Hay Fever Totally Explained

Everything about Hayfever totally explained

Hay Fever is a comic play written by Noel Coward in 1924 and first produced in 1925 with Marie Tempest as the first Judith Bliss. Best described as a cross between high farce and a comedy of manners, the play is set in a British country house in the 1920s, and deals with the four eccentric members of the Bliss family and their outlandish behaviour when they each invite a guest to spend the weekend. The self-centred behaviour of the hosts finally drives their guests to flee while the Blisses are so engaged in a family row that they don't notice their guests' furtive departure.

Productions

Following on from the success of his earlier play The Vortex, Hay Fever was an enormous hit on the West End stage and has been revived countless times around the world since then. It was the 1964 Royal National Theatre production of Hay Fever, starring Edith Evans and Maggie Smith with Coward himself directing, which sparked the revival of interest in his work toward the end of his life. First production, Ambassadors Theatre, London, 1925 ť Sorel Bliss - Helen Spencer

    Simon Bliss - Robert Andrews ť Clara - Minnie Rayner

    Judith Bliss - Marie Tempest ť David Bliss - W Graham Browne

    Sandy Tyrell - Patrick Susands ť Myra Arundel - Hilda Moore

    Richard Greatham - Athole Stewart ť Jackie Coryton - Ann Trevor

New York, Maxine Elliott's Theater, 1925 ť Sorel Bliss - Frieda Inescort

    Simon Bliss - Gavin Muir ť Clara - Alice Belmore Cliffe

    Judith Bliss - Laura Hope Crews ť David Bliss - Harry Davenport

    Sandy Tyrell - Reginald Sheffield ť Myra Arundel - Phyllis Joyce

    Richard Greatham - George Thorpe ť Jackie Coryton - Margot Lester

New York, Avon Theater, 1931 ť Sorel Bliss - Betty Linley

    Simon Bliss - Anthony Kemble Cooper ť Clara - Alice Belmore Cliffe

    Judith Bliss - Constance Collier ť David Bliss - Eric Cowley

    Sandy Tyrell - Terence Neill ť Myra Arundel - Julia Hoyt

    Richard Greatham - Edward Cooper ť Jackie Coryton - Valerie Cossart

A UK television production in 1960 featured Edith Evans as Judith Bliss and Maggie Smith as Myra Arundel. They later played these roles on stage under the author’s direction in the celebrated National Theatre revival in 1964 (see below). Other members of the television cast were Pamela Brown, George Devine, Paul Eddington and Richard Wattis. London, National Theatre (Old Vic), 1964 ť Sorel Bliss - Louise Purnell

    Simon Bliss - Derek Jacobi ť Clara - Barbara Hicks

    Judith Bliss - Edith Evans ť David Bliss - Anthony Nicholls

    Sandy Tyrell - Robert Stephens ť Myra Arundel - Maggie Smith

    Richard Greatham - Robert Lang ť Jackie Coryton - Lynn Redgrave

A further UK television production in 1968 had the following cast: ť Sorel Bliss - Lucy Fleming

    Simon Bliss - Ian McKellen ť Clara - Hazel Hughes

    Judith Bliss - Celia Johnson ť David Bliss - Dennis Price

    Sandy Tyrell - Richard Briers ť Myra Arundel - Anna Massey

    Richard Greatham - Charles Gray ť Jackie Coryton - Vickery Turner

New York, Helen Hayes Theater, 1970 ť Sorel Bliss - Roberta Maxwell

    Simon Bliss - Sam Waterston ť Clara - Sudie Bond

    Judith Bliss - Shirley Booth ť David Bliss - John Williams

    Sandy Tyrell - John Tillinger ť Myra Arundel - Marian Mercer

    Richard Greatham - Michael McGuire ť Jackie Coryton - Carole Shelley

New York, Music Box Theater, 1985 ť Sorel Bliss - Mia Dillon

    Simon Bliss - Robert Joy ť Clara - Barbara Bryne

    Judith Bliss - Rosemary Harris ť David Bliss - Roy Dotrice

    Sandy Tyrell - Campbell Scott ť Myra Arundel - Carolyn Seymour

    Richard Greatham - Charles Kimbrough ť Jackie Coryton - Deborah Rush

London, Albery Theatre, 1992 ť Sorel Bliss - Abigail Cruttenden

    Simon Bliss - Nick Waring ť Clara - Maria Charles

    Judith Bliss - Maria Aitken ť David Bliss - John Standing

    Sandy Tyrell - Richard Garnett ť Myra Arundel - Carmen Du Sautoy

    Richard Greatham - Christopher Godwin ť Jackie Coryton - Sara Crowe

London, Savoy Theatre, 1999 ť Sorel Bliss - Monica Dolan

    Simon Bliss - Stephen Mangan ť Clara - Anne White

    Judith Bliss - Geraldine McEwan ť David Bliss - Peter Blythe

    Sandy Tyrell - Scott Handy ť Myra Arundel - Sylvestra Le Touzel

    Richard Greatham - Malcolm Sinclair ť Jackie Coryton - Cathryn Bradshaw

London, Haymarket Theatre, 2006 ť Sorel Bliss - Kim Medcalf

    Simon Bliss - Dan Stevens ť Clara - Lin Blakley

    Judith Bliss - Judi Dench ť David Bliss - Peter Bowles

    Sandy Tyrell - Charles Edwards ť Myra Arundel - Belinda Lang

    Richard Greatham - William Chubb ť Jackie Coryton - Olivia Darnley

A UK tour in early 2007 ť Sorel Bliss - Madeleine Hutchins

    Simon Bliss - William Ellis ť Clara - Pamela Buchner

    Judith Bliss - Stephanie Beacham ť David Bliss - Christopher Timothy

    Sandy Tyrell - Christopher Naylor ť Myra Arundel - Sarah Berger

    Richard Greatham - Andrew Hall (actor) ť Jackie Coryton - Emily Pollet

City of London School, Beaufoy Theatre, Summer 2007 ť Sorel Bliss - Ana Ikkos-Serrano

    Simon Bliss - Blake Emmett ť Clara - Susy Langsdale

    Judith Bliss - Dell Watson ť David Bliss - Samuel Ferguson

    Sandy Tyrell - Joel Gulhane ť Myra Arundel - Beth Price

    Richard Greatham - William Granger ť Jackie Coryton - Isabella Anderson

References

Further Information

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