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The Rat Trap
''The Rat Trap'' (1918) is a four-act drama by Noël Coward, written when he was 18, but not staged until he was 26, by which time he was well known as a rising playwright, after the success of ''The Vortex''. The play depicts the clash of egos between a married couple of writers, the wife's attempts to keep the marriage stable, the husband's philandering, her departure and his attempts to win her back. Background and first production What Coward called his "first really serious attempt at psychological conflict", was written when he was 18. In his 1937 memoirs, ''Present Indicative'', he admits that as "a whole it was immature, but it was much steadier than anything I had done hitherto ... when I had finished it, I felt, for the first time with genuine conviction, that I could really write plays." It was first performed on 18 October 1926, for 12 performances at the Everyman Theatre, Hampstead, in London, presented by George Carr (who also directed), Raymond Massey (who also ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Daily News (UK)
''The Daily News'' was a national daily newspaper in the United Kingdom. The ''News'' was founded in 1846 by Charles Dickens, who also served as the newspaper's first editor. It was conceived as a radical rival to the right-wing ''Morning Chronicle''. The paper was not at first a commercial success. Dickens edited 17 issues before handing over the editorship to his friend John Forster, who had more experience in journalism than Dickens. Forster ran the paper until 1870.''London Daily News: General Description'', Rossetti Archive.Undated Accessed: 2007-09-14. , |
Plays By Noël Coward
Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * Play Mobile, a Polish internet provider * Xperia Play, an Android phone * Rakuten.co.uk (formerly Play.com), an online retailer * Backlash (engineering), or ''play'', non-reversible part of movement * Petroleum play, oil fields with same geological circumstances * Play symbol, in media control devices Film * ''Play'' (2005 film), Chilean film directed by Alicia Scherson * ''Play'', a 2009 short film directed by David Kaplan * ''Play'' (2011 film), a Swedish film directed by Ruben Östlund * ''Rush'' (2012 film), an Indian film earlier titled ''Play'' and also known as ''Raftaar 24 x 7'' * ''The Play'' (film), a 2013 Bengali film Literature and publications * ''Play'' (play), written by Samuel Beckett * ''Play'' (''The New York Times ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The 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] |
Michael Billington (critic)
Michael Keith Billington OBE (born 16 November 1939) is a British author and arts critic. He writes for ''The Guardian'', and was the paper's chief drama critic from 1971 to 2019. Billington is "Britain's longest-serving theatre critic" and the author of biographical and critical studies relating to British theatre and the arts. He is the authorised biographer of the playwright Harold Pinter (1930–2008). Early life and education Billington was born on 16 November 1939, in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England, and attended Warwick School, an independent boys' school in Warwick. He attended St Catherine's College, Oxford, from 1958 to 1961, where he studied English and was appointed theatre critic of '' Cherwell''. He graduated with a BA degree. As a member of Oxford University Dramatic Society (OUDS), in 1959, Billington played the Priest in '' The Birds'', by Aristophanes, his only appearance as an actor, and, in 1960, he directed a production of Eugène Ionesco's ''The Ba ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sheridan Morley
Sheridan Morley (5 December 1941 − 16 February 2007) was an English author, biographer, critic and broadcaster. He was the official biographer of Sir John Gielgud and wrote biographies of many other theatrical figures he had known, including Noël Coward. Nicholas Kenyon called him a "cultural omnivore" who was "genuinely popular with people". Early life Sheridan Morley was born in Ascot, Berkshire, in a nursing home opposite Ascot Racecourse, the eldest son of actor Robert Morley and grandson, via his mother Joan Buckmaster, of the actress Dame Gladys Cooper.Obituary: Sheridan Morley ''Daily Telegraph'', 17 February 2007 He was named after Sheridan Whiteside, the title role his father was playing in a long-running production of '' |
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] |
Heather Chasen
