This is by far the best production of Present Laughter that I have seen (and I've seen a few)! I keep watching it every year! Donald Sinden and the four female leads are just superb - unmatched really!
A hilariously narcissistic central character ... wonderful actors ...the smart cultured dialogues of Noel Coward so witty and unbearably charming ... I loved the play ! Thank you for this.
I grew up in NZ listening on radio and going to movies starring the great Brit stars of the 60's/70's, among them, Donald Sinden. Thank you from Hawai'I for the trip down "memory lane".
It is a great happiness that I saw the majestic Mr. Sinden on stage in School for Scandal around 1980 but, happiness being also somewhat sad, I regret I never saw this sublime cast in performance. The BBC, however, excelled themselves in filming the play and we are treated to some wonderful close-ups.
I have a poster from this play, signed by the whole cast, along with a programme, flyer and ticket :D I wish more theatre plays were filmed back in the day, as there are so many I would love to see - thank you for sharing x
I was in Joseph's Amazing Technicoloured Dreamcoat at the Vaudeville in the early 80's, I didn't realise how small it was! Thank you for posting the show, very unusual to see it like this.
Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you. My favorite production of one of my favorite plays. Thank you Thank you Thank you.
The trick here that works so well is that the dialog, which sparkles but can be played small and close, as mere repartee, is given an acrobatic physical quality by the performers, especially Donald, who roars and blusters around the stage like a gale, and has brilliantly funny reactions. His Garry takes up space, in every way, and is clearly a man who has to be managed at every moment by a full crew.
So happy to have stumbled upon this gem. The wit and brilliance of NC is timeless. How sad the world would be had Sir Noel never been. He was above all a patriot and loved England so much. Was there anything artistic he could not do? I pray young people read his writings and listen to his musicals. Timeless.
Delightful to watch and to listen to, the script flows like water, and why would n't it ? Noel Coward, The Master. Donald Sinden with a way with the words and delightful Gwen Watford and Dinah Sheridan bringing a severe attack of screaming good taste and elegance. Thank you for bringing us this ' Night at The Theatre' , as it used to be.
I looked after Mr Sindon at a book signing many years ago. Wonderful voice and very funny. He signed his book to me "A fellow theatre lover" I was eighteen, crazy about the theatre and I was on cloud nine!
It was so good to watch this, it brought back many wonderful memories of my time as Stage Manager for a community production of this in 2017, I even had the pleasure of "playing" Garry Essendine during the auditions. Thank you.
Reminds me of summerstock theater years ago when aging stars retreated into roving caravans that appeared in plays similar to this one all over America, especially in the Northeast and Midwest - Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Upstate New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and other regions are dotted with theaters whose venues usually had a stream of adult situational comedies like this. It's unfortunate their time is gone... the witty and urbane, a mist fading with a new era too impatient for an evening at the theater. We shall never see the likes of Noel Coward or Neil Simon again. They're a bygone era. Thankfully, we have RU-vid to keep them young.
Wonderful production. Always great to see Gwen Watford, and a good thing it is that Julian Fellowes went on to become a writer and producer. Thank you for the remarkable upload.
Loved the repartee between Mr. Since and Julian (Sir Julian today). Mr. Sinden must have been a very good sport to let this adorable scene stealer do his utmost. I never saw this play before. Watching it via you tube I was back in 1981 in London in that cozy theater. What a treat!
Simply wonderful! A rare opportunity for non-tourists to see a genuine, FIRST-RATE, LIVE, WEST END PRO- DUCTION from the tai- end of London theater's "golden era." (Part of the Coward DVD set, which includes terrific British TV productions of his plays and short stories).
Noel Coward certainly does "Present Laughter" in this play. Donald Sinden is marvelous! He delivers Sir Noel's brilliant repartee effortlessly. A joy to behold!
Very enjoyable! I usually find Coward's humor dated but this is the best production of his I've seen. Loved the introduction where the actors in regular dress show up to the theatre. Many thanks! A most interesting relic.
Beautiful production, wildly funny, touching subtext about an actor's brief shelf life. Reading the letters aloud brings to life Gray's world outside of the apartment. Brilliant writing.
Just saw San Francisco's Theatre Rhino production of this at the Eureka and we had a great time! We're seeing it again, it was pure fun. Thank you for posting this, I'd not seen this nor the production previously. I consider myself fortunate others have seen fit to remount it so more of us can enjoy the biting, witty, more reality than those who live it would admit if they were half as clever.
lovely, witty and such a change from a lot of current writing that has "adult themes" or "strong language"....(which means that the writer does not have the ability to write at length)....and what nostaglia, so many of the actors in this production are no longer with us......thank you for this sparkling posting.
Dinah Sheridan still looked amazingly beautiful at this stage.I wish she could have made more films after “Genevieve”.Vivien Leigh was not quite right in “The Deep Blue Sea” and I felt Kay Kendall over-acted In “The Reluctant Debutante” but Dinah would have played both of those parts superbly.She was as beautiful as they come and an instinctively gifted and intelligent actress.She’s great in this gem.
Such a great loss to great British Theatre and Film actor please also check out his acceptance speech on the occasiosion of his presentation Degree at Leceister University ( I think was it 5 tears ago ? ) - it is hilariousDes, Ireland.
I played Daphne in a production at my local theatre group it was fun but I found acting very stressful..prefer to sing and dance easier to remember than lines..thought i was going to be sick with fear as I was the first onto the stage
Well, just the same, considering what rubbish we have been geting on TV for the past 50 years, the 2nd rate actors, the 4th rate presenters and the 3rd rate comedians, it's worth a watch.
What year was this? It's surprising how often people are kind enough to upload wonderful historic dramas like this to RU-vid, but neglect to state when they were first released.
What an odd choice to go to all the trouble of a period setting and let Gwen Watford wear her own eyeglasses. I suppose because they are functional, not a prop. They might as well have dressed her in Halston because we are immediately in the late 70s when she puts them on.
An aging and self-obsessed actor finds himself in a situation bordering on farce when he is besieged by the demands of his estranged wife, women who want to seduce him, and a crazed playwright. - from IMDB
Boy is he vain,a performer no matter on stage or no,quite delusional,not as much as he loved himself,oh boy,he is so full of it with a lot of hot air,really!!!!!!
