Hay Fever

by Noël Coward

Noel Coward himself wrote, "'Hay Fever' is considered by many to be my best comedy" and "far and away one of the most difficult plays to perform that I have ever encountered. To begin with, it has no plot at all, and remarkably little action. Its general effectiveness therefore depends upon expert technique from each and every member of the cast ... The Press naturally and inevitably described it as 'thin', 'tenuous' and 'trvial' because these are their stock phrases for anything later in date and lighter in texture than 'The Way of the World', and it ran, tenuously and triumphantly, for a year."

This edition of 'Hay Fever' is a facsimile of the original 1925 publication with a new introduction and chronology as well as notes on subsequent slight variations in the text. It is published to coincide with a new 1983 production, the first full-scale London revival since Coward himself directed the play for the National Theatre in 1964. - [notes for the 1983 edition]

"It does not date….it is deliciously alive and fresh"
- The Times

Genres: Plays, Theatre, Drama, Humor, Classics, Fiction, Audiobook

127 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1925

About the author

Sir Noël Peirce Coward was an English actor, playwright, and composer of popular music. Among his achievements, he received an Academy Certificate of Merit at the 1943 Academy Awards for "outstanding production achievement for In Which We Serve."

Known for his wit, flamboyance, and personal style, his plays and songs achieved new popularity in the 1960s and 1970s, and his work and style continue to influence popular culture. The former Albery Theatre (originally the New Theatre) in London was renamed the Noël Coward Theatre in his honour in 2006.

Reviews

[°•.Melina°•. · Rating 4 out of 5]

《تب یونجه/ نشر قطره》
آخیش چقدر دلتنگ نمایشنامه بودم. خیلی وقت بود این مجموعه نمایشنامه‌ای که قطره از نوئل کاورد ترجمه کرده بود بهم چشمک میزد و خوشبختانه شانسی با یکی از معروف‌ترین‌هاش شروع کردم و حالا مطمئن شدم که قراره همشونو بخرم و بخونم🔮
کلا برای من وایب نمایشنامه‌نویس‌های دهه چهل-پنجاه>>>✨️🛐

این نمایش صحنه‌هایی از زندگی یک خانواده‌ی مثلا هنری فرهنگی رو به تصویر میکشه که یکم زیادی خودخواه، رُک و از 'نظر جامعه عجیبن' و واقعا موندم چرا تاحالا تو صحنه ندیدمش و چرا ریویوها اینجا انقدر کمه.
حتما بخونینش.

«آه جوانی، جوانی چه آشفتگی و سردرگمی عجیب و دیوانه‌واری در همه‌چیز می‌بینی.»

🔖اردیبهشت ۱۴۰۴

[Tania · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this one, though Blithe Spirit is still my favourite.

The four members of the Bliss family have each invited a guest down for the weekend without telling the others. the family are a theatrical and eccentric bunch, and don't behave in the conventional manner that the guests are expecting. It all gets terribly complicated, with none. of the guests pairing off in the way the family intended. An amusing comedy of manners.

[Gerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Noël Coward himself said of 'Hay Fever', '[It] is considered by many to be my best comedy' and 'far and away one of the most difficult plays to perform that I have ever encountered. To begin with, it has no plot at all, and remarkably little action.' Perhaps he was understating it there for, while the play is not gung-ho full of action, there is plenty going on. It must have had something for, when first staged on 8 June 1925 it ran for 337 performances!

Okay all the activity (I avoid using the word 'action' so as not to offend Coward) takes place in one room but there is plenty going on throughout the play. Set at the home of David and Judith Bliss and their children Sorel and Simon, it begins with the family bickering amongst themselves, while at the same time making platitudes to each other to ease the pain of other comments, and looking forward to a quiet time.

But then all hell breaks loose as it transpires that each of them has invited someone down to the house for the weekend, none them having told the others that they had done so. This does not please any of them but it does not stop Myra Arundel, Richard Greatham, Jackie Coryton and Sandy Tyrell arriving full of bonhomie for a weekend's pleasure. Each of the new arrivals has their own agenda to be discussed with the person who had invited them.

