I grew up in NZ listening on radio and going to movies starring the great Brit stars of the 60's/70's, among them, Donald Sinden. Thank you from Hawai'I for the trip down "memory lane".
This is by far the best production of Present Laughter that I have seen (and I've seen a few)! I keep watching it every year! Donald Sinden and the four female leads are just superb - unmatched really!
A hilariously narcissistic central character ... wonderful actors ...the smart cultured dialogues of Noel Coward so witty and unbearably charming ... I loved the play ! Thank you for this.
It is a great happiness that I saw the majestic Mr. Sinden on stage in School for Scandal around 1980 but, happiness being also somewhat sad, I regret I never saw this sublime cast in performance. The BBC, however, excelled themselves in filming the play and we are treated to some wonderful close-ups.
I have a poster from this play, signed by the whole cast, along with a programme, flyer and ticket :D I wish more theatre plays were filmed back in the day, as there are so many I would love to see - thank you for sharing x
I looked after Mr Sindon at a book signing many years ago. Wonderful voice and very funny. He signed his book to me "A fellow theatre lover" I was eighteen, crazy about the theatre and I was on cloud nine!
The trick here that works so well is that the dialog, which sparkles but can be played small and close, as mere repartee, is given an acrobatic physical quality by the performers, especially Donald, who roars and blusters around the stage like a gale, and has brilliantly funny reactions. His Garry takes up space, in every way, and is clearly a man who has to be managed at every moment by a full crew.
Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you. My favorite production of one of my favorite plays. Thank you Thank you Thank you.
Reminds me of summerstock theater years ago when aging stars retreated into roving caravans that appeared in plays similar to this one all over America, especially in the Northeast and Midwest - Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Upstate New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and other regions are dotted with theaters whose venues usually had a stream of adult situational comedies like this. It's unfortunate their time is gone... the witty and urbane, a mist fading with a new era too impatient for an evening at the theater. We shall never see the likes of Noel Coward or Neil Simon again. They're a bygone era. Thankfully, we have UA-cam to keep them young.
I was in Joseph's Amazing Technicoloured Dreamcoat at the Vaudeville in the early 80's, I didn't realise how small it was! Thank you for posting the show, very unusual to see it like this.
So happy to have stumbled upon this gem. The wit and brilliance of NC is timeless. How sad the world would be had Sir Noel never been. He was above all a patriot and loved England so much. Was there anything artistic he could not do? I pray young people read his writings and listen to his musicals. Timeless.
Delightful to watch and to listen to, the script flows like water, and why would n't it ? Noel Coward, The Master. Donald Sinden with a way with the words and delightful Gwen Watford and Dinah Sheridan bringing a severe attack of screaming good taste and elegance. Thank you for bringing us this ' Night at The Theatre' , as it used to be.
Loved the repartee between Mr. Since and Julian (Sir Julian today). Mr. Sinden must have been a very good sport to let this adorable scene stealer do his utmost. I never saw this play before. Watching it via you tube I was back in 1981 in London in that cozy theater. What a treat!
Simply wonderful! A rare opportunity for non-tourists to see a genuine, FIRST-RATE, LIVE, WEST END PRO- DUCTION from the tai- end of London theater's "golden era." (Part of the Coward DVD set, which includes terrific British TV productions of his plays and short stories).
It was so good to watch this, it brought back many wonderful memories of my time as Stage Manager for a community production of this in 2017, I even had the pleasure of "playing" Garry Essendine during the auditions. Thank you.
Wonderful production. Always great to see Gwen Watford, and a good thing it is that Julian Fellowes went on to become a writer and producer. Thank you for the remarkable upload.
Noel Coward certainly does "Present Laughter" in this play. Donald Sinden is marvelous! He delivers Sir Noel's brilliant repartee effortlessly. A joy to behold!
Very enjoyable! I usually find Coward's humor dated but this is the best production of his I've seen. Loved the introduction where the actors in regular dress show up to the theatre. Many thanks! A most interesting relic.
Beautiful production, wildly funny, touching subtext about an actor's brief shelf life. Reading the letters aloud brings to life Gray's world outside of the apartment. Brilliant writing.
lovely, witty and such a change from a lot of current writing that has "adult themes" or "strong language"....(which means that the writer does not have the ability to write at length)....and what nostaglia, so many of the actors in this production are no longer with us......thank you for this sparkling posting.
Just saw San Francisco's Theatre Rhino production of this at the Eureka and we had a great time! We're seeing it again, it was pure fun. Thank you for posting this, I'd not seen this nor the production previously. I consider myself fortunate others have seen fit to remount it so more of us can enjoy the biting, witty, more reality than those who live it would admit if they were half as clever.
Such a great loss to great British Theatre and Film actor please also check out his acceptance speech on the occasiosion of his presentation Degree at Leceister University ( I think was it 5 tears ago ? ) - it is hilariousDes, Ireland.
