A PRESENT LAUGHTER THAT UPENDS THE PAST
Britain’s beloved playwright Sir Noël Coward crafted this lighthearted, autobiographical comedy as a showcase for his own flamboyant celebrity. A renowned bon vivant, Coward dazzled as a writer, singer, and performer, with friends and admirers orbiting his stardom. Adapting this blithe farce, director Carl Jordan brings a radical update to Novato Theatre Company’s production of Present Laughter,
Written in 1939, with production halted until 1942 when theatres reopened in London, Present Laughter delves into the chaos surrounding Garry, a self-absorbed successful actor and notorious womanizer grappling with his 40th birthday in a London flat.
Shirley Nielsen Hall & Tina Triboulsi
As the play opens, Garry’s latest conquest, Daphne (the simply hilarious Tina Traboulsi), a pretty young thing who has successfully seduced Garry and spent the night, wakes up alone on his couch. As the English trinket du jour comes to life, the elderly housekeeper Miss Erikson (the perfectly cast veteran actor Shirley Nilsen Hall) nonchalantly vacuums around her while tidying up. Hall’s curious accent–a mix of Scandinavian and unplaceable–adds to the absurd situation.
Heather Shepardson brings sharp authority to Monica, Garry’s no-nonsense secretary, who enters equally unfazed by Daphne’s presence as she organizes Garry’s daily fan mail. Fred, the houseman, given an unintelligible accent by Jamie Montellato, serves coffee.
Tina Triboulsi & David Abrams
Garry eventually emerges, disheveled and dashing, re-engaging with Daphne as stockings and professions of love fly about the living room. Garry has never met an audience he didn’t like. When anyone will listen, he professes to be “desperately lonely” as he mounts his living room couch to give a grandiose soliloquy. “Everyone worships me…it’s unsettling” he moans. David Abrams shines with flair and finesse in the demanding role, delivering a masterful performance that channels Coward’s dashing persona.
Chaos escalates with the arrival of his estranged wife Liz, imbued with cool composure by Kathryn Schott, unsurprised at her philandering husband. She gifts him a silken dressing gown for his tour, prompting the delighted thespian to flounce and twirl theatrically while delivering Coward’s signature quips of wit and wisdom while perched on a hassock.
David Abrams & Heather Shepardson
Mr. Jordan compresses three original acts into two, cutting 20 minutes of material “not being relevant to today,” he said. While most of the revisions improve pacing, Scene II of Act I falters when Garry’s friend Jo (handsome Nic Moore) arrives late in the night with some flimsy excuse. Married to Garry’s friend Helen, Jo makes sly predatory moves on Garry. Unclear where this is going, the overly long scene’s humor is sapped with the drawn-out homosexual tension, culminating in a kiss that prompted the pre-teen in front of me to hold up his hands to block his view.
David Abrams & Nic Moore
Act II, however, revives the laughter with the arrival of Roland, a wannabe playwright played with wild, over-the-top energy by Thomas Peterson, cavorting across the stage like a wild horse. Roland’s chaotic antics are infectious to us, but Garry and the others shudder whenever he shows up.
As relationships unravel during a bon voyage party, the mayhem reaches its peak. Garry’s director Morris (Kevin Allen) and and Jo’s wife Helen (Ashley Kennedy) react with astonishment when Jo reappears, suitcase in hand, ready to join Garry. Morris–enraged to learn Garry has had a liaison with Jo–faces the audience while loudly berating Garry, a strange directorial choice. Star-struck Daphne and Garry’s wife follow suit with Jo, each uninvited yet eager to accompany Garry. Secrets spill, tempers flare, and the out-of-control disorder crescendos. But who will join Garry on his tour?
Shirley Nilsen Hall, Kathryn Schott & Heather Shepardson
Kate Leland and Mary Weinberg’s costumes bring vibrancy to the characters, from a striking flame-red ruffled shirt to a tailored brown business suit and vest. Frank Sarubbi’s playful spot lighting adds fun when Stephen Dietz‘s contemporary music pops in.
Noël Coward’s nickname, “The Master,” began as a joke but, by his own admission, became true. When asked why he was called “The Master,” Coward quipped, “Oh, you know–Jack of all trades, master of none.” Once, a journalist apologized with “I hope you haven’t been bored answering the same old questions about yourself.” Coward rejoined, “Not at all. I’m fascinated by the subject.” You will find Present Laughter by Novato Theater Company equally fascinating and well worth seeing.
photos by Jere Torkelsen
Present Laughter
Novato Theater Company
5420 Nave Drive in Novato (Marin County)
ends on February 16, 2025
for tickets ($20-$30), call 415.883.4498 or visit Novato Theater
