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Hay Fever - A light comedy
Hoping for a quiet weekend in the country with some guests, David Bliss, a novelist and his wife Judith, a retired actress, find that an impossible dream when their high-spirited children Simon and Sorel appear with guests of their own. A housefull of drama waits to be ignited as misunderstandings and tempers flare. With Judith's new flame and David's newest literary 'inspiration' keeping company as the children follow suit, the Bliss family lives up to its name as the 'quiet weekend' comes to an exhausting and hilarious finale worthy of Feydeau.
66 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1925
About the author
Noël Coward
438 books226 followersSir Noël Peirce Coward (December 13, 1901 - March 26, 1973) 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
May 3, 2026
__________________________
Hell Began to Ring
This 1924 Noel Coward play is the story of one day in the life of the Bliss family. They are wealthy, upper-class bohemians—which, as you know, is French for “total arses.” And if I remember my college Dictionary of Literary Terms correctly, Hay Fever can best be classified a Comedy of Bad Manners— a Noel Coward specialty.
There are more cuckoos in the Bliss family than in a Swiss clock shop.
Judith Bliss is a highly successful actress, but she has retired from the stage recently at the behest of her husband. Being a proper upper-class lady in an opulent English country house does not suit Judith, and Shakespeare’s famous line “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players” has become her life. And Judith is fine with that—as long as she has the lead role.
Judith’s husband David is a well-known novelist. Everything is about his art. He spends most of his time in his study and is interested in other people only long enough to figure out how to capture their souls to use in his books—metaphorically, of course… probably...hopefully.
Sorel and Simon are Judith's adult children. They are chronological grown-ups, but they behave like bohemian adolescents raised without boundaries. Sorel can recognize the madness in the household but is a melodrama queen herself. To paraphrase Henry James, she has a genius for making a scene out of a mole hill.
Simon is a self-styled artist who constantly tries to shape his own life into performance art—you know, like an "artist" who thinks that letting an audience watch her gorge on bananas until she vomits is an artistic accomplishment on par with the Sistine Chapel frescoes.
As the play begins, unbeknownst to the other three family members, each of the Blisses has invited a guest to spend the weekend at the family estate. For instance, Judith invited a younger man—a man actually younger than her daughter. She just wants someone who, like her fans in the theater, will adore and worship her. I was surprised she didn’t demand a human sacrifice—preferably one with good cheekbones.
🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars
Their guests have no idea they’re walking into a weekend that makes The Rocky Horror Picture Show look like a church picnic. Hilarity ensues. Oh, what strange times inhabit this cuckoo clock world.
Warning: I paid 99 cents for my copy of the Grapevine India Publishers Kindle edition of Hay Fever. This may seem like an exorbitant price, but it came with hundreds of typos at absolutely no additional cost. For instance, and this is completely true, the publisher spelled the word "I'm" incorrectly at least 7 or 8 times: P'm, L'm, ^/m, I5m, and so on. How many ways can one company misspell a 2-letter word? In fact, I believe there are an average of 2 to 4 errors on each page that will make you stop and send the mangled words to the National Security Agency (NSA) for proper decoding. There was one typo that I found thoroughly apropos though—"... hell began to ring."
Hell Began to Ring
This 1924 Noel Coward play is the story of one day in the life of the Bliss family. They are wealthy, upper-class bohemians—which, as you know, is French for “total arses.” And if I remember my college Dictionary of Literary Terms correctly, Hay Fever can best be classified a Comedy of Bad Manners— a Noel Coward specialty.
There are more cuckoos in the Bliss family than in a Swiss clock shop.
Judith Bliss is a highly successful actress, but she has retired from the stage recently at the behest of her husband. Being a proper upper-class lady in an opulent English country house does not suit Judith, and Shakespeare’s famous line “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players” has become her life. And Judith is fine with that—as long as she has the lead role.
Judith’s husband David is a well-known novelist. Everything is about his art. He spends most of his time in his study and is interested in other people only long enough to figure out how to capture their souls to use in his books—metaphorically, of course… probably...hopefully.
