Present Laughter

by Noël Coward

A topsy-turvy world of show biz in which star Garry Essendine copes with vamps, wife, producers who all make a fuss about their amorous situations and absurdities of the theatre. "Sharp and funny," The New York Times

Genres: Plays, Theatre, Drama, Classics, Humor, British Literature, 20th Century

97 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1939

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

[Kenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

My worst defect is that I am apt to worry too much about what people think of me when I'm alive. But I'm not going to do that anymore. I'm changing my methods and you're my first experiment. As a rule, when insufferable young beginners have he impertinence to criticize me, I dismiss the whole thing lightly because I'm embarrassed for them and consider it not quite fair game to puncture their inflated egos too sharply. But this time my highbrow young friend you're going to get it in the neck. To begin with your play is not a play at all. It's a meaningless jumble of adolescent, pseudo intellectual poppycock. And you yourself wouldn't be here at all if I hadn't been bloody fool enough to pick up the telephone when my secretary wasn't looking. Now that you are here, however, I would like to tell you this. If you wish to be a playwright you just leave the theater of to-morrow to take care of itself. Go and get yourself a job as a butler in a repertory company if they'll have you. Learn from the ground up how plays are constructed and what is actable and what isn't. Then sit down and write at least twenty plays one after the other, and if you can manage to get the twenty-first produced for a Sunday night performance you'll be damned lucky!
Present Laughter ~~~ Noël Coward



Theatre people ~~ like me ~~ love theatre about theatre ~~ egoists that we are ~~ and Present Laughter is a script that’s filled with funny and accurate references to The Theatre and the ridiculous institution it is. Noël Coward wrote this in 1939, but most of its points remain awkwardly relevant to today, and that we’re still having the same circuitous debates about serious theatre vs entertainment and still going: Oh God! Not PEER GYNT! whenever Henrik Ibsen’s epic gets a mention.



In Present Laughter, Coward explores vanity, the burdens of fame, and the intrinsically farcical nature of human relationships. Garry ~~ our hero ~~ is outwardly self-confident and witty, but is shown in fact to be deeply vulnerable, dependent on others, and increasingly aware of the emptiness of his glamorous life. He is hopelessly lost without his ex-wife and secretary, and at once madly in need and bored of the adulation and validation he gets. Present Laughter ~~ as you may have guessed ~~ is semi-biographical: Garry is an actor of ambiguous sexuality who sports a silk dressing gown very like that which Coward wore and was often pictured wearing in his carefully staged public pictures. He lives a life that is hectic and glamorous. He is undeniably self-absorbed, but charming and frail enough to elicit sympathy. He is also very funny.



Noël Coward delights in human diversity, evinced in the range of personalities, quirks and idiosyncrasies on display in [book Present Laughter]. His gift is capturing and celebrating the nuances of our behavior, bringing us to life in a way that is exaggerated for effect and yet, at the same time ~~ 85+ years later ~~ feels brilliantly authentic.

[Sketchbook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daphne and Joanna, respectively, lust after matinee idol Garry Essendine. They must have him! Fact: Garry is really a prima donna/diva.

There hasn't been such a stage actor since Noel Coward, but what the hell. Give Noely, who wrote the role for himself, his cockeyed fawntasies. The ladies arrive at an indecent hour, Garry Essendine romances them in his "spare room," then withdraws to chambers on 2d floor. (Don't ask--) ~ What ensues is not a bedroom farce, but a guest room farce: his assistant, wife, nitwit young dramatist, producers arrive in the morning. Spare room? Ehh, Mr Coward, what's that about? Is anyone, er, uh, else stashed away in Garry's bedroom? (The plot is biographical, except the girls in the bedroom were stage struck boys).

Feydeau, Sheridan, Marivaux are mixed with telephones and doorbells blaring nonstop. "You miserable cad!" sniffs Garry's jealous producer. Cad, cad away ~~ "You're the most unmitigated cad!" snarls the married Joanna, feeling wobbly after one sex bout which she provoked. There's also the goody-whoopee line, "I'll never speak to you again." Never!

This blithery nonsense is expertly done. It's bogus, but who ever goes to the theatuh for reality? For reality, consult your evening news (a selected reality).

