Family Album (play)
Encyclopedia
Family Album is a short play by Noël Coward
, one of ten that make up Tonight at 8:30
, a cycle written to be performed across three evenings. It is described by the author as "A comedy of manners with music (period 1860)".
In the introduction to a published edition of the plays, Coward wrote, "A short play, having a great advantage over a long one in that it can sustain a mood without technical creaking or over padding, deserves a better fate, and if, by careful writing, acting and producing I can do a little towards reinstating it in its rightful pride, I shall have achieved one of my more sentimental ambitions."
Family Album was written and first performed in Birmingham during the 1935 pre-London tour of Tonight at 8.30 and was then produced in 1936 at the Phoenix Theatre
in London. It was later presented in New York (1936–1937) and Canada (1938). Like all the other plays in the cycle, it originally starred Gertrude Lawrence
and Coward himself. The play has enjoyed several major revivals.
were first presented at the Manchester Opera House
beginning on 15 October 1935, and Family Album was added on the subsequent provincial tour and first performed at the Theatre Royal
, Birmingham
, England, on 9 December, 1935. The final three were added for the London run. The plays were performed in various combinations of three at each performance during the original run. The plays chosen for each performance were announced in advance, although a myth evolved that the groupings were random. The first London performance of Family Album was on 9 January 1936 at the Phoenix Theatre
. Matinées were sometimes billed as Today at 2.30. The Broadway
openings for the three parts took place on 24 November 1936, 27 November 1936 and 30 November 1936 (including Family Album), again starring Coward and Lawrence.
Coward directed all ten pieces in Tonight at 8.30, and each starred Coward and Gertrude Lawrence
in the original British and New York productions. The London and New York runs were limited only by Coward's boredom at long engagements. Four of the plays in the cycle "break into spontaneous song ... in the most unexpected places". Family Album contains four songs: "Drinking Song", "Princes and Princesses", "Music Box" and "Hearts and Flowers". The play was withdrawn from the Tonight at 8.30 programmes following the death of George V
on 24 January 1936, because its funeral setting struck an inappropriate note, and it was not reinstated until April of that year.
Major productions of parts of the cycle included Broadway revivals in 1948 (including Family Album and starring Gertrude Lawrence
and Graham Payn
) and 1967 (not including Family Album), in 1981 at the Lyric Theatre
in London (not including Family Album), and at the Chichester Festival in 2006 (including Family Album). In 1971, the Shaw Festival
revived We Were Dancing
, Family Album and Shadow Play
, and in 2000, the Williamstown Theatre Festival revived We Were Dancing, Family Album, Hands Across the Sea
(all starring Blythe Danner
), Red Peppers
, Shadow Play and Star Chamber
. The Antaeus Company in Los Angeles revived all ten plays in October 2007, and the Shaw Festival did so in 2009. In 1991, BBC
television mounted productions of the individual plays with Joan Collins
taking the Lawrence roles.
, they reminisce -- Jasper and Jane with restraint, and the tearful Lavinia ("Lavvy") more emotionally. An old toybox is produced, as is an old musical box; old songs are remembered and more glasses of wine are drunk. Suddenly Lavvy, her reticence overcome by wine, denounces the old man as a humbug, lecher, bully and all-round bad lot. The family is relieved that pretence has been abandoned, and the party atmosphere becomes much livelier. Daughter Lavinia and the butler, Burrows, liven up the proceedings even more by admitting that they have burnt the will that would have left the family fortune to their father's mistress.
said of the first production, "It is sometimes nearly vulgar, sometimes nearly mawkish, and sometimes modernly smart." The Times
described the piece as "swerving, in Mr Coward's most uncomfortable manner, from sadness to fooling, from fooling to sentimentality, and from sentimentality to high jinks with the butler." Coward himself called it, "a sly satire on Victorian hypocrisy, adorned with an unobtrusive but agreeable musical score. It was stylised both in its decor and its performance, was a joy to play and provided the whole talented company with good parts."
Noël Coward
Sir Noël Peirce Coward 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 chic, pose and poise".Born in Teddington, a suburb of London, Coward attended a dance academy...
, one of ten that make up Tonight at 8:30
Tonight at 8:30
Tonight at 8.30 is a cycle of ten one-act plays by Noël Coward. In the introduction to a published edition of the plays, Coward wrote, "A short play, having a great advantage over a long one in that it can sustain a mood without technical creaking or over padding, deserves a better fate, and if,...
, a cycle written to be performed across three evenings. It is described by the author as "A comedy of manners with music (period 1860)".
In the introduction to a published edition of the plays, Coward wrote, "A short play, having a great advantage over a long one in that it can sustain a mood without technical creaking or over padding, deserves a better fate, and if, by careful writing, acting and producing I can do a little towards reinstating it in its rightful pride, I shall have achieved one of my more sentimental ambitions."
