Coward The Playwright

A reissue in hardback of critic John Lahr's famous 1982 study of No l Coward's plays"e;No l Coward,"e; said Terence Rattigan, "e;is simply a phenomenon, and one that is unlikely to occur ever again in theatre history."e; A phenomenon he certainly was, and it is part of John Lahr's purpose in this book to show how that phenomenon called "e;No l Coward"e; was largely Coward's own careful creation. Lahr's penetrating critical study of Coward's drama investigates all the major and minor plays of "e;The Master"e;. Private Lives, Design for Living and Hay Fever make a fascinating group of "e;Comedies of Bad Manners"e;. Blithe Spirit and Relative Values raise the "e;Ghost in the Fun Machine"e;. Lahr then goes on to explore the "e;politics of charm"e; oozing through The Vortex, Easy Virtue and Present Laughter. In all Coward's plays Lahr uncovers a coherent philosophy in which charm is both the subject of Coward's comedies and the trap which made his very public life a perpetual performance.