Moya Nugent (27 March 1901 – 26 January 1954) was a British actress and singer. She made a few broadcasts and three silent films but was chiefly known as a stage performer, and was particularly associated with the works of
Noël Coward, appearing in twelve of his plays and two of his revues. Before that, she appeared early in her career in ''
Peter Pan
Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythi ...
'', and was cast in other children's plays and pantomimes. She was in the
West End casts of revues by
Cole Porter and others, and in
musical comedies
Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...
such as ''
Lilac Time''.
Her last stage role was in 1950; she died suddenly in 1954, aged 52.
Life and career
Nugent was born in Dublin. At the age of ten she made her first appearance on the stage, at the
Playhouse Theatre
The Playhouse Theatre is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster, located in Northumberland Avenue, near Trafalgar Square, central London. The Theatre was built by F. H. Fowler and Hill with a seating capacity of 1,200. It was rebuilt i ...
, London on 21 September 1911, as Meenie in ''Rip Van Winkle''.
[Parker, pp. 1818–1819] Later that year she played the Baby Mermaid and Liza in ''
Peter Pan
Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythi ...
'' at the
Duke of York's Theatre
The Duke of York's Theatre is a West End theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster, London. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre until her death in 1935. Designed by th ...
, repeating the roles in the three succeeding annual revivals of the play. Between then and 1920 she appeared as Maggie in ''The Ever-Open Door'' (
Aldwych Theatre
The Aldwych Theatre is a West End theatre, located in Aldwych in the City of Westminster, central London. It was listed Grade II on 20 July 1971. Its seating capacity is 1,200 on three levels.
History
Origins
The theatre was constructed in th ...
, 1913) and Isabella in ''
Quality Street'' (Duke of York's, 1913), followed by two revues, ''More'' and ''Pell-Mell'' (
Ambassadors Theatre, 1915), the part of Emily in
Cyril Harcourt's ''Wanted, A Husband''. In the Christmas seasons of 1918 and 1919 she played the Princess in ''Old King Cole'' at the
Grand Opera House, Belfast
The Grand Opera House is a theatre in Belfast, Northern Ireland, designed by the most prolific theatre architect of the period, Frank Matcham. It opened on 23 December 1895. According to the Theatres Trust, the "magnificent auditorium is probabl ...
and the
Gaiety Theatre, Dublin
The Gaiety Theatre is a theatre on South King Street in Dublin, Ireland, off Grafton Street and close to St. Stephen's Green. It specialises in operatic and musical productions, with occasional dramatic shows.
History
In April 1871, the broth ...
.
[
]
Coward roles
Nugent first met Noël Coward when they were both child actors in ''Peter Pan''. In 1920 she began her connexion with his plays, as Joyce Dermott in '' I'll Leave It to You'' in the pre-London run in Manchester and the West End run at the theatre then known as the New
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...
but now called the Noël Coward Theatre. She appeared in two Coward revue
A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own dur ...
s: '' This Year of Grace'' (London Pavilion
The London Pavilion is a building on the corner of Shaftesbury Avenue and Coventry Street on the north-east side of Piccadilly Circus in London. It is currently a shopping arcade and part of the Trocadero Centre.
Early history
The first build ...
, 1928), and '' Words and Music'' (Adelphi Theatre
The Adelphi Theatre is a West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster, central London. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receiv ...
, 1932 and in its revised version ''Set to Music
Set, The Set, SET or SETS may refer to:
Science, technology, and mathematics Mathematics
*Set (mathematics), a collection of elements
*Category of sets, the category whose objects and morphisms are sets and total functions, respectively
Electro ...
'', at the Music Box, New York, 1939). Between the two revues she played Daisy Devon in ''Cavalcade
A cavalcade is a procession or parade on horseback, or a mass trail ride by a company of riders. The focus of a cavalcade is participation rather than display. Often, the participants do not wear costumes or ride in formation. Often, a cava ...
'' at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Dr ...
.[
The first of her later roles in Coward plays was Martha James in '']Conversation Piece
A conversation piece refers to a group portrait in a domestic or landscape setting depicting persons chatting or otherwise socializing with each other.[His Majesty's Theatre and ]44th Street Theatre
The 44th Street Theatre was a Broadway theatre located at 216 West 44th Street in New York City from 1912 to 1945. It opened and operated for three years as the Weber and Fields' Music Hall. Its rooftop theatre, the Nora Bayes Theatre, present ...
, New York, 1934–35).[ In 1935 and 1936 she played parts in seven of the ten '' Tonight at 8.30'' cycle, in the pre-London tour, and then at the Phoenix Theatre, London, and finally the National Theatre, New York. Her parts were: Eva Blake in '']We Were Dancing
''We Were Dancing'' is a short comic play in two scenes by Noël Coward. It is one of ten short plays that make up '' Tonight at 8.30'', a cycle written to be performed in groups of three plays across three evenings. The original production, ...
''; Walters in '' Hands Across the Sea''; Elsie Gow, the adenoidal schoolgirl, in ''Fumed Oak
''Fumed Oak'' is a short play in two scenes by Noël Coward, one of ten that make up '' Tonight at 8.30'', a cycle written to be performed across three evenings. Coward billed the work as an "unpleasant comedy in two scenes". The play concerns ...
''; Emily Valance in '' Family Album''; Princess Elena Krassiloff in '' Ways and Means''; Beryl Waters in '' Still Life''; and Hester More in the single performance given of '' Star Chamber''.
In 1938 she played Blanche Wallace in ''Operette
This is a glossary list of opera genres, giving alternative names.
"Opera" is an Italian word (short for "opera in musica"); it was not at first ''commonly'' used in Italy (or in other countries) to refer to the genre of particular works. Most c ...
