The Noel Coward BBC Radio Drama Collection

Seven BBC Radio Full-cast Productions

By: Noel Coward

Narrated by: Alex Jennings, Bill Nighy, Celia Imrie, full cast, Harriet Walters, Helena Bonham-Carter, Judi Dench, Roger Allam

Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

Seven BBC radio full-cast productions of Noël Coward’s classic plays – plus bonus material including a profile of Coward and extracts from his diaries

Renowned for his wit, style and sophistication, Noël Coward was one of the greatest playwrights of the twentieth century. His plays, set in the glittering world of high society in which he lived, are much admired and have remained in the popular theatre repertoire to this day.

This collection brings together the very best radio adaptations of Coward’s works, encompassing sparkling comedies of manners Private Lives and Hay Fever, farcical ghost story Blithe Spirit, and daring ménage à trois drama Design for Living. Here, too, is his controversial first hit The Vortex; the poignant Still Life (the inspiration for the film Brief Encounter); and the semi-autobiographical Present Laughter.

Among the star-studded cast are Helena Bonham-Carter, Bill Nighy, Judi Dench, Celia Imrie, Roger Allam, Harriet Walter, Paul Rhys, Stephanie Cole and Paul Scofield.

Also included is a BBC World Service profile of Noël Coward, comprising interviews, musical extracts and archive clips; and the BBC Radio 4 programme ‘From His Diaries’, featuring a selection of passages from Coward’s journal read by Simon Cadell.

©2018 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2018 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

A lot of arguing

I almost opted out after the second play. Maybe they didn’t translate well, or maybe Noel Coward’s work isn’t entirely my cup of tea. It just felt as if people were nonsensically shouting at each other and picking the most ridiculous fights over nothing. I missed any depth of plot. Not one character felt realistic or relatable (maybe because my life doesn’t consist of unreasonable arguments) But with Blithe Spirit it gripped my attention (though the grip was more like a flaccid handshake) a little more. They’re not bad plays, but I don’t think I’m the target audience for them. Nothing blew me away. I was expecting really clever stories, and I just found them a bit empty. I also missed a certain kind of wit. The dialogues were lacking and the overall plots were rather superficial. I felt that I as a reader had to give it a meaning myself.

Wonderful performances, stories, music

I have always loved Noel Coward, and this collection is such a gem. The performances are so well done, and the cast is just a delight. It’s as if, and I’m sure it’s true, that each cast member was beautifully connected with their role person. The music is a perfect accompaniment to the complex yet human scenes and experiences. I love the different productions of what became Brief Encounter, each one a step towards completion. I highly recommend this book

They know these are comedies, right?

While it is always possible the cast was being so droll that the humor escaped me, it really felt like they were treating the material with such reverence and acting so seriously that they plum forgot these were comedies.

Some good plays...

Some good plays, some not. But all, performed by very fine actors. With a healthy dose of the playwright himself after you're done listening to the last play.

I loved it

Cowardis a charme.The cast was wonderful.couldnt stoplistening.Many great plays and a very good biography at the end

Great plays, crappy curation by audible

Fantastic performances but the chapter listings are a mess and don’t even say where one play begins and ends, and the scenes and acts don’t correspond to the chapters either. Can someone from audible fix this?