Noël Coward
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Noël Coward (1899 - 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, known for his witty remarks and flamboyant lifestyle.
After beginning his career as a child actor, Coward began writing plays in his 20s. His plays Hay Fever, Private Lives, Design for Living, Present Laughter and Blithe Spirit have entered the regular theatre repertoire. The Times said of him, "None of the great figures of the English theatre has been more versatile than he," and ranked his plays in "the classical tradition of Congreve, Sheridan, Wilde and Shaw".
In addition to over 50 published plays and many albums of original songs, Coward wrote musicals, comic revues, poetry, several volumes of short stories, the novel Pomp and Circumstance and three volumes of autobiography. Books of his song lyrics, diaries and letters have also been published. He also continued a substantial stage, cabaret and film career spanning six decades, starring in many of his own works as well as in the works of other writers.