Heather Jean Chasen (20 July 1927 – 22 May 2020) was an English actress, known for her roles in soap operas; playing Valerie Pollard in the ITV soap opera, ''Crossroads'', from 1982 to 1986 and guest roles in ''Doctors'', ''Holby City'' and ''Family Affairs''. Chasen also played many roles in BBC Radio 2's ''The Navy Lark'' from 1959 to 1977, and appeared in the television series '' Marked Personal'' from 1973 to 1974. She played the recurring role of Lydia Simmonds in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', a role which received positive reviews from critics and ''EastEnders'' crew and cast members. Furthermore, she appeared extensively in theatre productions and film; in 2012, she appeared in a film version of ''Les Misérables''. Early and personal life Chasen was born on 20 July 1927, in Singapore to Agnes H. (née McCullock) and F.N. Chasen, an English ornithologist. Her father fought as a trooper with the Norfolk Yeomanry in World War I. In 1921, he left E ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Catherine Hamilton
Hackett Hackett is a former pilot of the Royal Air Force who later became a henchman of the heroin manufacturer China White. China conducted her business from an island volcano in Fiji, and communicated her orders to Hackett from there. Decade ago, Hackett insinuated his way into the lifestyle of millionaire playboy Oliver Queen. He convinced him to invest in several illegal offshore accounts, though Queen was unaware that the money was being used for drug trafficking. Hackett arranged to meet China White, but Oliver insisted on coming along and they both embarked upon the "Pacific Ocean" ship. Queen's presence threatened to expose China White's operations, and she ordered Hackett to kill him. As he considered himself Oliver's friend, Hackett couldn't bring himself to murder him in cold blood, so he tossed him over the side of the ship instead. Ollie survived however and encountered Hackett again in Fiji where he learned that he was actually working for China White. The two fo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gregory Finnegan
Gregory Finnegan is a British actor. He best known for his roles as Dr Alex Arnott in ''EastEnders'' and as James Nightingale in ''Hollyoaks''. Career Finnegan studied at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. His first television acting role was as Gabriel Brennan on the Sky One drama ''Is Harry on the Boat?''. He later appeared in the film ''Winter Solstice'' and on the Channel 4 drama ''The Courtroom''. Finnegan also made appearances on ''Mile High'', '' Agatha Christie: A Life in Pictures '', the Crime drama ''The Last Detective'' as well as the BBC One show '' Spooks''. Finnegan joined the cast of ''Family Affairs'' in 2005 as Nigel Dudley. Afterwards, he played the role of Terry in the short drama ''Fuse'' and on ''Blitz'' as a computer Geek. He played the role of Dr Alex Arnott for one episode of ''EastEnders'', making an appearance on ''Doctors'' as Duncan Montague in 2011 and David Hewitt in 2012. Finnegan appeared on ''Valentine's Kiss'' as Henry Kendrick and as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tim Luscombe
Tim Luscombe (born 1960) is a British playwright, director, actor and teacher. Training After graduating with an MA (Geography) from Oxford University, Luscombe trained as a director at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in the mid 1980s. Director As a director, Luscombe has worked in London’s West End, On and Off-Broadway, in Sweden, the Netherlands, Japan and all over the UK. His most notable West End productions include Tom Stoppard’s ''Artist Descending a Staircase'' (at the Duke of Yorks, and subsequently at the Helen Hayes Theatre in New York), and ''Private Lives'' with Joan Collins at the Aldwych Theatre. His London fringe credits include a 1993 production of Joe Pintauro’s ''Snow Orchid'' featuring Jude Law at the Gate Theatre. Playwright As a playwright, Luscombe has written for the National Theatre Studio in London, the Royal Court Theatre (''The One You Love'') and Hampstead Theatre (''The Schuman Plan''). All three of his Jane Austen adaptations (''Northanger ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Earl's Court
Earl's Court is a district of Kensington in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in West London, bordering the rail tracks of the West London line and District line that separate it from the ancient borough of Fulham to the west, the sub-districts of South Kensington to the east, Chelsea to the south and Kensington to the northeast. It lent its name to the now defunct eponymous pleasure grounds opened in 1887 followed by the pre–World War II Earls Court Exhibition Centre, as one of the country's largest indoor arenas and a popular concert venue, until its closure in 2014. In practice, the notion of Earl's Court, which is geographically confined to the SW5 postal district, tends to apply beyond its boundary to parts of the neighbouring Fulham area with its SW6 and W14 postcodes to the west, and to adjacent streets in postcodes SW7, SW10 and W8 in Kensington and Chelsea. Earl's Court is also an electoral ward of the local authority, Kensington and Chelsea London Bor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