Dinah Sheridan still looked amazingly beautiful at this stage.I wish she could have made more films after “Genevieve”.Vivien Leigh was not quite right in “The Deep Blue Sea” and I felt Kay Kendall over-acted In “The Reluctant Debutante” but Dinah would have played both of those parts superbly.She was as beautiful as they come and an instinctively gifted and intelligent actress.She’s great in this gem.
I played Daphne in a production at my local theatre group it was fun but I found acting very stressful..prefer to sing and dance easier to remember than lines..thought i was going to be sick with fear as I was the first onto the stage
Well, just the same, considering what rubbish we have been geting on TV for the past 50 years, the 2nd rate actors, the 4th rate presenters and the 3rd rate comedians, it's worth a watch.
What year was this? It's surprising how often people are kind enough to upload wonderful historic dramas like this to UA-cam, but neglect to state when they were first released.
What an odd choice to go to all the trouble of a period setting and let Gwen Watford wear her own eyeglasses. I suppose because they are functional, not a prop. They might as well have dressed her in Halston because we are immediately in the late 70s when she puts them on.
An aging and self-obsessed actor finds himself in a situation bordering on farce when he is besieged by the demands of his estranged wife, women who want to seduce him, and a crazed playwright. - from IMDB
Boy is he vain,a performer no matter on stage or no,quite delusional,not as much as he loved himself,oh boy,he is so full of it with a lot of hot air,really!!!!!!
So, we are supposed to accept that the Donald Sinden character is actually attracted to women? I don't believe that such a man has ever existed. I just can't buy it.
"Screaming like banshees" a phrase I love and use daily...
I love it , I think we should all talk this way , cultured and hilariously opinionated . These actors are amazing. Noel Coward is brilliant.
Well at least we've got the hilariously opinionated part down!
@@davidwaldheim1147😂😂 touche
😁👍🇮🇪
My daughter & I can't help but speak this way for awhile after my watching British productions for days on end. It's great fun!😂
Gwen Watford was one of my favourite actresses. Such a huge range of acting skills.
Lovely to see Gwen here.
Indeed. She had such a lovely presence that went with her consummate skill. Very fondly remembered for Don't Forget To Write.
I loved GW. She was in a series with George Cole ‘Don’t forget to Write’. I loved it/her.
I grew up in NZ listening on radio and going to movies starring the great Brit stars of the 60's/70's, among them, Donald Sinden. Thank you from Hawai'I for the trip down "memory lane".
This is by far the best production of Present Laughter that I have seen (and I've seen a few)! I keep watching it every year! Donald Sinden and the four female leads are just superb - unmatched really!
A hilariously narcissistic central character ... wonderful actors ...the smart cultured dialogues of Noel Coward so witty and unbearably charming ... I loved the play ! Thank you for this.
It is a great happiness that I saw the majestic Mr. Sinden on stage in School for Scandal around 1980 but, happiness being also somewhat sad, I regret I never saw this sublime cast in performance. The BBC, however, excelled themselves in filming the play and we are treated to some wonderful close-ups.
I have a poster from this play, signed by the whole cast, along with a programme, flyer and ticket :D I wish more theatre plays were filmed back in the day, as there are so many I would love to see - thank you for sharing x
The intricacies of personality amplified within each role. Brilliant observationalist was Noel Coward.
Noel Coward. EIGHTH WONDER OF THE WORLD 🙏🏼❤️🍾🥂
@E.W.R. Many,
What a treat to have your channel come up in my feed.
I knew I'd love it immediately!
Thank you!
Magnificent!
I looked after Mr Sindon at a book signing many years ago. Wonderful voice and very funny. He signed his book to me "A fellow theatre lover" I was eighteen, crazy about the theatre and I was on cloud nine!
shame you couldnt spell his name correctly
What a beautiful memory ! Lucky you.
@@russellbowes9973 For heavens sake
Noel Coward was an amazing creator.
A gem.
The trick here that works so well is that the dialog, which sparkles but can be played small and close, as mere repartee, is given an acrobatic physical quality by the performers, especially Donald, who roars and blusters around the stage like a gale, and has brilliantly funny reactions. His Garry takes up space, in every way, and is clearly a man who has to be managed at every moment by a full crew.
Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you.
My favorite production of one of my favorite plays. Thank you Thank you Thank you.
BRAVO!!!
Reminds me of summerstock theater years ago when aging stars retreated into roving caravans that appeared in plays similar to this one all over America, especially in the Northeast and Midwest - Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Upstate New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and other regions are dotted with theaters whose venues usually had a stream of adult situational comedies like this. It's unfortunate their time is gone... the witty and urbane, a mist fading with a new era too impatient for an evening at the theater. We shall never see the likes of Noel Coward or Neil Simon again. They're a bygone era. Thankfully, we have UA-cam to keep them young.
