A SAMUEL FRENCH, LTD. TITLE
This Was A Man
Full-Length Play, Drama / 3w, 6m
“I loathe this age and everything to do with it. Men of my sort are the products of over-civilisation. All the red-blooded honest-to-God emotions have been squeezed out of us.”
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Cast Size
3w, 6m
Details
Summary
Edward Churt is a successful painter. His wife Carol has a ‘vivid personality composed of a minimum of intellect and a maximum of sex’. Increasingly aware of her infidelity, Edward defends himself with a veneer of sophisticated insouciance. But his best friend and army comrade is determined to avenge him...
This Was a Man explores some of Coward’s lifelong themes of social mores, jealousy and the futility of a life with no moral compass. Can good manners emasculate us? What happens when we repress our inner caveman? Is it more courageous to look away or to face our demons and fight? What, indeed, does it mean to be a man?
Learn more about This Was a Man - and how it went unperformed for nearly 90 years - on the Samuel French blog.
History
- Time Period 1920s
- Features Period Costumes
- Cautions
- Mild Adult Themes
Media
ON BREAKING CHARACTER
Licensing & Materials
- Minimum Fee: £70 per performance plus VAT when applicable.
This title may have restrictions in place for London based productions. Please submit a licence request to confirm specific availability.
Authors
Noël Coward
Noël Peirce Coward was born in 1899 and made his professional stage debut as Prince Mussel in The Goldfish at the age of 12, leading to many child actor appearances over the next few years. His breakthrough in playwriting was the controversial The Vortex (1924), which feature ...