So begins a series of outrageous events and conversations that call have differing, and sometimes conflicting, outcomes. But the main outcome is that all four of the visitors become somewhat disenchanted with the Bliss household and want to return to London at the earliest possible moment. And they eventually do so, surreptitiously and without informing the Bliss family, who carry on between themselves much as they began.

Whilst 'Hay Fever' is not laugh out loud humour, there are some very funny moments that bring a chuckle and I can see why it was so popular when staged. And in the 1964 production, Edith Evans played Judith Bliss and I can well imagine her in the part. Indeed, when that version was in production, Noël Coward was the producer and his interchange with Edith Evans over the enunciation of one line is one of my favourite theatrical anecdotes. The line was 'You can see as far as Marlow on a clear day' and Dame Edith insisted on saying, 'on a very clear day' to which Coward's response was, 'No, Edith, on a clear day you can see Marlow, but on a very clear day you can see Marlow[e], Beaumont and Fletcher'!

It is a very enjoyable and light-hearted read.

[Shabnam_wr · Rating 4 out of 5]

[ تب یونجه از نشر قطره] ترجمه ی شکیبا محب علی
• از اون نمایشنامه های جذاب با شخصیت های زیاد که نمایش در خانه ی بلیس ها در کوکهام اتفاق می افتد.
• سه پرده
• راجع به خانواده ای هستش که انگاری از تب یونجه رنج می برند چون واقعا آدم های عجیب و شگفت انگیزی هستن .
• خانواده ای متشکل از یک پدر که نویسنده است و مادری که روزی بازیگر بوده و به نظر میاد این ها خانواده ی بسیار خوبی هستن ولی وقتی مهمون ها وارد خونه ی این ها میشن ، اتفاق هایی میوفته که معلوم میشه این ها انگار دچار تب یونجه هستند.
باعث شد بخوام بیشتر از نویسنده بخونم.

[Manuel Alfonseca · Rating 4 out of 5]

ENGLISH: One of the two Noël Coward's comedies I best like (the other one is Blythe spirit).
I have watched this comedy twice in Spanish translation (under the title La encantadora familia Bliss) and three times in the original English, plus having read the Spanish translation another four times (at least), and it never fails to make me laugh.

ESPAÑOL: Una de las dos comedias de Noël Coward que más me gustan (la otra es Un espíritu burlón).
He visto esta comedia dos veces en traducción española (con el título La encantadora familia Bliss) y tres veces en versión original inglesa, además de haber leído otras cuatro veces (al menos) la traducción española, y siempre me hacer reír.

[Niyousha · Rating 3 out of 5]

این نمایشنامه تب یونجه ست که خیلی معروفه. نمیدونم چرا توی گودریدز اینقدر کم ریویو داشت.

[Eliza Pavlova · Rating 5 out of 5]

(4.5 stars)

I read act one before bed and dreamed up act two but of course even my subconscious was not able to make it as ridiculous as it turned out to be.

Although this is his first work and it does take place in ‘26 (compared to his other works and adaptions - 30s and 40s) they all share a certain timelessness despite the fact that it was clearly not intended. This shares the same madness his later works do and I ought to see it the West End try to revive it soon (and if they do, God forbid them they try to modernise it!).

In another universe, Lubitsch also adapted this in pre-code time 😔. (Yes, not David Lean, I would have wanted to see Libitsch do this one, Design for living is not enough for me!)

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

I officially listened to every Noel Coward production from LA Theatre Works! Not my favourite playwright, but decently solid overall with a couple I loved pretty well and a couple that were a bit meh for me. This was a pretty fun listen, and I enjoyed the ride. It didn't change my life or anything, but I had a good time, and I enjoyed the theatricality of the characters.


For my own satisfaction, I would rank them thusly:

Blithe Spirit > Private Lives > Fallen Angels > Hay Fever > Present Laughter > Design for Living (although I love the Lubitsch adaptation)

[Roderick Vincent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many of the same themes and circumstances of Relative Values but missing some of the charm.

