Review: Noël Coward’s Hay Fever. Lace Market Theatre. Nottingham

You may think all your Christmases have come at once if you are a fan of Noël [Coward] and get to see this top-class amateur production of Hay Fever, one of his enduringly popular comedy dramas, at the Lace Market Theatre in Nottingham running 14-19 November. We are privileged this evening – Saturday 12th November – to be invited guests, and to enjoy a preview of the play as part of the amateur theatre company’s 100 years anniversary Gala evening event. As a historical tidbit, courtesy of the company play brochure, Hay Fever was written just two years after the foundation of the Nottingham Playgoers’ Club which eventually became the Lace Market Theatre.

Noël Coward wrote Hay Fever in 1925 when posh drawing room dramas and comedies were lapped up by middle-class and upper middle-class audiences on the whole; monied society who adored Coward’s brittle humour and economic and erudite wit. Even though Noël Coward was born into an impoverished working-class family in 1899, by 1925 he had already begun to show and sell his talents for playwriting, composing, directing, acting, painting and singing and had worked his way into artistic and social society way beyond any expectations of his humble beginnings through hard work and clearly well above the average talents. He was to eventually be known as The Master and loved for his cheeky flamboyance, a sense of pose and poise and incredibly prolific writing in varying styles. His artistic career spanned six decades, and he starred in many of his own works. Of criticism itself Sir Noël Coward was known to have quipped in his famous clipped and plummy tone, “I love criticism just as long as it’s unqualified praise.” We’ll try our best to honour that wish on here Sir Noël, gawd bless you guvnor.

Hay Fever is full of larger-than-life characters that live enormously spoilt and privileged lives yet often express themselves with degrees of fragility as if their world is going to fall apart any second. It is a comedy of ill manners, you might say. Subtle social cruelty is metered out on the unwitting house guests by the snobbish Bliss family, primarily the on the surface charming but manipulating patriarch David Bliss (Fraser Wanless) who has a love-hate relationship with his retired actress wife Judith Bliss (Helen Sharp) and a helpless need for constant amour fou. Altogether Hay Fever is a farce of misunderstandings, romantic dalliances gone wrong and flaring tempers, culminating in a madcap ending. Unlike Mike Leigh’s savagely biting play Abigail’s Party, equally about social aspiration and snobbishness, and written several decades later, Hay Fever comes across as a much milder theatrical vehicle for social satire and eccentricity.

This sparkling Hay Fever production at the Lace Market Theatre is directed by Peter Konowalik and the casting is a perfect confection of some of the best of Nottingham’s amateur player talents. The aforementioned Fraser Wanless and Helen Sharp are fabulous as estranged married couple David and Judith Bliss and the on-stage action reveals some blissfully witty performances from Rosie Randall and Luke Willis as their offspring, Sorel and Simon.

The play’s house guests are Myra Arundel (Tamsin Grayson-Gaunt), Richard Greatham (Jonathan Cleaver), Sandy Tyrell (Harrison Lee), Jackie Coryton (Tabitha Daniels) and the grumpy former dresser now put-upon housemaid Clara is played with grounded insouciance by Cynthia Marsh.

The sophisticated comic wit of Noël Coward is plentiful in this period piece and lines like "You kissed me because you were awfully nice and I was awfully nice and we both liked kissing very much. It was inevitable." "People have died from hiccups you know!" and "Couldn’t you see that all my flippancy was only a mask, hiding my real emotions … crushing them down desperately!" are perfectly rendered throughout.

Tamzin Grayson-Gaunt as Myra Arundel gives us an attractive yet wonderfully aloof depiction of one of Coward’s strong female roles and is equally good when the need occurs for a comical seduction with Fraser Wanless’ pompously confident David Bliss. In an explosion of alliteration Helen Sharp’s highly theatrical Judith Bliss is flirty, flighty, funny, flamboyant and a frothy female delight throughout. Sharp gives a whole new interpretation of swanning about the stage and this audience love her and Judith’s OTT gesturing.

One of the funniest scenes manifests itself in the 'rippingly' awkward relationship between Johnathan Cleaver’s well-travelled yet bashful Richard Greatham and Tabitha Daniels’ very likable Jackie Coryton whose foreign travel experiences are limited to a short stay in Dieppe. Like the rest of the Hay Fever cast, their comic timing is spot on.

Very amusing though Coward’s play text is, the light comedy essences of this production aren’t limited to the spoken word. There is much to admire, and giggle at, in the body language of all of the characters and their maladroit and often pretentious interactions with each other in their weekend in the country chez the family Bliss. Harrison Lee as love struck Sandy Tyrell is a particularly good exponent of deliberately under-played physical comedy.

This superbly eccentric Lace Market Theatre iteration of Hay Fever is graced with wonderful period furniture and the well-considered, stylish and believable set of the wealthy Bliss family home by the Thames, circa 1920s, has been designed by Emma Pegg. The stylish period costumes are courtesy of Max Bromley and the hair and makeup are overseen by Linda Croston and Lily Goult. The Hay Fever sound and lighting are by Simon Carter and David Billen.

Read the original article here.

"Hay Fever" by Noel Coward
Nottingham Lace Market Theatre

As part of the Centenary celebrations for the Lace Market Theatre, they are producing the Noel Coward play "Hay Fever", which was written in 1924.

"Hay Fever" is set in an English country house in the 1920s, and deals with the four eccentric members of the Bliss family, Judith and David Bliss and their children Sorel and Simon, and their outlandish behaviour when they each invite a guest to spend the weekend. The self-centred behaviour of the hosts finally drive their guests to flee while the Blisses are so engaged in a family row that they do not notice their guests' furtive departure.

Coward once stated that this play had no plot and very few witty lines. I disagree. I've always enjoyed Noel Coward's witty writing and, even though the comedy is written about life a hundred years' ago, a funny line can transcend the years when written to the standard that Coward writes. It is based on, and influenced by a weekend that Coward spent with friends and only took three days to pen.

Helen Sharp, who plays Judith Bliss, really brought to mind the comedy stylings of Patricia Routledge - one of my favourite comedy character actors. Whether Patricia played this role in her extremely varied and successful career I know not but while watching the play, I received images of Dame Patricia, channelled by Helen. Judith is a "retired" actor, or should that be "resting", who has a longing to return to the stage, encouraged by her family.

Fraser Wanless plays Judith's husband, David, a novelist who is in the process of finishing his latest book. I have come to expect a classy performance from Fraser, and he does not disappoint as Fraser is one classy actor.

The daughter, Sorel, is played by Rosie Randall. Sorel takes after her mother in the flirting department and is actually caught in the library with Sandy Tyrell, who is Judith's guest. Judith is non-plussed by this as she has eyes for Richard!

Simon Bliss, the son, is played by Luke Willis. Simon is an interesting character who, we discover, is not that bothered about personal hygiene, visually apparent form his first scene of the play. He is the more laid-back member of the family. At times Simon is almost horizontal in his laid-back approach, at other times he is like an excited puppy.

Sandy, played by Harrison Lee, is a fan of Judith's; wide-eyed and a little unsure of himself and how to conduct himself inside his idol's home. Suitably nervous around his idol and played to perfection by Harrison.

Myra Arundel is the vamp invited by Simon, and played by Tamzin Grayson-Gaunt, who I imagine really enjoyed playing this juicy role.

Jonathan Cleaver plays diplomat Richard Greatham, who Judith enjoys flirting mercilessly with. I love the part when Jonathan tentatively kisses Judith on the back of her neck, and the over dramatic reaction he receives from her.

The last guest is Jackie Coryton, a flapper and the invited guest of David. Jackie is played by Tabitha Daniels. When Judith catches them kissing there's another exaggerated theatrical scene where we find David playing up to his wife. There is a lot of playing up to la Diva, as confirmed by Sorel when she explains to Sandy that she plays the theatrical game for Judith's benefit, as "one always plays up to Mother in this house; it's a sort of unwritten law."

Finally, there is Clara, Judith's housekeeper, played by Cynthia Marsh. This is one of my favourite characters in "Hay Fever" as she is the most grounded and down to earth character, often treating them all with disdain, which is where much of Clara's comedy lies.

Directed by Peter Konowalik, and assisted by Wayne Parkin. What I especially like about this production is the pace that they play is taken at, and that gives time for the comedy to register with the audience. Many times I've seen lines slightly rushed and there's no time to take in a comic line, and before you know it some of the comedy is lost. The pace is perfect and the full glory of Coward's wit is appreciated in all its' glory. There's also a nice little musical piece added, as this is not a musical and adds whimsicality to Judith's flirty scenes.

The set is wonderfully lush with five different entrance/exit points, including down the middle of the auditorium. I won't say too much about the set as it's one that you need to see to drink in the whole 1920's affect. The set itself is designed by Emma Jane Pegg.

Lighting for this show is by David Billen and the sound is by Simon Carter. Smooth and perfectly executed in both areas.

Also adding to the decadence of the period are the costumes. Act Two shows the characters done up to the nines with immaculate tuxedos and gorgeous evening wear for the ladies. Max Bromley has done this production proud with the ladies and gentlemen's evening wear.

The ladies' hair and make up is thanks to Linda Croston and Lily Goult, and add the finishing touches to the whole look.

"Hay Fever" is always in the top choices of Noel Coward's plays, up there with the marvellous "Blithe Spirit", "Private Lives" and "Present Laughter", and now I can tick off "Hay Fever" from my Noel Coward plays list.

Read the original article here.