''Suite in Three Keys'' is a trilogy of plays by

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 ...

. It comprises two short plays – '' Shadows of the Evening'' and '' Come Into the Garden, Maud'' – designed to be given as a double bill, and a stand-alone full-length play, ''

A Song at Twilight ''A Song at Twilight'' is a play in two acts by Noël Coward. It is one of a trio of plays collectively titled '' Suite in Three Keys'', all of which are set in the same suite in a luxury hotel in Switzerland. The play depicts an elderly writ ...

''. They are all set in the same suite in a luxury Swiss hotel and have a single character common to all three: the Italian waiter. The other characters are British, American and German hotel guests or visitors. The trilogy was first presented in London in 1966, starring Coward,

Lilli Palmer Lilli Palmer (; born Lilli Marie Peiser; 24 May 1914 – 27 January 1986) was a German actress and writer. After beginning her career in British films in the 1930s, she would later transition to major Cinema of the United States, Hollywood produ ...

and

Irene Worth Irene Worth, CBE (June 23, 1916March 10, 2002) was an American stage and screen actress who became one of the leading stars of the British and American theatre. She pronounced her given name with three syllables: "I-REE-nee". Worth made her Bro ...

Background and first performances

''Suite in Three Keys'' was planned by Coward as his theatrical swan song: "I would like to act once more before I fold my bedraggled wings."Coward, introduction, unnumbered page. He wrote the three plays in the expectation that

Margaret Leighton Margaret Leighton, CBE (26 February 1922 – 13 January 1976) was an English actress, active on stage and television, and in film. Her film appearances included (her first credited debut feature) in Anatole de Grunwald's ''The Winslow Boy'' (1 ...

would be his co-star, but she vacillated for so long about accepting the roles that he cast

instead. In each of the plays there are two main female parts, and Coward chose

for the second role. The only character common to all three plays, Felix, the young Italian waiter, was played by Sean Barrett.Mander and Mitchenson, p. 513 The other characters, nine in all, are English, American or German guests or visitors at the hotel, played by Coward, Palmer and Worth. The trilogy comprises: *''

'' (premiered 14 April 1966) *A double bill (premiered 25 April 1966): :*'' Shadows of the Evening'', and :*'' Come Into the Garden, Maud'' They originally ran in repertory for a limited season ending on 30 July 1966. All were directed by

Vivian Matalon Vivian Matalon (11 October 1929 – 15 August 2018) was a British theatre director. Born in Manchester, Matalon began his career as an actor in a series of forgettable British films, but his greatest success has been as a director of West End, ...

. There were 64 performances of ''A Song at Twilight'' and 60 of the double bill. Coward had intended to appear in the trilogy on Broadway, but his health was deteriorating, and he was unable to do so. In 1974, a year after his death, ''A Song at Twilight'' and ''Come Into the Garden Maud'' were presented on Broadway as ''Noël Coward in Two Keys''; ''Shadows of the Evening'' was omitted, and at 2020 has not had a Broadway production."Noel Coward"
Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved 21 July 2020

References and sources

References

Sources

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Suite in Three Keys Plays by Noël Coward 1966 plays