Ways and Means (play)
Encyclopedia
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. Their honour is saved just in time when a disgraced chauffeur tries to rob them but amiably ends up pulling them out of a hole.
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 London (1936), then in New York (1936–1937) and Canada (1938). It has enjoyed several major revivals and has been adapted for film.
were first presented at the Manchester Opera House
beginning on 15 October 1935, and a seventh play, Family Album
, was added on the subsequent provincial tour. Ways and Means was added for the London run, together with Still Life
and Star Chamber
, the last of which was performed only once. The first London performance in the cycle was on 9 January 1936 at the Phoenix Theatre
, but Ways and Means did not premiere until 5 May 1936.
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". 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.
The Broadway
openings for the three parts took place on 24 November 1936, 27 November 1936 and 30 November 1936 (including Ways and Means) at the National Theatre
, again starring Coward and Lawrence. Star Chamber was omitted. 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 on Broadway in 1948 and 1967, including Ways and Means in 1948 but not 1967. Revivals in 1981 at the Lyric Theatre
in London and at the Chichester Festival in 2006 omitted Ways and Means. In 1971, the Shaw Festival
revived three of the plays, and in 2000, the Williamstown Theatre Festival
revived six of them, in both cases omitting Ways and Means. However, the Antaeus Company in Los Angeles revived all ten plays in October 2007, and the Shaw Festival is scheduled to revive the full cycle in 2009.
For a 1952 film Meet Me Tonight
, directed by Anthony Pelissier
, Coward adapted Ways and Means, Red Peppers and Fumed Oak (called Tonight at 8:30 in the U.S.) In 1991, BBC
television mounted productions of the individual plays with Joan Collins
taking the Lawrence roles. The sheer expense involved in mounting what are effectively ten different productions has usually deterred revivals of the entire Tonight at 8:30 cycle, but the constituent plays can often be seen individually or in sets of three.
Scene 1 – Half-past eleven o'clock on an April morning
Stella and Toby are eating breakfast and discussing how they plan to recover the 50 pounds lost last night at the casino. Stella remembers that Lord Chapworth ("Chaps" for short) owes her a lot of money and, to their delight, the butler leads him in. Stella tries to use sex appeal to collect the debt, but Chaps doesn't catch on and goes on to say that he lost all his money due to getting stuck at the same table with Pearl Brandt. Stella tries to recuperate, but then the landowner, Olive Lloyde Ransome, and a very dopey Elena Krassiloff enter the room. Elena begins to tinker with random objects while Olive informs Toby and Stella that more guests are arriving the next afternoon, and they have to leave. The butler returns to inform them that their train tickets had already been booked, and they realize that the whole thing was set up to oust them. In desperation, Toby gathers up all the jewelry and sends Nanny to Cannes
to pawn it so that he can try to win at the casino. Stella warns him, "You'll lose it, I know you will. I wish I could play the damned game."
Scene 2 – Half-past one o'clock the next morning
Stella and Toby recount the events of the evening. Just as Tony was about to join a game of baccarat
, Pearl Brandt steals his seat and wins 170,000 francs, while Toby loses all of his money. After debating minor details, Toby comes up with a plan whereby they might save themselves: they will rob and murder Pearl Brandt. Toby becomes overwhelmed, and Stella orders him to stop and get ready for bed. Another argument ensues, and Toby storms into the bathroom and bangs his head on the cupboard. Stella leads him to the bed and says that she plans to abandon their humility and borrow enough money to get them home.
Scene 3 – Two hours later
An armed robber enters the room and carelessly trips on a chair, waking Toby and Stella. He aims his gun at them and demands their jewellery, but they tell him that they have none. A scuffle ensues, and Toby ends up with the gun. They unmask the robber and discover that he is Stevens, a well known chauffeur. Stevens reveals to them that he lost his job (after having sex with his boss's wife) and is desperate for money. Stella starts to feel sympathetic, but Toby orders him out and threatens to call the police. All of a sudden, Stella realizes that Stevens could be useful and pulls him back in. Her plan is to make Stevens rob the other guests, give them the money, and tie them up to make them look like victims. Toby doesn't catch on and is resistant until Stella mentions Pearl Brandt. Stevens runs off while Toby and Stella pull apart the bed sheets so that they can be used to bind them. Stevens returns with the money and jewellery and proceeds to bind and gag Stella and Toby. He leaves while they double over in laughter at their good fortune.
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 story concerns an heiress and her gambling husband, who are plagued by debt and embarrassment as everything seems to always go wrong for them. Their honour is saved just in time when a disgraced chauffeur tries to rob them but amiably ends up pulling them out of a hole.
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 London (1936), then in New York (1936–1937) and Canada (1938). It has enjoyed several major revivals and has been adapted for film.