Just love this so glad it was filmed, fantastic performances by everyone, Donald Sinden is just fabulous ❤️
Loved Sinden in everything he did.
You can find him elsewhere on
UA-cam as Dr Gideon Fell !
John Dickson Carr 's eccentric but
brilliant detective.
Agree he was fabulous very handsome too. x
I was in Joseph's Amazing Technicoloured Dreamcoat at the Vaudeville in the early 80's, I didn't realise how small it was! Thank you for posting the show, very unusual to see it like this.
Wonderful!
So happy to have stumbled upon this gem. The wit and brilliance of NC is timeless. How sad the world would be had Sir Noel never been. He was above all a patriot and loved England so much. Was there anything artistic he could not do? I pray young people read his writings and listen to his musicals. Timeless.
This is such an enjoyable play, and the energy of the actors leaves me hooked.
Outstanding performance 🙏
thank you, a permanent fixture in my selection of classics, never found a version I liked better
'Here's your sordid little comb ...' perfect!
What is this wonderful treasure - the world today in comparison is unlivable.
Such energy from all the cast keep this play fizzing. Marvellous stuff!
Delightful to watch and to listen to, the script flows like water, and why would n't it ? Noel Coward, The Master. Donald Sinden with a way with the words and delightful Gwen Watford and Dinah Sheridan bringing a severe attack of screaming good taste and elegance. Thank you for bringing us this ' Night at The Theatre' , as it used to be.
Loved the repartee between Mr. Since and Julian (Sir Julian today). Mr. Sinden must have been a very good sport to let this adorable scene stealer do his utmost. I never saw this play before. Watching it via you tube I was back in 1981 in London in that cozy theater. What a treat!
Yes, Lord Fellowes stole that scene indeed. 👏👏
Simply wonderful! A rare opportunity for non-tourists to
see a genuine, FIRST-RATE, LIVE, WEST END PRO-
DUCTION from the tai- end of London theater's "golden
era." (Part of the Coward DVD set, which includes terrific
British TV productions of his plays and short stories).
It was so good to watch this, it brought back many wonderful memories of my time as Stage Manager for a community production of this in 2017, I even had the pleasure of "playing" Garry Essendine during the auditions.
Thank you.
Fabulous great actors great play :-)
If only those days could return
Children worked in mines.
Great fun! Lovely production which manages to put its' finger on the vintage flavor of my favorite year, 1939.
Thank you for the opportunity to see this play.
Wonderful production. Always great to see Gwen Watford, and a good thing it is that Julian Fellowes went on to become a writer and producer.
Thank you for the remarkable upload.
Noel Coward certainly does "Present Laughter" in this play. Donald Sinden is marvelous! He delivers Sir Noel's brilliant repartee effortlessly. A joy to behold!
You sound like someone who would enjoy the plays of Dennis Potter. ❤️🇨🇦
Brilliant work!
Donald Sinden! ❤️❤️
Sinden amazing.
Very enjoyable! I usually find Coward's humor dated but this is the best production of his I've seen. Loved the introduction where the actors in regular dress show up to the theatre. Many thanks! A most interesting relic.
Relic, just about sums it up.
"Interesting relic" is the sort of compliment one pays after all FOREHANDED ones have been exhausted.
Beautiful production, wildly funny, touching subtext about an actor's brief shelf life. Reading the letters aloud brings to life Gray's world outside of the apartment. Brilliant writing.
Noel Coward, meets his match: Donald Sinden.
Superb!
Excellent ! - We meet not as we parted !
Wonderful! Thank you so much.
OMG.....this was wonderful to find on UA-cam. I saw this production at the Vaudeville Theatre and it was wonderful. Thank you so much for uploading.
Wow, you were blessed...I'm envious.
lovely, witty and such a change from a lot of current writing that has "adult themes" or "strong language"....(which means that the writer does not have the ability to write at length)....and what nostaglia, so many of the actors in this production are no longer with us......thank you for this sparkling posting.
Wonderful to see Donald Sinden wagging his finger at Julian Fellows telling how to write drama.....Gosford Park, Downton Abbey.....etc????
Yes ! Who woulda thunk ? 😆
Just saw San Francisco's Theatre Rhino production of this at the Eureka and we had a great time! We're seeing it again, it was pure fun. Thank you for posting this, I'd not seen this nor the production previously. I consider myself fortunate others have seen fit to remount it so more of us can enjoy the biting, witty, more reality than those who live it would admit if they were half as clever.
Great play. Thank you. :)
RIP Sir Donald.
Such a great loss to great British Theatre and Film actor please also check out his acceptance speech on the occasiosion of his presentation Degree at Leceister University ( I think was it 5 tears ago ? ) - it is hilariousDes, Ireland.
this is like finding money! thanks for uploading!
