The Vortex by Nol Coward

The Vortex by Nol Coward

In The Vortex, Coward explores the darker side of the Cocktail Party set. Emotional blackmail, drug abuse and shattered relationships are minutely observed in this disturbing, early piece from a playwright whose sharp eye was more usually turned towards the light.

All the anxiety of the early 1920s, post-war twitchiness glossed by martinis and mannered cigarettes, is caught in Noel Coward's The VortexHis central characters are like specks of dirt approaching the plughole of a draining bath. The closer they get to the hole, the faster they spiral. Daily Mail One of the mysterious things about Noel Coward, and one of the sure indications that he is a great writer, is that he constantly takes you by surprise. Daily Telegraph The Vortex (1924) was the play that made his name and firmly established him as both a dramatist and an actor - he'd been at pains to ensure the play included "a whacking good part" for himself - and it was the roaring twenties equivalent of today's socalled in-yer-face theatre, the Shopping and F***ing of the jazz age. Daily Telegraph Of all Noel Coward's plays The Vortex is the only one whose shock appeal has survived more or less intact. Evening Standard Noel Coward's The Vortex is his darkest play: a remarkable combination of shallow and deep ... it's a drama that wipes the smile from its own face. Observer

Noel Coward made his name as a playwright with The Vortex (1924), in which he also appeared. His numerous other successful plays included Hay Fever, Private Lives, Design for Living, and Blithe Spirit. During the war he wrote screenplays such as Brief Encounter (1944) and This Happy Breed (1942). His volumes of verse, autobiography and letters have all been published to acclaim by Methuen Drama. Coward was knighted in 1970 and died three years later in Jamaica.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780413773098
ISBN 10	0413773094
Title	The Vortex
Author	Nol Coward
Series	Modern Classics
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Year published	2002-12-09
Number of pages	96
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.