Star Quality

By Noël Coward

Book Overview

Coward's 'forgotten' play, published to tie in with its world premiere.
In his wickedly funny final play, N eI Coward takes us behind the scenes of a new West End production. Conjuring up an authentic backstage world of talent and treachery, Coward creates a gallery of unforgettable characters; temperamental leading lady, ruthless director, jaded old troupers and, caught somewhere between them all, innocent young playwright. From tentative first rehearsal to triumphant opening night, the clash of egos becomes increasingly and hilariously bloody. But what emerges from the mayhem is a startling evocation of that most elusive gift of all - star quality.
This edition, adapted by Chris Luscombe and introduced by Sheridan Morley, is published to coincide with the play's West End premiere in October 2001.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0413771458
• ISBN13: 9780413771452
• Release Date: October 2001
• Publisher: Methuen Drama
• Length: 96 Pages
• Weight: 0.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.0" x 7.7"

Customer Reviews

"After all, I was only thinking of the play."

Noel Coward's ironically entitled novella "Star Quality," written in 1951, describes the production of a new play, with all its attendant problems. Filled with sly observations drawn from Coward's own theatrical experience, "Star Quality" is so full of dramatic life that it is easy to see why Coward himself attempted to convert it to a play in 1956, and why other playwrights, such as Christopher Luscombe in this version, have used Coward's own script as a base, adding to it and ultimately producing it as a play. "Star Quality" begins its lively satire of the theatre when the respected Ray Malcolm is hired to be director, and the egomaniacal star Lorraine Barrie is chosen to be leading lady. The clash of egos and wills between Malcolm and Barrie is a foregone conclusion, though each insists, almost as a refrain, that "the play comes first." Barrie, the "star," insists that they hire the less-than-qualified Marian Blake as a supporting character, primarily because she knows that Blake will not (and cannot) compete with her for the limelight. She then decides that the entire ending must be rewritten to give her a more dramatic final scene. When Malcolm decides to fire the newly hired Blake for incompetence and hire a new actor, Barrie starts using her trump cards, and the fate of the production hangs in the balance. The plot, with its fairly predictable twists, pokes fun at the all-too-common machinations of various theatrical characters driven by inflated egos. The characters themselves are exaggerated stereotypes which the audience will recognize as humorous stock characters. Of particular note, however, is the character of Tony, a friend of the director. Writing long before gay liberation, Coward is completely open here about the role of gays in the theatre and their influence on productions, though he skirted around this subject in his play Present Laughter. Casting a jaundiced eye on his own profession, Coward uses his wit and mordant humor to remove the mystery and romance from play production at the same time that he reveals his own love and excitement for the action. n Mary Whipple

Coward's short stories

Some brilliant work here. The collection includes the title story, but my favourites include "Me and the Girls" - about a male rep artist recuperating in Switzerland from TB, reviewing his life with the troupe. "Mr and Mrs Edgehill" is also in here - a British couple representing the UK on an otherwise American-occupied island during the war, and their relationship to each other, and to the crown. "Penny Dreadful" - a smalltime writer's life story.Noel Coward mentioned that the stories were among his hardest to write. They repay brilliantly. The man (as we all know) was simply a genius. Incidentally, the BBC turned the top six into a series. I've also seen a longer version of "Mr and Mrs Bridges" - for some reason given an unhappy ending. Catch them if you can.