Dinah Sheridan still looked amazingly beautiful at this stage.I wish she could have made more films after “Genevieve”.Vivien Leigh was
not quite right in “The Deep Blue Sea” and I felt Kay Kendall over-acted In “The Reluctant Debutante” but Dinah would have played both
of those parts superbly.She was as beautiful as they come and an instinctively gifted and intelligent actress.She’s great in this gem.
absolute magic!!
interesting to watch having just seen the national theatre live at the Old Vic with Andrew Scott-fantastic!
I prefer this one..
THANK YOU!
Ha- the young playwright (enters at 41min) is Julian Fellowes, who wrote Downton Abbey....
So charming
"everyone adores me ....it's nauseating...."
I played Daphne in a production at my local theatre group it was fun but I found acting very stressful..prefer to sing and dance easier to remember than lines..thought i was going to be sick with fear as I
was the first onto the stage
You'll have to look hard to find a more inventively comic performance than Sinden's, he's on a par with Zero Mostel in The Producer's film.
I enjoyed this. Donald Sinden; brilliant. How do they remember all the lines? All the acting is very good. The script is wonderful.
Belinda Lang is hilarious as the upper class debutante.
@Summer GRACE You lucky thing! Incidentally I've only seen her in the Inspector Alleyn tv series, so this performance was quite a revelation!
Anyone notice Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey) as the young neurotic playwright? He almost steals the show.
Oh I think everyone noticed, couldn't help it.
Scary !!! 😝
Well, just the same, considering what rubbish we have been geting on TV for the past 50 years, the 2nd rate actors, the 4th rate presenters and the 3rd rate comedians, it's worth a watch.
ALMIGHTY JESUS CHRIST, FORGIVE ME FOR BEING HUMBLE FROM THE BEGINNING 🙏 TIME: 6:07PM 🙏🙏🙏
Another British film good cast comedy
Wish the camera wouldn't keep panning to the audience.otherwise..grand!
True, it breaks the illusion.
Yes I agree although at proves it's not canned laughter!
Anyone have a
Link to PART2?
🧨🧨🧨
Who is the actress playing the wife?
I see Frances de la Tour in the role of his secretary.
Julian Fellows show promise sometime in the future.
J'aime* utube just in time by john bavas
Because "they" are the we of me "What's that from george?"
what year was this?
😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮
Julian Fellowes wrote the script for Downton Abbey
Jesus-that young bloke is Julian Fellowes- wonder if he got any ideas for Downton from this!
I think that Julian Fellowes is hilarious in this. Just brilliant.
36:36 =Him fighting with his wife reminds me of dad's tactics... Except with the O.A.-ness... Mind you that was comical...
Twos company
What kind of house coats is Donald wearing?
They are dressing gowns.
What year was this? It's surprising how often people are kind enough to upload wonderful historic dramas like this to UA-cam, but neglect to state when they were first released.
It says 1981.
The production was mounted at the Vaudeville in 1980 and this tele film made in 1981. The play was written and set in 1939.
Julian Fellows? Wonder what became of him? Hum?
Hahahs😅
1:00:42 Act 2
What an odd choice to go to all the trouble of a period setting and let Gwen Watford wear her own eyeglasses. I suppose because they are functional, not a prop. They might as well have dressed her in Halston because we are immediately in the late 70s when she puts them on.
Uu
An aging and self-obsessed actor finds himself in a situation bordering on farce when he is besieged by the demands of his estranged wife, women who want to seduce him, and a crazed playwright. - from IMDB
Boy is he vain,a performer no matter on stage or no,quite delusional,not as much as he loved himself,oh boy,he is so full of it with a lot of hot air,really!!!!!!
It's a sharp comedy.
And Coward was sending himself up...
That's the whole point of the play!
Sinden is too weighty for Coward. He DECLAIMS. It needs a far lighter touch... Like... Ooooh.... Coward.
It's generally understood that actors suitable for Coward's plays need to talk like Noel Coward.
@@bingola45 Which isn't like D. Sinden.
Julian 'Downton Abbey' Fellowes hilarious as the unhinged proletarian artist. Now look at him; propping up the landed aristocracy; for SHAME!
Funny play, but the ingénue (Daphne)is horrid.
seethevolcane That's exactly the right choice of word, suitable for the period.
She plays it exactly as written. She’s a terrific actress.
She's meant to be horrid so well done her!
Just playing her part brilliantly. That's the lovely, wonderful Belinda Lang!!!
Ginny Lorenz
I couldn’t stand Belinda Lang on Inspector Allyen, but I’ve always loved her on the stage. She played Daphne exactly as written.
Terrible Scandinavian accent! Scottish defo.
I'm sory, real british accents are better than americans faking it.
So, we are supposed to accept that the Donald Sinden character is actually attracted to women? I don't believe that such a man has ever existed. I just can't buy it.
what load of crap.