About This Show
Noël Coward (1899-1973) wrote Tonight at 8:30 for his great friend actress Gertrude Lawrence and himself to perform, with the 9 plays "shuffled" each night so that a unique program of 3 plays was performed each night. Though the thematic scope of these charming plays is wide-ranging, the trademark Coward wit, style, and insight are present throughout. Most well-known of the plays is “Still Life,” on which David Lean’s film “Brief Encounter” is based. Also familiar to many are "Red Peppers," a hilarious glimpse at the backstage antics of a traveling husband-and-wife music hall act, and “Shadow Play,” a surrealistic musical.
SCHEDULE
Monday, August 15 at 2pm and 7pm:
Part I — We Were Dancing, The Astonished Heart, and "Red Peppers"
Monday, August 22 at 2pm and 7pm:
Part II — Hands Across the Sea, Fumed Oak, and Shadow Play
Monday, August 29 at 2pm and 7pm:
Part III — Ways and Means, Still Life, and Family Album