Sorel and Simon are Judith's adult children. They are chronological grown-ups, but they behave like bohemian adolescents raised without boundaries. Sorel can recognize the madness in the household but is a melodrama queen herself. To paraphrase Henry James, she has a genius for making a scene out of a mole hill.
Simon is a self-styled artist who constantly tries to shape his own life into performance art—you know, like an "artist" who thinks that letting an audience watch her gorge on bananas until she vomits is an artistic accomplishment on par with the Sistine Chapel frescoes.
As the play begins, unbeknownst to the other three family members, each of the Blisses has invited a guest to spend the weekend at the family estate. For instance, Judith invited a younger man—a man actually younger than her daughter. She just wants someone who, like her fans in the theater, will adore and worship her. I was surprised she didn’t demand a human sacrifice—preferably one with good cheekbones.
🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars
Their guests have no idea they’re walking into a weekend that makes The Rocky Horror Picture Show look like a church picnic. Hilarity ensues. Oh, what strange times inhabit this cuckoo clock world.
Warning: I paid 99 cents for my copy of the Grapevine India Publishers Kindle edition of Hay Fever. This may seem like an exorbitant price, but it came with hundreds of typos at absolutely no additional cost. For instance, and this is completely true, the publisher spelled the word "I'm" incorrectly at least 7 or 8 times: P'm, L'm, ^/m, I5m, and so on. How many ways can one company misspell a 2-letter word? In fact, I believe there are an average of 2 to 4 errors on each page that will make you stop and send the mangled words to the National Security Agency (NSA) for proper decoding. There was one typo that I found thoroughly apropos though—"... hell began to ring."
May 3, 2025
《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
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
May 4, 2026
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.
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.
May 30, 2025
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.
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.
March 2, 2023
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.
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.
June 8, 2025
[ 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.
• 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.
July 22, 2024
این نمایشنامه تب یونجه ست که خیلی معروفه. نمیدونم چرا توی گودریدز اینقدر کم ریویو داشت.
November 24, 2025
(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!)
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!)
April 14, 2024
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)
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)
November 24, 2021
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.
March 31, 2018
Many of the same themes and circumstances of Relative Values but missing some of the charm.
May 26, 2015
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.
March 9, 2026
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)
December 7, 2023
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.
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.
August 12, 2025
کتاب تب یونجه
نوئل کاود
خیلی جالب بود یه خانواده دیوونه😂
نوئل کاود
خیلی جالب بود یه خانواده دیوونه😂
March 13, 2023
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.
December 22, 2024
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
Date of finishing this book according to Persian calendar: Sunday 2 Dey 1403
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 3, 2018
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.
October 3, 2018
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.
I listened twice, for context, but Blithe Spirit is much better.
January 1, 2024
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.
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.
December 23, 2021
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.
October 6, 2024
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
February 13, 2024
Noel Coward is always a win
June 16, 2017
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!!
March 23, 2025
The problem with reading a play over a couple of days is that I was completely lost in what was happening at the end of Act II and not realizing that Judith, Sorel and Simon were reenacting the scene they had did before in Act I.
Honestly, my rating would probably be higher if I saw a production of this because you can certainly see the potential for comedy with this family.
Honestly, my rating would probably be higher if I saw a production of this because you can certainly see the potential for comedy with this family.
Read
August 18, 2025scent of the summer !
SOREL: i sometimes wish we were more normal and bouncing, simon.
SIMON: why?
SOREL: i should like to be a fresh, open-air girl with a passion for games.
SIMON: thank god you're not.
SOREL: it would be so soothing.
SIMON: not in this house.
SOREL: i sometimes wish we were more normal and bouncing, simon.
SIMON: why?
SOREL: i should like to be a fresh, open-air girl with a passion for games.
SIMON: thank god you're not.
SOREL: it would be so soothing.
SIMON: not in this house.
May 20, 2025
It’s funny
March 19, 2025
Quite funny
April 2, 2025
may be relevant to know this material in the VERY near future O.O
Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews