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Sirocco (play)
''Sirocco'' is a play, in four acts, by Noël Coward. It opened at Daly's Theatre, on 24 November 1927. The production was directed by Basil Dean. The play, set in Italy, depicts an affair between a local painter and a young married Englishwoman. Although it starred the popular Ivor Novello, the first night was a disaster and the play closed after 28 performances. Background and production While on holiday in Alassio in 1921 Coward had enjoyed the atmosphere of the Combattente Club, with "much tawdry glamour … contributed by sweet champagne, an electric piano, paper streamers and the usual paraphernalia of Latin carnival", and the added attraction of an attractive young local who caught his eye and inspired the fiery, romantic hero of ''Sirocco''. He wrote the play soon afterwards, but it remained unstaged for six years. In 1921 Coward was still little known, but by late 1927, when ''Sirocco'' was finally produced, he had established himself with two substantial successes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Frances Doble
Frances Mary Hyde Doble (1902 – 12 December 1969) was a Canadian-born actress, who had a short career on the West End stage in the 1920s and 1930s. Life and career Early years Doble was born in Montreal, the elder daughter of Arthur Richard Doble."Lindsay-Hogg, Sir Anthony Henry, (1 May 1908–31 Oct. 1968)" ''Who's Who & Who Was Who'', Oxford University Press. Retrieved 24 January 2018 She was educated in Montreal and at , New York.Parker, pp. 543–544 She made her first appearance on stage at the |
The Manchester Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Guardian Media Group, owned by the Scott Trust. The trust was created in 1936 to "secure the financial and editorial independence of ''The Guardian'' in perpetuity and to safeguard the journalistic freedom and liberal values of ''The Guardian'' free from commercial or political interference". The trust was converted into a limited company in 2008, with a constitution written so as to maintain for ''The Guardian'' the same protections as were built into the structure of the Scott Trust by its creators. Profits are reinvested in journalism rather than distributed to owners or shareholders. It is considered a newspaper of record in the UK. The editor-in-chief Katharine Viner succeeded Alan Rusbridger in 2015. Since 2018, the paper's main news ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ivor Brown
Ivor John Carnegie Brown CBE (25 April 1891 – 22 April 1974) was a British journalist and man of letters. Biography Born in Penang, Malaya, Brown was the younger of two sons of Dr. William Carnegie Brown, a specialist in tropical diseases, and his wife Jean Carnegie. At an early age he was sent to Britain, where he attended Suffolk Hall preparatory school and Cheltenham College. After additional private instruction, he was accepted into Balliol College, Oxford, graduating with a double first in classical honour moderations and '' Literae Humaniores''. Early career Excelling on the civil service examination, Brown spent two days as a civil servant in the Home Office in 1913 before realising he was unsuited for the job and quit to become a freelance writer. At this time he was involved in left-wing politics, and was a conscientious objector during the First World War. Though he started authoring books at this time, his ability to write quickly and over a wide range of topics ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Observer
''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. History Origins The first issue, published on 4 December 1791 by W.S. Bourne, was the world's first Sunday newspaper. Believing that the paper would be a means of wealth, Bourne instead soon found himself facing debts of nearly £1,600. Though early editions purported editorial independence, Bourne attempted to cut his losses and sell the title to the government. When this failed, Bourne's brother (a wealthy businessman) made an offer to the government, which also refused to buy the paper but agreed to subsidise it in return for influence over its editorial content. As a result, the paper soon took a strong line against radicals such as Thomas Paine, Francis Burdett and Joseph Priestley. 19th century In 180 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mander And Mitchenson
Raymond Mander (15 July 1911 – 27 December 1983) and Joe Mitchenson (4 October 1911 – 7 October 1992) were theatre historians and joint founders of a large collection of theatrical memorabilia. Both began their careers as actors, but what began as a shared hobby turned into full-time work in running the Mander and Mitchenson Theatre Collection (MMTC) and writing books, reviews and articles on theatre, opera and ballet. The collection remained their private property until 1977, when they handed it over to a trust. After the deaths of the founders the collection was moved first to the Jerwood Library of the Performing Arts in Greenwich, and, in 2010, to the Theatre Collection of the University of Bristol. During the founders' lifetimes the collection contributed illustrations to more than four hundred books, and has remained one of the most important resources for authors writing about history of the British theatre. Biographies Early years Raymond Josiah Gale Mander was bor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gladys Calthrop