Coward played Garry in London in the mid'40s, then Clifton Webb essayed Garry on Bwy (ssh! hot? LOL) before becoming the most famous filmic Nanny-Nance, Mr Belvedere. This Bwy miscasting hurt the play. Later George C Scott (flaming nostrils) did Garry, so did Frank Langella (aka Lemonjello); he has balls but no charm. The part would tax Cary Grant.

Garry : "You want to know what I'm really like, under all the glittering veneer? Well, this is it. -- Fundamentally honest."

Joanna: "Curtain!"
Garry: "This is the end!"
Joanna: "No, my sweet, only the beginning."

Then she's pushed into the spare-guest room.

One critic said the male-female roles should be reversed, but I don't think we should linger there.
It's a funny play. Underrated Coward.

[Alan (on December semi-hiatus) Teder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Constant Laughter
Review of the Samuel French paperback edition (April 21, 2017) of the original written in (1939) and published by Samuel French (1943).

This is another case of my wanting to read the original playscript after seeing a theatrical production. The "live" production though was a recent rebroadcast by National Theatre Live (NTLive) of a 2019 performance filmed at the Old Vic theatre with actor Andrew Scott in the lead role of Garry Essendine.

The part of Garry Essendine was premiered by the playwright Noël* Coward and the role can be said to be a hyper-fictionalized version of himself, a successful actor, playwright, producer and songwriter. Various other roles in the play parallel his managers and secretaries in real life as well. Some of that background can be read on Wikipedia. In the play version, Essendine is a self-centred and needy character (someone noted that the name is an anagram for Neediness) who wants to be loved by everyone and tries to please everybody to their face, but regrets his overcommitments in hindsight. His secretary Monica and ex-wife Liz try to save him from various entanglements along the way.

Liz: Well, dial my number and when I answer just say, "I'm sorry - wrong number," then I shall know.
Garry: What will you know?
Liz: That everything's all right. But if you say I'm so terribly sorry it's a wrong number, I'll know everything's all wrong and be round in a flash to back you up.
Garry: Intrigue! My whole existence is enmeshed in intrigue.
...
[later, in Act 3, after three different people have tried forcing themselves on Garry and he has had to hide them in various rooms of his apartment so that they don't meet each other.]
Garry: What is the meaning of this Joanna?
Joanna: Don't you know?
Garry: Yes, I do.
Joanna: What are you going to do about it?
(Garry goes to the telephone. He dials a number.) (Pause.)
What are you doing?
Garry: Telephoning. (At telephone.) Hallo - Hallo - Oh, I'm so terribly terribly terribly sorry, it's a wrong number! (He hangs up.)

The NTLive production takes a radical step in adaptation though. It gender-swaps the married couple of Joanna and Henry. So that it is Henry (renamed Hugo for the adaptation) that has a one-night stand with bi-sexual Garry, instead of Joanna. That also means that Henry/Hugo's affair with Morris was a homosexual one. These changes were approved by the Coward Estate as it was seen as a probable twist that Coward himself would have done, had homosexuality not been illegal in Britain at the time.. The end result is the same regardless and the comedy antics of the "morning after" and the later revelations are just as funny.


Andrew Scott as Garry and Indira Varma as Liz in the NTLive production of Present Laughter. Image sourced from Sedona Film Festival.

The audience that I saw this with was roaring throughout and it is certainly Andrew Scott that carried the performance, but the entire cast played their roles to the hilt. Coward's original script is a timeless comic effort which was shown to handle contemporary adaptation with ease.

Footnote
* Coward apparently always insisted on having the diaeresis over the letter e, as he said that otherwise people might pronounce his name as "Nool".

Soundtrack
Nothing to do with this play, but I couldn't help but come across the Noël Coward classic song Mad Dogs and Englishmen while searching through YouTube, so here is a recording from 1932 which you can listen to here. The lyrics are partially displayed in the video but are also completely transcribed in the description.

Trivia and Links
There is a trailer for the 2019 NTLive production which you can see on YouTube here. Director Matthew Warchus and actor Andrew Scott discuss their adaptation of the play in a dialogue which you can see on YouTube here.

[Lina K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Made my book club act out this play with me. 10/10 experience <3

[Bettie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bettie's Books

[Tobi ﾄﾋﾞ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not sure why I never reviewed this because it’s probably one of my favourite plays ever. I’ll definitely write a review for this soon.

[Rachel Pollock · Rating 4 out of 5]

I guess if I have to read an early 20th farce by a dead white guy, Noel Coward is my choice.