Family Album was written and first performed in Birmingham during the 1935 pre-London tour of Tonight at 8.30 and was then produced in 1936 at the Phoenix Theatre
Phoenix Theatre (London)
The Phoenix Theatre is a West End theatre in the London Borough of Camden, located on Charing Cross Road . The entrance is in Phoenix Street....
in London. It was later presented in New York (1936–1937) and Canada (1938). Like all the other plays in the cycle, it originally starred Gertrude Lawrence
Gertrude Lawrence
Gertrude Lawrence was an English actress, singer and musical comedy performer known for her stage appearances in the West End theatre district of London and on Broadway.-Early life:...
and Coward himself. The play has enjoyed several major revivals.
History
Six of the plays in Tonight at 8:30Tonight at 8:30
Tonight at 8.30 is a cycle of ten one-act plays by Noël Coward. In the introduction to a published edition of the plays, Coward wrote, "A short play, having a great advantage over a long one in that it can sustain a mood without technical creaking or over padding, deserves a better fate, and if,...
were first presented at the Manchester Opera House
Manchester Opera House
The Opera House in Quay Street, Manchester, England is a 1,920 seater commercial touring theatre which plays host to touring musicals, ballet, concerts and a Christmas pantomime. It is the sister to the Palace Theatre which is a similar venue in nearby Oxford Street at its junction with Whitworth...
beginning on 15 October 1935, and Family Album was added on the subsequent provincial tour and first performed at the Theatre Royal
Theatre Royal, Birmingham
The Theatre Royal, originally the New Theatre, was a theatre located on New Street in Birmingham, England between 1774 and 1956.-Bibliography and further reading:**...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England, on 9 December, 1935. The final three were added for the London run. The plays were performed in various combinations of three at each performance during the original run. The plays chosen for each performance were announced in advance, although a myth evolved that the groupings were random. The first London performance of Family Album was on 9 January 1936 at the Phoenix Theatre
Phoenix Theatre (London)
The Phoenix Theatre is a West End theatre in the London Borough of Camden, located on Charing Cross Road . The entrance is in Phoenix Street....
. Matinées were sometimes billed as Today at 2.30. The Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
openings for the three parts took place on 24 November 1936, 27 November 1936 and 30 November 1936 (including Family Album), again starring Coward and Lawrence.
Coward directed all ten pieces in Tonight at 8.30, and each starred Coward and Gertrude Lawrence
Gertrude Lawrence
Gertrude Lawrence was an English actress, singer and musical comedy performer known for her stage appearances in the West End theatre district of London and on Broadway.-Early life:...
in the original British and New York productions. The London and New York runs were limited only by Coward's boredom at long engagements. Four of the plays in the cycle "break into spontaneous song ... in the most unexpected places". Family Album contains four songs: "Drinking Song", "Princes and Princesses", "Music Box" and "Hearts and Flowers". The play was withdrawn from the Tonight at 8.30 programmes following the death of George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
on 24 January 1936, because its funeral setting struck an inappropriate note, and it was not reinstated until April of that year.
Major productions of parts of the cycle included Broadway revivals in 1948 (including Family Album and starring Gertrude Lawrence
Gertrude Lawrence
Gertrude Lawrence was an English actress, singer and musical comedy performer known for her stage appearances in the West End theatre district of London and on Broadway.-Early life:...
and Graham Payn
Graham Payn
Graham Payn was a South African-born English actor and singer, also known for being the life partner of the playwright Noël Coward. Beginning as a boy soprano, Payn later made a career as a singer and actor in the works of Coward and others...
) and 1967 (not including Family Album), in 1981 at the Lyric Theatre
Lyric Theatre (London)
The Lyric Theatre is a West End theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster.Designed by architect C. J. Phipps, it was built by producer Henry Leslie with profits from the Alfred Cellier and B. C. Stephenson hit, Dorothy, which he transferred from the Prince of Wales Theatre to open...
in London (not including Family Album), and at the Chichester Festival in 2006 (including Family Album). In 1971, the Shaw Festival
Shaw Festival
The Shaw Festival is a major Canadian theatre festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, the second largest repertory theatre company in North America...
revived We Were Dancing
We Were Dancing
We Were Dancing is a short play by Noël Coward, one of ten that make up Tonight at 8:30, a cycle written to be performed in alternating groups of three plays, across three evenings...
, Family Album and Shadow Play
Shadow Play (play)
Shadow Play is a short play by Noël Coward, one of ten that make up Tonight at 8:30, a cycle written to be performed across three evenings...