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 a seventh play, 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...
, was added on the subsequent provincial tour. Ways and Means was added for the London run, together with 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...
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 last of which was performed only once. The first London performance in the cycle 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....
, but Ways and Means did not premiere until 5 May 1936.
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". 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.
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 Ways and Means) 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. Star Chamber was omitted. 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 on Broadway in 1948 and 1967, including Ways and Means in 1948 but not 1967. Revivals 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 and at the Chichester Festival in 2006 omitted Ways and Means. 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 three of the plays, 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 of them, in both cases omitting Ways and Means. However, the Antaeus Company in Los Angeles revived all ten plays in October 2007, and the Shaw Festival is scheduled to revive the full cycle in 2009.
For a 1952 film Meet Me Tonight
Meet Me Tonight
Meet me Tonight is a 1952 omnibus British comedy film adapted from three one act plays by Noel Coward that are part of his Tonight at 8:30 play cycle...
, directed by Anthony Pelissier
Anthony Pelissier
Harry 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...
, Coward adapted Ways and Means, Red Peppers and Fumed Oak (called Tonight at 8:30 in the U.S.) 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. The sheer expense involved in mounting what are effectively ten different productions has usually deterred revivals of the entire Tonight at 8:30 cycle, but the constituent plays can often be seen individually or in sets of three.
Synopsis
Setting: In the bedroom of a French villa on the Côte d'Azur where heiress Stella Cartwright and her gambling husband Toby are staying.Scene 1 – Half-past eleven o'clock on an April morning
Stella and Toby are eating breakfast and discussing how they plan to recover the 50 pounds lost last night at the casino. Stella remembers that Lord Chapworth ("Chaps" for short) owes her a lot of money and, to their delight, the butler leads him in. Stella tries to use sex appeal to collect the debt, but Chaps doesn't catch on and goes on to say that he lost all his money due to getting stuck at the same table with Pearl Brandt. Stella tries to recuperate, but then the landowner, Olive Lloyde Ransome, and a very dopey Elena Krassiloff enter the room. Elena begins to tinker with random objects while Olive informs Toby and Stella that more guests are arriving the next afternoon, and they have to leave. The butler returns to inform them that their train tickets had already been booked, and they realize that the whole thing was set up to oust them. In desperation, Toby gathers up all the jewelry and sends Nanny to Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
to pawn it so that he can try to win at the casino. Stella warns him, "You'll lose it, I know you will. I wish I could play the damned game."
Scene 2 – Half-past one o'clock the next morning
Stella and Toby recount the events of the evening. Just as Tony was about to join a game of baccarat
Baccarat
Baccarat is a card game, played at casinos and by gamblers. It is believed to have been introduced into France from Italy during the reign of King Charles VIII , and it is similar to Faro and Basset...
, Pearl Brandt steals his seat and wins 170,000 francs, while Toby loses all of his money. After debating minor details, Toby comes up with a plan whereby they might save themselves: they will rob and murder Pearl Brandt. Toby becomes overwhelmed, and Stella orders him to stop and get ready for bed. Another argument ensues, and Toby storms into the bathroom and bangs his head on the cupboard. Stella leads him to the bed and says that she plans to abandon their humility and borrow enough money to get them home.
Scene 3 – Two hours later
An armed robber enters the room and carelessly trips on a chair, waking Toby and Stella. He aims his gun at them and demands their jewellery, but they tell him that they have none. A scuffle ensues, and Toby ends up with the gun. They unmask the robber and discover that he is Stevens, a well known chauffeur. Stevens reveals to them that he lost his job (after having sex with his boss's wife) and is desperate for money. Stella starts to feel sympathetic, but Toby orders him out and threatens to call the police. All of a sudden, Stella realizes that Stevens could be useful and pulls him back in. Her plan is to make Stevens rob the other guests, give them the money, and tie them up to make them look like victims. Toby doesn't catch on and is resistant until Stella mentions Pearl Brandt. Stevens runs off while Toby and Stella pull apart the bed sheets so that they can be used to bind them. Stevens returns with the money and jewellery and proceeds to bind and gag Stella and Toby. He leaves while they double over in laughter at their good fortune.
Roles and original cast
- Stella Cartwright – 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:...
- Toby Cartwright – Noel 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...
- Gaston – Kenneth Carten
- Lord Chapworth – 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...
- Olive Lloyd-Ransome – 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...
(Joan Swinstead in New York) - Princess Elena Krassiloff – Moya Nugent
- Murdoch – 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...
- Nannie – 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) - Stevens – 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 ....
External links
- Photo from Ways and Means in LIFE magazine
- Another photo from Ways and Means in LIFE magazine