English actor, playwright, director, composer, lyricist and film maker, Noël Pierce Coward was commonly known in theatrical circles as “ the Master ”. He was indeed the master of the British Stage in the mid-twentieth century, the spirit of which he embodied until the new wave of “kitchen sink drama ”, was launched in 1956.
“A brazen, odious little Prodigy”
Noël Coward was born in Teddington, Middlesex, to lower middle-class parents, a few days before Christmas, on 16 December 1899 ; which is why he was baptized “ Noël ”. Both his parents were musical. They had met and fallen in love while singing in the choir of St Alban's Church. His father was a piano seller and his mother was obliged to …
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Citation: Catsiapis, Hélène. "Noel Coward". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 31 October 2004 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=1043, accessed 23 November 2024.]
