Noel Coward’s Biography
Noel Coward’s Biography
Noel Coward was a legendary British playwright who had an excellent career as a singer and also as an actor. Born in 1899, Coward met his death seventy four years later due to heart attack. His excellent legacy also includes a role for the British troops in the Second World War. Even before attaining the age of 10, Noel Coward’s skills in the arts were evident. Teddington was Noel Coward’s birthplace. This exposed him to the cosmopolitan lifestyle of London (Morley, 72).
At an early age, Noel Coward was already a student in a famous dance school in London. This school served as a springboard for Noel’s professional life as a playwright. According to his biographer, Noel Coward’s intelligence in the arts was second to none. This was evident through his unique standard of creativity. During his lifetime, Noel Coward had over fifty plays most of which were massively successful. Noel Coward’s mother was an employee of the Royal Navy while his father was a salesperson who mostly dealt with pianos. His father’s involvement in piano business was an instrumental factor behind Noel Coward’s early exposure to music (Day, 15). During his time at the Chapel Royal School, instructors could tell that Noel Coward had brilliant talent in music.
Coward’s mother was also influential in guiding him towards a successful career as a playwright and also as an actor. For instance, she was behind Noel Coward’s enrolment at the dance school. At an early age of 12, Noel Coward was already a professional actor. Even during the First World War, Coward was still persistent in acting and other forms of art. Although Noel Coward had the tendency to take up roles in comedies, he also had a taste of satirical plays. It was not until he was twenty that Noel Coward took part in a full-length play. A year later, Noel Coward made the Trans-Atlantic trip to the United States. In America, his acting skills did not impress many audiences. However, it was in this country that Noel Coward learnt a lot about creativity in the arts (Morley, 75).
The Vortex, a 1924 story by Noel Coward was a massive success across Britain. The high standards of creativity in this story had the capacity to grab the attention of audiences. In this story, the most outstanding theme was the implication of drugs on social morality. In addition to Britain, this play was also massively successful in the United States. The success of The Vortex served as a platform for Noel Coward to work on other plays.
At the onset of the Second World War, Noel left his professional engagements in the arts in pursuit of a role with the troops. Consequently, he duly became an undercover intelligence officer. During the war, Noel Coward also came in handy because of his tenacity and inherent ability to entertain troops. Despite rejoining his professional life as a playwright after the war, it was difficult for Noel Coward to scale similar heights as before. However, he was still influential and his plays would appeal to substantial audiences. Extensive deterioration in Noel’s health was evident in the 1960s. The culmination of this was in 1973 when Noel Coward succumbed to heart complications (Day, 18).
Achievements
Throughout his professional life, Noel Coward had numerous notable achievements. In addition to more than fifty plays, Noel Coward wrote numerous songs which were massively entertaining. Following is an evaluation of some of the most exceptional achivements by Noel Coward.
The Vortex
The Vortex was one of Noel Coward’s most successful plays. It encompasses the numerous themes that touch on social morals and behavior. Drug abuse is among the most notable themes in this play. Through this theme, Noel Coward highlights how addiction to drugs can cause the deterioration of an individual’s behavior in the society. In this play, Nicky Lancaster takes the role of the individual who is struggling to stop his indulgence in the abuse of cocaine. Additionally, this theme highlights how drug abuse might lead to the deterioration of an individual’s relationships with other members of the society.
In the play, the relationships between Nicky and his in-laws is in jeopardy because of his problems with drug abuse (Coward, 39). Apart from drug abuse, Noel Coward also highlights the theme of sexual immorality in this play. For instance, Bunty’s mother has the habit of extramarital affairs despite her old age. Consequently, she serves as a poor role model to her children. In the play, the theme of sexual immorality is evident through Nicky’s habits of sexual immorality. This is mainly due to his active indulgence in drug abuse.
Poor parenting is also another perspective that serves as an influential factor towards Nicky’s sexual immorality. Although this play dates back to the early 1920s, it has been the basis of the themes in several dramas and works of art. Noel Coward had substantial income from this play. This is because the play could attract large followership in audiences. In the United States, The Vortex also had excellent levels of followership (Coward, 64).
Private Lives
Apart from the Vortex, this was also another outstanding play by Coward. In Private Lives, the main theme revolves around Love. A couple divorces but then comes to appreciate their love for each other after moving on into new relationships. Among the most outstanding aspects about this play pertains to the theme song. This song was Coward’s own composition and was also extensively popular among different audiences (Coward, 82).
Despite the play’s success, it also had a considerable level of controversy. This was mainly due to the graphic content depicting the couples making love. In terms of critical reviews, some analysts were supportive of the play. In contrast, other analysts are critical of the play especially in terms of graphic content. Nevertheless, the play still reflects Noel Coward’s excellent sense of creativity as a professional playwright (Coward, 75).
Peace in Our Time
This is also another notable work of art by Coward. It dates back to 1946 and captures life is different societies and contexts. For instance, Coward analyzes the challenges of living in France. Apart from diversity in cultural lifestyles, another notable theme in this play is foreign invasion. This mostly applies to German’s invasion of British territories. As opposed other plays by Coward, this does involve aspects of social immorality (Day, 88).
Other Achievements
In addition to being an excellent playwright, Noel Coward’s participation in the Second World War is also a notable achievement. Although his main role was an undercover intelligence officer, he was helpful in terms of entertaining troops. This was extremely essential in easing tensions among the troops. Apart from participation in the Second World War, Noel Coward’s was also knighted because of his enduring services to the country (Morley, 116).
Noel Coward’s Legacy
Noel Coward’s mark on the field of theatre arts was extremely impressive. This was because of his standards of originality and creative writing. Gifted in multitasking, Noel Coward would compose songs and also act. Similarly, he had the capacity to represent different characters on stage and also sing. Knighthood serves as evidence of the extensive impact Noel Coward had on theatre arts.
Coward legacy is also evident through his acts of generosity. Although he was highly popular, he had tremendous regard for all people. Consequently, kindness was a notable attribute of Noel Coward’s interactions with other people. Though popular on stage and in the public domain, Noel Coward’s personal life was private (Day, 86). For instance, details about his relationships were a mystery to many until his death. It was through his biography that people came to learn about Noel Coward’s homosexual attributes.
Coward was also a heavy smoker. This habit was a significant contributor to the deterioration of his health until he succumbed to heart complications. It is also essential to note that Noel would take risks even when there was so much at stake. For instance, he pursues an active role in the Second World War at the expense of his professional life as a playwright. Another notable attribute of Noel Coward’s legacy pertains to his wit. His intelligence was the main force behind all of his works. While composing songs or writing plays, Noel Coward did not encounter any challenge (Morley, 61). This is because of his inherent skills in arts and other literary aspects. As an actor, Noel Coward could easily communicate with audiences.
References
Coward, Noel. & Day, Barry. The essential Noël Coward compendium. London: A & C Black Publishers, 2009
Coward, Noel. Private Lives. An intimate comedy in three acts. Kessinger Publishing,2004
Day, Barry. Coward on film: The cinema of Noel Coward. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2005
Lahr, John. Coward the playwright. Los Angeles, CA: University of California Press,2002
Morley, Sheridan. Noel Coward. London: Haus Publishing, 2005
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