[Ian Hodges · Rating 5 out of 5]

I almost forgot that I read this earlier this year.

I used this script to make my humorous-interpretation performance for my first speech and debate event. I have to say (in my multiple times reading this) I was struck by how funny and even seemingly modern it is.

The show feels as if it was written just 10 or 20 years ago, but no. It was written in 1939 and still holds up.

Reading this feels almost like eavesdropping on the most glamorous midlife crisis of the 20th century. It’s sharp, sparkling, ridiculous, nuanced, and wildly entertaining all at the same time.

There were definitely times I was so sick of this show, but ultimately it keeps drawing me in.

Five stars for the laughs, the sophistication, and for giving me an excuse to pretend I’m Noel Coward’s reincarnation at debate tournaments.

[Marcus · Rating 4 out of 5]

A witty farce. Watched the 1981 performance from BBC TV online, with an excellent Garry played by Donald Sinden. The play has been regularly performed with actors such as Peter O’Toole and Albert Finney in the role.

[Rytas Sakas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dar nebuvau toks liūdnas per komediją

[Illiterate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comedy on actors, their coteries, posturing, and entanglements. Very well structured and paced. Lots of witty lines.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

From BBC Radio 4 - Saturday Drama:
Often thought of as semi autobiographical, Noël Coward's 'Present Laughter' follows a few days in the life of successful and self-obsessed actor Garry Essendine as he prepares to go on tour to Africa.

Amid a series of events bordering on farce, Garry must deal with interruptions including the numerous women who want to seduce him, a young aspiring actress, Daphne, and Joanna who is the wife of his manager Henry and who is already having an affair with his producer Morris.

He must also deal with placating his long suffering secretary Monica, avoiding his estranged wife Liz Essendine, being confronted by the obsessed young playwright Roland Maule and the unbearable inevitability of all that comes with turning forty.

[Pauline Butcher Bird · Rating 1 out of 5]

No wonder Look Back in Anger burst into theatres in the 1950s and naval-searching dramas developed - much as I don't like them - but still, this play, so lauded in its time and now with its revival, is abysmal to read, so full of froth and irrelevance is it. A famous matinee idol is stalked by a series of women and men, all trying to be his lover, and played in a farcical way. Perhaps it works better on the stage and to give it the benefit of the doubt I have booked tickets to see it live but I'm not optimistic.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, how I love a wry, witty play. Oh, how I love Present Laughter!! I want someone to cast me in a production of this show, and change the character of Monica to Marc so I can say those delicious lines!

[Oz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was supposed to be in a production of Present Laughter in 2020. You can imagine why that didn’t happen. Hopefully I’ll get another chance someday – Coward’s style is decadent and light-hearted, enjoyable to read and to watch.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy Mr. Coward's dry humor and wit. The self-absorbed actor is a joy to read.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Comedies about show business are a favorite of mine. I enjoy when actors and writers mock themselves. But Present Laughter – which even includes multiple doors and perfectly-timed entrances and exits (another form of theatrical catnip for me) – falls flat (at least on page – there’s an excellent chance I would enjoy it more on stage). The play has funny moments, and I enjoyed its ever increasingly absurdity, but reading it felt like studying a brilliant concept that missed the mark. Quasi-recommended.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the audio production of Present Laughter from LA Theatre Works. This is my second Noel Coward play, after Design for Living. It was a quick read, but pretty fun! The comedy was solid, and so were the performances. I was especially fond of Yeardley Smith as Monica. I feel like I should be enjoying Noel Coward more than I am. Still though, it's worth reading or listening to.

[Dmitry Mikhaylov · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I could see this play in a theatre. It's extremely pleasant. I don't remember when was the last time I laughed so much.

[pievava · Rating 5 out of 5]

turn the lights on

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of his best. A madcap romp that touches on art and the artistic life much better than he did in Design for Living.

[daisy patton · Rating 5 out of 5]

his vocab is insane
i want to be him

[Gavin Lyon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A farce that is grating at times rather than entertaining. A product of its time.

[Sophie Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

wanted to read the script after watching the 2019 performance at the national theatre.

not sure i’d give it such a high rating if i’d not seen the performance first but nevertheless :)

on a play binge atm

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun romp for theater lovers.