Gladys Edith Mabel Calthrop (''née'' Treeby; 29 March 1894 – 7 March 1980) was an artist and leading British stage designer. She is best known as the set and costume designer for many of Noël Coward's plays and musicals. Life and career Calthrop was born in Ashton, Devon, the daughter of Frederick Theophilus Treeby and his wife Mabel. She was educated at Grassendale School, Southbourne, West Sussex. Her parents sent her to a finishing school in Paris, and she returned married to Army captain Everard E. Calthrop, from Norfolk. The couple had a son, Hugo, whose care Calthrop entrusted mostly to her mother. He was later killed in Burma Campaign. She was soon separated from her husband (she had lesbian relationships thereafter) and studied art at Slade School of Fine Art. Calthrop was introduced to Noël Coward by Mrs. Astley Cooper while on holiday in Italy in 1921.Hoare, Philip. ''Noël Coward, A Biography''. Sinclair-Stevenson, 1995. , pp. 85–86"Mrs Gladys Calthrop – Artist ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
George Coulouris
George Alexander Coulouris (1 October 1903 – 25 April 1989) was an English film and stage actor. Early life Coulouris was born in Manchester, Lancashire, England, the son of Abigail (née Redfern) anNicholas Coulouris a merchant of Greek origin. He was brought up both in Manchester and nearby Urmston and was educated at Manchester Grammar School. He attended London's Central School of Speech and Drama, in the company of fellow students Laurence Olivier and Peggy Ashcroft. Early career Coulouris made his stage debut in 1926 with ''Henry V'' at the Old Vic. In 1928 and 1929 he appeared in several productions at the Cambridge Festival Theatre including Eugene O'Niell's ''The Hairy Ape.''. By 1929, he made his first Broadway appearance, followed by his first Hollywood film role in 1933. A major impact on his life was Orson Welles, whom he met in 1936 when they both had roles in the Broadway production of Sidney Kingsley's ''Ten Million Ghosts''. Welles invited Coulouris to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
David Hawthorne (actor)
David Hawthorne (22 May 1888 – 18 June 1942) was a British stage and film actor. He played the leading man in a number of films during the silent era, but later switched to character roles. One of his more notable roles was that of Rob Roy MacGregor in the 1922 film '' Rob Roy''. His stage work included the original West End productions of Noël Coward's ''Sirocco'' in 1927, Somerset Maugham's ''For Services Rendered'' in 1932 and J.B. Priestley's ''Laburnum Grove'' in 1933, for which he reprised his performance as Inspector Stack in the 1936 film version. A 1937 extract from '' Busman's Honeymmoon'' at the Comedy Theatre survives, showing him as a detective interviewing a witness, as filmed for ''Pathé News''. Selected filmography * ''Testimony'' (1920) * '' The Autumn of Pride'' (1921) * '' The Fortune of Christina McNab'' (1921) * '' Class and No Class'' (1921) * ''Open Country'' (1922) * '' Rob Roy'' (1922) * ''A Soul's Awakening'' (1922) * ''A Prince of Lovers'' (1922) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aubrey Mather
Aubrey Mather (17 December 1885 – 16 January 1958) was an English character actor. Career Mather was born in Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire, and began his career on the stage in 1905. He debuted in London in '' Brewster's Millions'' in 1909 and on Broadway ten years later in ''Luck of the Navy''. He eventually branched out to films, starting with '' Young Woodley'' in 1930. He often played butlers. In the 1932 film '' The Impassive Footman'' he played the eponymous footman. He died in Harrow, London, aged 72. Complete filmography *'' Young Woodley'' (1931) – Mr. Woodley *''Aren't We All?'' (1932) – Vicar *'' Love on the Spot'' (1932) – Mr. Prior *'' The Impassive Footman'' (1932) – Dr. Bartlett *''Tell Me Tonight'' (1932) – Balthasar *'' Red Wagon'' (1933) – Blewett *'' The Man Changed His Name'' (1934) – Sir Ralph Whitcombe *'' The Lash'' (1934) – Colonel Bush *''The Admiral's Secret'' (1934) – Captain Brooke *'' Anything Might Happen'' (1934) – Se ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Blyth Daly
Blyth Daly, also spelled Blythe Daley (December 5, 1901 – October 16, 1965) was an actress who appeared in stage productions on Broadway and who appeared in several silent and sound films. She is better known for her relationships and friendships in the underworld of the Hollywood and New York City lesbian acting community than for her acting career itself. She was the daughter of established stage actor Arnold Daly and his wife Mary Blythe. In 1919, Frank Case, manager of the Algonquin Hotel, began hosting popular and well known members of the acting and writing community, with the group being dubbed the " Algonquin Round Table", with members including Edna Ferber, actress Tallulah Bankhead, Harpo Marx and others. Daly, never what was called an "official member" of the group, attended through her association with Bankhead, Estelle Winwood and actress Eva Le Gallienne, with the four of them being dubbed "The Four Riders of the Algonquin" due to their appearances together ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Noël Coward
Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise"."Noel Coward at 70" ''Time'', 26 December 1969, p. 46 Coward attended a dance academy in London as a child, making his professional stage début at the age of eleven. As a teenager he was introduced into the high society in which most of his plays would be set. Coward achieved enduring success as a playwright, publishing more than 50 plays from his teens onwards. Many of his works, such as '' |
