Oh Coward!
Oh Coward! was the last show of his that Noël ever saw. The revue first saw the light of day on May 14, 1970 at the Theatre in the Dell, Toronto, Canada. It was then titled A Noël Coward Revue, or To Sir, With Love. It was 5 years earlier that Roderick Cooke approached Noël with the idea. Roderick had appeared 'as a slightly distraught diplomat' in Noël's last musical The Girl Who Came To Supper on Broadway. Noël replies, 'Dear Roddy, What a lovely idea! Please send me a dummy programme and let's talk.'
After various problems it failed to get off the ground in Canada and although although everyone thought it was a brilliant idea, with six separate impressarios showing an interest in New York and some mild interest in London - nobody knew what to do with it.
Some 2 years later after the hugely successful period that became known as Dad's Renaissance when the National Theatre's Hay Fever created such rekindled interest in Coward's work and Noël at last received his knighthood, Canada at last saw Dinah Christie as the leading lady in what became the 'instant smash hit,' Oh Coward! It then travelled via Chicago (where Roderick Cook says 'it died a slow death for 3 months') to Boston ('for a chilly six weeks') finally opening in New York and later honouring 'The Master' with a Gala Performance.
Programme
Act One:
The Boy Actor, Oh Coward! (Medley: Something to do With the Spring, Bright Young People, Poor Little Rich Girl, Zigeuner, Let's Say Goodbye, This is a Changing World, We Were Dancing, Dance Little Lady, A Room With a View, Sail Away), England: (London Pastoral, That is the End of the News, The Stately Homes of England, London Pride) Family Album: (Aunty Jessie, Uncle Harry) The Music Hall: (Introduction, Chase Me Charlie, Saturday Night at the Rose and Crown, The Island of Bolamazoo, What Ho, Mrs. Brisket, Has Anybody Seen Our Ship, Men About Town), If Love Were All, Travel: (Too Early or Too Late, Why Do the Wrong People Travel?, The Passenger's Always Right), Mrs. Worthington.
Act Two:
Mad Dogs and Englishmen, A Marvellous Party: (I've Been to a Marvellous Party), Design for Dancing: (Dance Little Lady, You Were There), Theatre: (Three White Feathers, The Star, The Critic, Epitaph for an Elderly Actress), Love: (Gertie, Loving, I Am No Good at Love, Sex Talk, A Question of Lighting, Mad About the Boy), Women: (Thoughts, Nina, Mrs. Wentworth-Brewster), World Weary, Let's Do it (music by Cole Porter), Finale: (Where Are the Songs We Sung, Someday I'll Find You, I'll Follow My Secret heart, If Love Were All, Play, Orchestra, Play, I'll See You Again)
Musical Numbers
Act One:
Something to do With the Spring, Bright Young People, Poor Little Rich Girl, Zingeuner, Let's Say Goodbye, This is a Changing World, We Were Dancing, Dance Little Lady, A Room With a View, Sail Away, London Pastoral, That is the End of the News, The Stately Homes of England, London Pride, Aunty Jessie, Uncle Harry, Chase Me Charlie, Saturday Night at the Rose and Crown, The Island of Bolamazoo, What Ho, Mrs. Brisket, Has Anybody Seen Our Ship?, Men About Town, If Love Were All, Too Early or Too Late, Why Do the Wrong People Travel?, The Passenger's Always Right, Mrs. Worthington.
Act Two:
Mad Dogs and Englishmen, I've Been to a Marvellous Party, Dance Little Lady, You Were There, Three White Feathers, I Am No Good at Love, Mad About the Boy), Nina, Mrs. Wentworth-Brewster, World Weary, Let's Do it (music by Cole Porter), Where Are the Songs We Sung, Someday I'll Find You, I'll Follow My Secret hearet, If Love Were All, Play, Orchestra, Play, I'll See You Again
Recordings
Oh Coward! - an original cast recording - Lp BELL 9001 (1972)
Roderick Cook (RC), Barbara Cason (BC), Jamie Ross (JR) Arr. & cond. Rene Weigert
Side 1:
Overture: I'll Follow My Secret Heart, I'll See You Again, Has Anybody Seen Our Ship, Poor Little Rich Girl, If Love Were All (Band)
Medley: Something to do With Spring, Bright Young People, Poor Little Rich Girl, Zigeuner, Let's Say Goodbye, This is a Changing World, We Were Dancing, Dance Little Lady, A Room With a View, Sail Away (BC, RC, JR)
That Is The End Of The News (BC, RC)
The Stately Homes Of England, (RC, JR)
London Pride (BC)
We Must All Be Very Kind To Auntie Jessie (RC)
Uncle Harry (BC, JR)
Side 2:
Medley: Chase Me Charlie (BC) Saturday Night at the Rose and Crown (BC, RC, JR) Island of Bolamazoo (BC, RC, JR) What Ho, Mrs Brisket! (BC, RC, JR) Has Anybody Seen Our Ship (BC, RC, JR) Men About Town (RC, JR)
If Love Were All (BC)
Why Do The Wrong People Travel? (BC, JR)
The Passenger's Always Right (BC, RC, JR)
Mrs Worthington (RC, BC, JR)
Side 3:
Mad Dogs And Englishmen (RC, BC, JR)
I've Been To A Marvellous Party (RC)
Bright Young People (BC, RC, JR)
Dance Little Lady (Band only - spoken words BC, RC, JR)
You Were There (JR)
Three White Feathers (BC, RC)
Mad About The Boy (BC)
Side 4:
Nina (JR)
A Bar On The Piccola Marina (RC)
If Love Were All (BC)
The Island of Bolamazoo (RC, JR, RC),
Let's Do It! (BC, RC, JR)
World Weary (JR, RC, BC)
Finale: Where Are the Songs We Sung? (JR), Someday I'll Find You (RC), I'll Follow My Secret Heart (BC), If Love Were All (RC, BC, JR), Play Orchestra Play (RC, BC, JR), I'll See You Again (RC, BC, JR).
Reviews
"A modest, thoroughly diverting evening in the company of a master wordsmith. This is a musical evening in which the words point the way. Oh Coward! lets Sir Noël speak for himself." New York Times
"An enchanting evening of song and patter... everything is in beautiful order." Douglas Watt New York News
"3 people. 50 numbers. 3 cheers." The New York
"Oh Coward! avoids the pitfalls into which similar tributes tended to hurtle. It is all wit, polish, taste and style... [it] covers much the same ground as Cowardy Custard, but less elaborately. It is more intimate and perhaps a little less exciting." John Simon, New York Magazine
"Coward is a word wizard, but his subtlest gift is inflection, and he has master of the pause before Pinter was born. This sometimes defeats the actors, but not the impeccably polished trio in this show. They sing and deliver their lines with sly, artful perfection. They help make Oh Coward! the most marvellous party in town. Time
"[Roderick] Cooke looks like a cross between a moderately successful diplomat and a fabulously successful undertaker... [he] is effortlessly urbane." Clive Barnes, The Times
Cast
Oh Coward! was first presented in new York at the New Theatre on October 4, 1972. It was produced by Wroderick Productions, directed by Roderick Cook and starred Barbara Cason, Roderick Cook and Jamie Ross. The Musical direction and arrangements were by Rene Wiegert (additional arrangements by Herbert Helbig and Nicholas Deutsch). The setting was designed by Herbert Senn and Helen pond, with lighting by James Nisbet Clark.
The production stage manager was Jay Leo Colt, assisted by William Lee Martis. The orchestra included Uel Wade, Bernard Karl and Richard Cook.