, and in 2000, the Williamstown Theatre Festival revived We Were Dancing, Family Album, Hands Across the Sea
Hands Across the Sea (play)
Hands Across the Sea is a short comic play by Noël Coward, one of ten that make up Tonight at 8:30, a cycle written to be performed across three evenings...
(all starring Blythe Danner
Blythe Danner
Blythe Katherine Danner is an American actress. She is the mother of actress Gwyneth Paltrow and director Jake Paltrow.-Early life:...
), Red Peppers
Red Peppers
Red Peppers is a short comic play by Noël Coward, one of the ten plays that make up Tonight at 8:30, a cycle written to be performed across three evenings...
, Shadow Play and Star Chamber
Star Chamber (play)
Star Chamber is a one act play by Noël Coward, one of ten that make up Tonight at 8:30, a cycle written to be performed in alternating groups of three plays, across three evenings...
. The Antaeus Company in Los Angeles revived all ten plays in October 2007, and the Shaw Festival did so in 2009. In 1991, BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television mounted productions of the individual plays with Joan Collins
Joan Collins
Joan Henrietta Collins, OBE , is an English actress, author, and columnist. Born in Paddington and raised in Maida Vale, Collins grew up during the Second World War. At the age of nine, she made her stage debut in A Doll's House and after attending school, she was classically trained as an actress...
taking the Lawrence roles.
Plot
In a middle-class drawing room in 1860, the Featherway family are all dressed in mourning as the paterfamilias has died. His family gather to hear the will of their deceased father. Warmed by glasses of MadeiraMadeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
, they reminisce -- Jasper and Jane with restraint, and the tearful Lavinia ("Lavvy") more emotionally. An old toybox is produced, as is an old musical box; old songs are remembered and more glasses of wine are drunk. Suddenly Lavvy, her reticence overcome by wine, denounces the old man as a humbug, lecher, bully and all-round bad lot. The family is relieved that pretence has been abandoned, and the party atmosphere becomes much livelier. Daughter Lavinia and the butler, Burrows, liven up the proceedings even more by admitting that they have burnt the will that would have left the family fortune to their father's mistress.
Original cast
- Jasper Featherways – Noël CowardNoël CowardSir Noël Peirce Coward 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 chic, pose and poise".Born in Teddington, a suburb of London, Coward attended a dance academy...
- Jane Featherways – Gertrude LawrenceGertrude LawrenceGertrude Lawrence was an English actress, singer and musical comedy performer known for her stage appearances in the West End theatre district of London and on Broadway.-Early life:...
- Lavinia Featherways – Everly Gregg (Joyce CareyJoyce CareyJoyce Carey, OBE was a British actress, best known for her long professional and personal relationship with Noël Coward. Her stage career lasted from 1916 until 1984, and she was performing on television in her nineties. Though never a star, she was a familiar face both on stage and screen...
in New York) - Richard Featherways – Edward UnderdownEdward UnderdownEdward Underdown was an english theatre, cinema and television actor. He was born in London.Early theatre credits include: Words and Music, Nymph Errant, Stop Press and Streamline ....
- Charles Winter – Anthony PelissierAnthony PelissierHarry Anthony Compton Pelissier was an English actor, screenwriter, producer and director.-Biography:Pelissier was born in Barnet and came from a theatrical family. His parents were the theatre producer H. G. Pelissier and the distinguished actress Fay Compton...
- Harriet Winter – Alison LeggattAlison LeggattAlison Leggatt was an English character actress.-Career:Born as Alison Joy Leggatt in the Kensington district of London, Leggatt spent the early part of her career primarily on the stage. Her first major film credit was as Aunt Sylvia in This Happy Breed , Noel Coward's homage to the British...
(Joan Swinstead in New York) - Edward Valance – Kenneth Carten
- Emily Valance – Moya Nugent
- Burrows, the butler – Alan WebbAlan Webb (actor)-Biography and Career:Educated at Bramcote School, Scarborough, and RN Colleges Osborne and Dartmouth. He served in the Royal Navy.Webb's early days were spent performing with the Lena Ashwell Players , J. B. Fagan's Oxford Players , The Croydon Repertory Company , and the Old Vic-Sadler's Wells...
Critical reception
The ObserverThe Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
said of the first production, "It is sometimes nearly vulgar, sometimes nearly mawkish, and sometimes modernly smart." The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
described the piece as "swerving, in Mr Coward's most uncomfortable manner, from sadness to fooling, from fooling to sentimentality, and from sentimentality to high jinks with the butler." Coward himself called it, "a sly satire on Victorian hypocrisy, adorned with an unobtrusive but agreeable musical score. It was stylised both in its decor and its performance, was a joy to play and provided the whole talented company with good parts."