[Steven Godin · Rating 3 out of 5]

My 5th Coward play, and the one considered his best comedy. Despite having a great set-up and a really good act ll when the Bliss Family introduce party games after dinner, overall it isn't going to live long in the memory in the way Private Lives and Blithe Spirit do.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The problem with Hay Fever seems, for many, to be the first encounter with the piece. My first encounter with the play was the BBC adaptation from long ago and I quickly found my attention drifting - characters introduced too quickly and too many at a time to fully focus on the developing plot. However, years later I am revisiting the play by reading the original text and the result is much more desirable. The Blisses are a fascinating theatrical family, "self-centred egotists" and far from perfect. Their bickering is horrifying and entertaining, Coward's reflection on an empty and disillusioned society is an interesting read.

[Susan Liston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this, I have to re read it every once in awhile. I first saw it in a 1977 college production when my sister played Jackie. I've since seen it professionally in Los Angeles and London, and I swear that first one was as good or better. (different laughs on some lines with the British audience, found that interesting)

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

While I enjoyed this full cast audiobook of the play, I didn't find it as funny as I expected. Perhaps it needed the visual aspect - I will have to see if I can find a video or film of this online somewhere.

[April Helms · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hay Fever, by Noel Coward. I saw this play ages ago, and it's a hoot on stage. Looking forward to seeing it again soon. I provided some assistance with this production so I read the script to get a better feel on what was needed. Of course, reading a script could never replace seeing a live production, but Coward's legendary humor can be seen in the script. The story follows the Bliss family. Calling them eccentric is an understatement. Each member of the family has invited a guest to their expansive manor for the weekend, without telling anyone else. Guests who have no idea what they are in for.

[Mercedé Khodadadi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story of a family (consisting of parents, a son and a daughter) each inviting a date to their house, without informing the rest of the family members (yes, the married couple also asked their date to come to their house). Suddenly the whole house is filled with guests. Meanwhile, the family started acting crazy. The next day, all the guests leave. This play seems to be very famous. I read the Persian translation, on my e-book app (Taghcheh). Translated by Shakiba Moheb-Ali but I couldn't find that version of the book on Goodreads to rate. Anyway, wrote all this to say when suddenly people started shouting, acting crazy in literature or movies I don't like it much, hence the three stars.

Date of finishing this book according to Persian calendar: Sunday 2 Dey 1403

[Mack · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really ought to read - or listen to - one good English comedy for each American shoot’em up that I read. Not everyone goes wildly angry in the world; these English characters can communicate even when they disagree. I understand that Noel Coward wrote their lines, but too often, Mickey Spillane wrote ours.

[JZ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting as a period piece, but the voices of the actors in this LATW performance were too harsh for my ears. Piercing, I think would work for the women's voices. Projection isn't as necessary for radio, but the audience changed the timbre, I'm sure.

I listened twice, for context, but Blithe Spirit is much better.

[Marnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brill brill brill (4.5 ⭐️)

I just love him, I love noël coward, his humour is absolutely the best thing to read - it’s all the sort of bitchy, judgmental snipes you think in your head but can’t say out loud, acted out in a play.

Act 1 of this in particular was excellent because you can feel the build up to complete total chaos - it’s so cleverly set up.

[Cyndi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was hilarious! The family has come to their country home…but they each invited a guest. There is only one guest room. So between the petty arguments of the family members and the numerous misunderstandings it keeps you laughing.

[Fatemeh · Rating 5 out of 5]

کتاب تب یونجه
نوئل کاود

خیلی جالب بود یه خانواده دیوونه😂

[Ananya M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book at an old books store a few months ago, almost mint condition from 1928. So glad I picked it up, I love the theatrics and drama xD

[Haiden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Noel Coward is always a win

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for ENGL 100 and I actually liked it!! I thought it was pretty funny and my favourite part would have to be the adverb game scene where Richard mistakenly acts out the word "saucily" instead of "winsomely." I'm not a big fan of required readings for school but I definitely recommend this and it only takes about an hour to read!!

[Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been a long time since I first read Noel Coward's "Hay Fever" I appeared in a production of the play back in 1979, in summer stock in Geneva, New York. As I reread the piece for the first time in over 40 years, I could not recollect anything about it. I can remember a few of the cast members, but virtually nothing else about the performances. The play deals with Judith Bliss, a star actress now in her later years, and in retirement. She is highly theatrical, constantly thinking of making a comeback in the theatre. Her husband, and grown son and daughter are 'chips off the old block'. Each of them invites a guest to spend the weekend at the Bliss residence in the country, unbeknownst to the others. I played Judith's invitee, Sandy Tyrell, a young man in awe of his hostess. I don't recall this comedy getting a lot of laughs back then, or now. This is not one of my favorite Noel Coward pieces.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little too big a cast for a completely successful audio production, this fast moving farce has a bohemian family of husband, wife, daughter, and son, all of whom (without warning the others) invite a weekend guest. Each invitee comes with an agenda and each invite is also sent with an agenda, and the cross purposes of everyone's drives (the husband is a famous author who loves to tear people down for their pretenses, but in a jolly way; the wife is a retired actress who is still a creature of vanity who loves to be petted and admired, for instance) makes all the best plans gang aft a-gley, as they often do. The dizzying reversals and ups and downs with 8 active players (plus a bitter put upon maid) make keeping track of everyone a bit tricky, but Coward pulls it all of deftly.

[Ty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this play. It’s my favorite type of play, which is a chaotic farce. There’s something about the characters’ melodramatic personalities and the foil between them and the guests of the house that really butters my egg roll.

I love how the family all accepts ant participates in the mother’s theatrics, and how that plays out and messes with the house guests. The way they start reciting the lines of the play in the end of the first act and the end of the final act created a proper circular ending.

I also really enjoy the “who’s coming to dinner” aspect, and the fact that all of the characters flip flop who they’re spending time with.

I loved the personalities of the characters. I think they each had their own quirks, both the guests and the family.

[Jojo · Rating 3 out of 5]

As Noel Coward himself says, this play doesn't really have a plot but I'll attempt something of a summary. It surrounds a family of creatives (mom, dad, son, and daughter) who each have invited guests to join them for the weekend. But this is a very dramatic family as well. There's seeming romances that bud but dwindle just as quickly and in the end, the guests decide they've had enough and sneak out as the family bickers with one another. Coward certainly seems to have a thing for writing about troubled relationships! Anyway this was an alright play. Probably my least fave that I've read of his but still fine. I didn't hate it. I'll give it a C+ .

[misfantasyfiction ☆ﾟ.*･ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this play. It was very funny at times and all the characters were extremely amusing. The Bliss family were all absurd and very chaotic, and the weekend guests were similarly funny in their utter discomfort in the Bliss household.

The dialogue was very fast-paced and interesting and there was never a dull moment in the play.

I didn’t enjoy this as much as Blithe Spirit - it wasn’t as funny- so I am deducting a star for that, but it was an amusing quick read!

I would strongly recommend this for fans of theatre and comedic theatre especially.

[Paul LaFontaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Bliss family is taking some time off in the country and three visitors arrive. Author husband David, actress wife Judith and their children are theatrical to the extreme. Overreacting to small compliments and the end driving their guests away.

This play had all the elements I don't care for - squabbling family, set in a living room, and ending with more squabbling. Coward's genius is that he mixes these tired elements into a situation that had me laughing to the end.

Strongly recommend

[Gergely · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolute riot of a play... Extremely well composed, it's like the math of chaos - something that is geometrically precise but the results are pretty well unpredictable. The way the author mixes these characters, and matches them up multiple times in different ways across the play to create a whole whirlwind of a picture is a sight to behold.
And so typical English, so typical West End - in a good way ;)