'' at His Majesty's. Her longest-running Coward role was Mrs Bradman in '' Blithe Spirit'' which she played throughout its run of 1,997 performances in 1941 to 1946. Her final Coward role was Miss Scobie in '' Pacific 1860'' at Drury Lane in 1946.[
]
Other stage roles
Nugent played in three more pantomimes and children's shows after her early appearances in them: the title role in ''Cinderella'' ( Theatre Royal, Edinburgh 1920); Polly Perkins in ''Robinson Crusoe'' (Opera House, Manchester
The Opera House in Quay Street, Manchester, England, is a 1,920-seater commercial touring theatre that plays host to touring musicals, ballet, concerts and a Christmas pantomime. It is a Grade II listed building. The Opera House is one of the ma ...
, 1926), and Zoe in ''The Three Musketeers'' (Drury Lane, 1930). She appeared in '' Lilac Time'' in 1922 in the role of Tilli, and in Cole Porter's revue '' Wake Up and Dream'' in 1929.[
In the 1930s Nugent appeared as Sally Hamil in ''The New Gossoon'' (]Apollo Theatre
The Apollo Theatre is a Grade II listed West End theatre, on Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster, in central London. , 1931); Miss Pratt in ''Nymph Errant'' (Adelphi Theatre
The Adelphi Theatre is a West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster, central London. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receiv ...
, 1933); Gladys in ''George and Margaret'' ( Morosco Theatre New York, 1937); Essie in ''You Can't Take It With You'' (St. James's Theatre
The St James's Theatre was in King Street, St James's, London. It opened in 1835 and was demolished in 1957. The theatre was conceived by and built for a popular singer, John Braham; it lost money and after three seasons he retired. A suc ...
, 1937); and various roles in Harold French
Harold French (23 April 1897 – 19 October 1997) was an English film director, screenwriter and actor.
Biography
After training at the Italia Conti School, he made his acting debut age 12, in a production of ''The Winter's Tale''. As an ...
's revue ''All Clear'' (Queen's, 1939).[
Her roles in the 1940s were Mrs Finch in ''Through the Door'' (]Q Theatre
The Q Theatre was a British theatre located near Kew Bridge in Brentford, west London, which operated between 1924 and 1958. It was built on the site of the former Kew Bridge Studios.
The theatre, seating 490 in 25 rows with a central aisle, w ...
, 1946); Countess Adelaise in ''The Bird Seller'' ( Palace Theatre, 1947); May Carey in ''Castle Anna'' ( Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, 1948); Miss Dennington in ''Calypso'' (Playhouse, 1948); Miss Ranklin in ''The Schoolmistress'' (Saville Theatre
ODEON Covent Garden is a four-screen cinema in the heart of London's West End. Formerly known as The Saville Theatre, a former West End theatre at 135 Shaftesbury Avenue in the London Borough of Camden. The theatre opened in 1931, and became a ...
, 1950); Mary Willoughby in '' Dear Miss Phoebe'' (Phoenix Theatre 1950).[
]
Broadcasting, recording and film
For the BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
Nugent made occasional studio broadcasts, as a singer on variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
programmes, and as an actress in both light and serious drama, including the popular ''Mrs Dale's Diary
''Mrs Dale's Diary'' was the first significant BBC radio serial drama. It was first broadcast on 5 January 1948 on the BBC Light Programme, later BBC Radio 2; it ran until 25 April 1969. A new episode was broadcast each weekday afternoon, wit ...
''. She was also heard in relays of shows and plays in which she was appearing in the West End, including ''All Clear'', ''Blithe Spirit'' and ''London to Brighton''.
Nugent made few records, but for HMV
Sunrise Records and Entertainment, trading as HMV (for His Master's Voice), is a British music and entertainment retailer, currently operating exclusively in the United Kingdom.
The first HMV-branded store was opened by the Gramophone Company ...
in 1934 she recorded two numbers from ''Conversation Piece'' – "Dear Little Soldiers" (with Madie Andrews) and "There's Always Something Fishy About the French" (with Heather Thatcher
Heather Thatcher (3 September 1896 – 15 January 1987) was an English actress in theatre and films.
Dancer
By 1922, Thatcher was a dancer. She was especially noted for her interpretation of an Egyptian harem dance. Her exotic clothes were desi ...
).
In silent films, Nugent played the Marchioness in a 1913 adaptation of ''The Old Curiosity Shop
''The Old Curiosity Shop'' is one of two novels (the other being ''Barnaby Rudge'') which Charles Dickens published along with short stories in his weekly serial ''Master Humphrey's Clock'', from 1840 to 1841. It was so popular that New York r ...
'', Sybil Garfield in ''The Lights of Home'' (1920); and was in ''The Auction Mart
''The Auction Mart'' is a 1920 British silent drama film directed by Duncan McRae and starring Gertrude McCoy, Charles Quatermaine and Gerald Moore.Low p.332
Cast
* Gertrude McCoy as Jacqueline
* Charles Quatermaine as Jacqueline's Father
* ...
'' in 1920.
Death
Nugent collapsed and died on 26 January 1954, aged 52, while rehearsing for a new play, ''All Night Sitting'', at the Cambridge Theatre
The Cambridge Theatre is a West End theatre, on a corner site in Earlham Street facing Seven Dials, in the London Borough of Camden, built in 1929–30 for Bertie Meyer on an "irregular triangular site".
Design and construction
It was des ...
.["Actress's death at rehearsal", ''The Times'', 27 January 1954, p. 4]
Notes
Sources
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nugent, Moya
1901 births
1954 deaths
20th-century English actresses
20th-century English singers
20th-century English women singers
English film actresses
English silent film actresses
English stage actresses