry, Brian Brooke and Cynthia Klette. Backed by African Consolidated Theatres, and performed in His Majesty's Theatre, Johannesburg.

Directed by Charles Hickman, opening in the Alexander Theatre on 21 May 1969. Décor by Clarence Wilson, gowns by Peter Soldatos. The cast: Marion Archer, Sheelagh Ross, Anthony James, Margaret Inglis, Bernard Brown, Margaret Heale, Ian Hamilton, George Korelin, Gordon Mulholland, Jenny Gratus, Margaret Dickie-Clarke.

Later also done by CAPAB, directed by Roger Dwyer (with Michael Atkinson, Zoë Randall, Pamela Buchner), including performances in the H.B. Thom Theatre in October 1974.

Presented by PACT Drama in 1979 at the Breytenbach Theatre and the Alexander Theatre, directed by John Hussey assisted by Bobby Heaney starring Merle Lifson, Margaret Heale, Michael McCabe, Patricia Sanders, John Hussey, Shelagh Holliday, Bobby Heaney, Ronald Wallace, Terrick Fitzhugh, Erica Rogers, Maggie Holland. Sets and costumes designed by Gloria Lovegrove, lighting designed by Jannie Swanepoel. Stage manager Jane Gosnell.

CAPAB opening 15 December 1987, Nico Malan Theatre. Directed by Michael Atkinson, design by Dicky Longhurst, lighting by Malcolm Hurrell. The cast: Fiona Coyne, Zoë Randall, David Dennis, Paddy Canavan, Robert Whitehead, Diane Wilson, Alan Swerdlow, John Dennison, Richard Farmer, Mary Dreyer, Diana Allan.

Directed by Moira Lister for NAPAC starring Michael Atkinson, 1989.

Sources

Teater SA, 1(4), 1969.

Present Laughter theatre programmes 1974, 1979.

UTS theatre pamphlet

Citizen 20 December 1988.

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