A Noel Coward revue seems just the thing to settle us down as we hurtle again into what may be a second lockdown: and what a cast we have of old hands and newer faces, poems, songs, memoir, and more.
In these times of isolation it is good to see actors used from the same bubble: Lia Williams and son Joshua James in a scene from The Vortex, married couple Julian Ovenden and Kate Royal in A Room With a View duet.
With both British and American performers, and donations going to Acting for Others in both countries, there are plenty of gems to enjoy. Giles Terera singing If Love Were All. Derek Jacobi reminiscing as The Boy Actor.
I would have liked a few more songs, to be honest, but I suppose it depends what and who was available. It would have been fun to hear someone tackle Nina, Matelot or Mad Dogs and Englishmen.
Patricia Routledge’s I’ve Been To A Marvellous Party stole the show, though, and was by far the most Cowardian rendition of the evening. He would surely have been up applauding in delight.
Now, does anyone fancy curating a concert from Coward’s musical oeuvre?
A Marvellous Party launches the new service stream.theatre and is available upon free registration until 4 October.