The Astonished Heart
Encyclopedia
The Astonished Heart 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. The play, described at its first production as "a tragedy in six scenes", is told through a series of flashbacks in reverse order. The title is taken from Deuteronomy
28:28, "the Lord shall smite thee with madness and blindness and astonishment of heart."
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."
The play was first produced in 1935 in Manchester and on tour and played in London (1936), New York (1936–1937) and Canada (1938). It has enjoyed several major revivals and in 1949 was adapted for film
. At the London première, The Astonished Heart was played on the same evening as Family Album
and Red Peppers
. Like all the other plays in the cycle, it originally starred Gertrude Lawrence
and Coward himself.
, including The Astonished Heart, were first presented at the Manchester Opera House
beginning on 15 October 1935, and a seventh play was added on the subsequent provincial tour. The final three were added for the London run: Ways and Means
, Still Life
. 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. Matinées were sometimes billed as Today at 2:30.
On its opening night in Manchester, The Astonished Heart was presented together with We Were Dancing
and Red Peppers
. The first London performance was on 9 January 1936 at the Phoenix Theatre
. Coward directed all ten pieces, and each starred Coward and Gertrude Lawrence
. Coward said that he wrote them as "acting, singing, and dancing vehicles for Gertrude Lawrence and myself". Coward loved playing in some of the other plays in Tonight at 8:30, particularly Fumed Oak
and Red Peppers, but "I hated playing The Astonished Heart. It depressed me." The Astonished Heart was not one of the best-received plays in Tonight at 8:30 (or Tonight at 7:30 as it was billed in Manchester, to reflect the earlier starting time in the provinces in the 1930s). The Manchester Guardian described it as "a clever play which probably touched nobody's heart", and other reviews said much the same.
The Broadway
openings for the three parts took place on 24 November 1936 (including The Astonished Heart), 27 November 1936 and 30 November 1936 at the National Theatre
, again starring Coward and Lawrence. The London and New York runs were limited only by Coward's boredom at long engagements.
Major productions of parts of the cycle were revived in 1948 and 1967 on Broadway and in 1981 at the Lyric Theatre
in London, in each case omitting The Astonished Heart. However, it was included at the Chichester Festival in 2006 (along with Hands Across the Sea
, Shadow Play
, Red Peppers, Family Album
and Fumed Oak). In 1971, the Shaw Festival
revived several, and in 2000, the Williamstown Theatre Festival
revived six, but The Astonished Heart was omitted in both cases. The Antaeus Company in Los Angeles revived all ten plays in October 2007, and the Shaw Festival revived the full cycle in 2009. In 1991, BBC
television mounted productions of the individual plays with Joan Collins
taking the Lawrence roles.
A film adaptation was made of the play
in 1949 with music by William Blezard
. Coward himself played Christian Faber, and it also starred Celia Johnson
and Margaret Leighton
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. The play, described at its first production as "a tragedy in six scenes", is told through a series of flashbacks in reverse order. The title is taken from Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy
The Book of Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Hebrew Bible, and of the Jewish Torah/Pentateuch...
28:28, "the Lord shall smite thee with madness and blindness and astonishment of heart."
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."
The play was first produced in 1935 in Manchester and on tour and played in London (1936), New York (1936–1937) and Canada (1938). It has enjoyed several major revivals and in 1949 was adapted for film
The Astonished Heart (film)
The Astonished Heart is a 1950 drama film directed by Terence Fisher. It stars Celia Johnson and Noel Coward and is based on his play The Astonished Heart.-Plot:...
. At the London première, The Astonished Heart was played on the same evening as Family Album
Family Album (play)
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...
and 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...
. 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.
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,...
, including The Astonished Heart, 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 a seventh play was added on the subsequent provincial tour. The final three were added for the London run: Ways and Means
Ways and Means (play)
Ways and Means 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. The story concerns an heiress and her gambling husband, who are plagued by debt and embarrassment as everything seems to always go wrong for them...
, Still Life
Still Life (play)
Still Life 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. The play depicts the love affair of Alec and Laura across a twelve-month period...
. 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. Matinées were sometimes billed as Today at 2:30.
On its opening night in Manchester, The Astonished Heart was presented together with 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...
and 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...
. The first London performance 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....
. Coward directed all ten pieces, 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:...
. Coward said that he wrote them as "acting, singing, and dancing vehicles for Gertrude Lawrence and myself". Coward loved playing in some of the other plays in Tonight at 8:30, particularly Fumed Oak
Fumed Oak
Fumed Oak is a short play in two scenes by Noël Coward, one of ten that make up Tonight at 8:30, a cycle written to be performed across three evenings. Coward billed the work as an "unpleasant comedy in two scenes"...
and Red Peppers, but "I hated playing The Astonished Heart. It depressed me." The Astonished Heart was not one of the best-received plays in Tonight at 8:30 (or Tonight at 7:30 as it was billed in Manchester, to reflect the earlier starting time in the provinces in the 1930s). The Manchester Guardian described it as "a clever play which probably touched nobody's heart", and other reviews said much the same.
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 (including The Astonished Heart), 27 November 1936 and 30 November 1936 at the National Theatre
Nederlander Theatre
David T. Nederlander Theatre is a 1,232-seat Broadway theatre located at 208 West 41st Street, in New York City . One of the Nederlander Organization's nine Broadway theatres, the legacy of the theatre began with David Tobias Nederlander, for whom the theatre is named.Built by Walter C...
, again starring Coward and Lawrence. The London and New York runs were limited only by Coward's boredom at long engagements.
Major productions of parts of the cycle were revived in 1948 and 1967 on Broadway and 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, in each case omitting The Astonished Heart. However, it was included at the Chichester Festival in 2006 (along with 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...
, 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...
, Red Peppers, Family Album
Family Album (play)
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...
and Fumed Oak). 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 several, and in 2000, the Williamstown Theatre Festival
Williamstown Theatre Festival
The Williamstown Theatre Festival is a regional summer stock theatre on the campus of Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, founded in 1954 by Williams College news director, Ralph Renzi, and drama program chairman, David C. Bryant. The theatre was conceived as a way to use the Adams...
revived six, but The Astonished Heart was omitted in both cases. The Antaeus Company in Los Angeles revived all ten plays in October 2007, and the Shaw Festival revived the full cycle 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.
A film adaptation was made of the play
The Astonished Heart (film)
The Astonished Heart is a 1950 drama film directed by Terence Fisher. It stars Celia Johnson and Noel Coward and is based on his play The Astonished Heart.-Plot:...
in 1949 with music by William Blezard
William Blezard
William Blezard was a talented pianist and composer who was musical director to Noël Coward, Marlene Dietrich and Joyce Grenfell.- Personal life :...
. Coward himself played Christian Faber, and it also starred Celia Johnson
Celia Johnson
Dame Celia Elizabeth Johnson DBE was an English actress.She began her stage acting career in 1928, and subsequently achieved success in West End and Broadway productions. She also appeared in several films, including the romantic drama Brief Encounter , for which she received a nomination for the...
and Margaret Leighton
Roles and original cast
- Barbara Faber – 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...
(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) - Christian Faber – 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...
- Leonora Vail – 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:...
- Tim Verney – 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...
- Susan Birch – Everly Gregg (Joan Swinstead in New York)
- Ernest – 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 ....
- Sir Reginald French – 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...