[Geneva Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coward excels in smart, fast-paced dialogue delivered by understandably flawed characters in ironic situations.

Despite alternately saccharine and acidic reproaches from his acting production team, his assistant, estranged wife, even the servants, lead character Garry remains an incorrigible playboy. At the height of the action, Garry scurries to secret each crush in some off stage room or broom closet before the next arrives on the scene. In a panic, he picks up the telephone and dials in reinforcements, barking into the receiver, "I'm so terribly terribly terribly sorry . . . !"

"Present Laughter" delivers comic catharsis for any reader old enough to appreciate the pitfalls of romance and ego.

[Rolls · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite of Coward's plays. He openly and flagrantly displays his incomparable "talent to amuse."

[Nathan Albright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy light comedic drama [1], and although this piece is fairly obscure, it is an enjoyable drama nonetheless, with some moral reservations. Laughter is generally a way we distance ourselves from situations, and in this play such laughter would be particularly likely, both because the lead character's situation is so deeply awkward and uncomfortable and because it would be the sort of situation that one would want not to think about very deeply at all. Alas, in this particular reader there is someone who can relate to the extreme awkwardness of the situation all too well, even if the precise situation is not one I am familiar with or likely to ever be familiar with. With a large cast, this play is precisely the sort that would be ripe for revival, spring as it does from the period just after World War II when the world was ready for light comedies and probably looking for more than a little bit of distraction from the years of doom and gloom that had been offered to the public for years previously.

The contents of this book are as follows. An introductory note comments on the cast of size and the success of the play in its presentation in New York and its even more successful performance in London. Then there is a note on the original cast (none of whom were actors I had ever heard about) and a synopsis of the three act play. Afterwards the drama follows, with Act one being the longest and Act three being the shortest. The setup of the play is an aging actor who has just turned 40 and is trying to prepare to travel to Africa to take his show on the road finding complications with women who keep on losing their key and asking to stay with him for the night, his estranged wife who he never bothered to divorce coming back into his life, the fierce loyalty of his secretary, and drama involving the marriage difficulties of his two best friends. The play itself manages the screwball nature of the difficulties well, and eventually the truth comes out in the third act, leading everyone involved to travel with Garry Essendine (the actor) with him to Africa whether he likes it or not. While there might be present laughter, one gets the feeling there will be a lot of frustration and irritation that are soon to come given the volatile mix of personalities this play has. After the action the play has a detailed pop listing for those who wish to revive the play, and at just over 100 pages this is a book that definitely does not overstay its welcome.

At its heart this is a play about awkwardness. Garry is aging and feeling old, something I can relate to, and his popularity as an actor leads him to attract women who show themselves to be rather too persistent for the mild man. The awkwardness results from too many people in his life that he simply cannot get rid of. At the core the protagonist is an honest and decent man, and so he easily wins the sympathy of a sophisticated audience aware of the complications that often result in life, and who may have dealt with enough people whose presence in our lives and surroundings leads to all kinds of awkwardness. There are a few jokes about Peer Gynt as well for those of us who are fond of the theater (and Ibsen in particular) and overall the play is a light comedy that is light as long as one does not think too much about the implications of the play's action for the awkwardness in so many of our own lives. Overall, it is an excellent work that deserves attention for fans of comedy.

[1] See, for example:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2010...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coward’s play, written in 1939 and first produced in 1942 in the United Kingdom, and in 1946 in the United States is a hugely funny comedy of manners surround the domestic life of a famous stage actor, a rather wicked self-portrait of the author surrounded by a circle of friends and business partners, and plagued by a few ill-behaved fans. The first word of the title is pronounced as a verb, and assuredly has that effect when presented to an audience.

This 2017 edition of the acting script is introduced by Moritz von Stuelpnagal the director of the Broadway production that opened in April 2017, so it’s to be presumed that the technical details: stage directions, props lists, and stage design are based on that production.

 

[Michael P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I dislike farce and yet I like this play. I gave it another read to figure out the reason. It now seems obvious. The story is less manic than many farces. It does not try to impress us with long banal sequences of people running in and out of rooms, undiscovered by split second timing. Thank goodness. That is one reason. The other is that Coward's trademark wit is everywhere, and I respond to that. So, yes, it is a farce and it does not have much to say other than "be true to yourself," which isn't bad but it is a bit obvious. The witticisms are the things that make this play resound for me.