Overview
Synopsis
Hay Fever is one of Noel Coward’s most durable comedies, continuing to delight audiences with its astute observations on family relationships and rivalries. The action takes place in the house of the Bliss family over the course of a weekend. Judith Bliss, a retired actress, her writer husband David, and their two grown-up children, Simon and Sorel, have all privately invited guests for the weekend, unbeknownst to anyone else. As the guests arrive, it becomes clear that it is not them who will be the problem, but the family themselves. Although Judith has supposedly retired from the stage, the nightmare weekend becomes her own private play, and her family become the supporting actors. Over the top and theatrical in their actions, the Bliss family delight in winding each other up and provoking a dramatic reaction from each other. As the weekend wears on, each guest pairs off with the wrong person with dramatic effects. Confused and angered by the strange behaviour of the their hosts, the guests all agree that they must leave straight away. Creeping out of the house, they are unnoticed by the Bliss family who are, once again, engaged in a daft, passionate argument about David’s book. Although it is not packed with as many witty one liners as many of Coward’s plays are, Hay Fever provides a shrewd, farcical look at a dysfunctional family oblivious to their ill-mannered behavior.
Show Information
- Book
- Noël Coward
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 3
- First Produced
- 1925
- Genres
- Comedy, Farce
- Settings
- Contemporary, Unit/Single Set
- Time & Place
- berkshire, river thames, england
- Cast Size
- medium
- Licensor
- None/royalty-free
- Ideal For
- College/University, Community Theatre, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Star Vehicle Female, Mostly Female Cast, Includes Young Adult, Adult, Mature Adult Characters, Medium Cast
Context
Noel Coward wrote Hay Fever in 1924 and it opened at the Ambassador’s Theatre in June 1925. The play was inspired by Coward’s visit to New York, where he stayed with the flamboyant playwright, Hartley Manners, and his wife, the actress Laurette Taylor. The original production had Marie Tempest in the lead role of Judith Bliss and it transferred to the larger Criterion Theatre in September 1925. In the same year, the play opened at the Maxine Elliott Theatre in New York. Reviews of the play at
to read the context for Hay Fever and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
Act One
As the play opens, Simon and Sorel Bliss are engaged in light-hearted sibling banter, mocking each other’s lifestyle and choices of friends. They remark that their mother has been busy out in the garden all day, which is unusual behavior for her, and wonder if she is trying to impress a young man. Sorel worries that her mother has invited someone to stay, as she has invited over a diplomat, Richard Greatham, from London. Judith Bliss comes in from the garden, trying to remember
to read the plot for Hay Fever and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
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Lead |
Female |
Spoken |
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|
Lead |
Male |
Spoken |
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|
Lead |
Female |
Spoken |
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|
Lead |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Spoken |
Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
A type of comedy, popular in the English Restoration, that made fun of social norms and mores.
A type of comedy that uses exaggeration, often with clowning and ridiculous behaviors, in order to entertain.
Description of material not protected by copyright law.
Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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Guide Written By:
Alexandra Appleton
Writer, editor and theatre researcher