NOEL COWARD QUEEN OF CAMP

NOEL COWARD WRITER DRAMATIST LYRICIST ACTOR CABARET ARTISTE BON VIVANT AND WIT, IS IT ANY WONDER HE WAS KNOWN AS "THE MASTER" DURING HIS LIFETIME HE WENT FROM ENFANT TERRIBLE OF THE ENGLISH THEATRE TO ITS ELDER STATESMAN. EVERYONE SAID HE WAS A GENIUS AND NONE MORE SO THAN NOEL HIMSELF!
A TERRIBLE SNOB HE ADOPTED AN ACCENT SO ENGLISH AS TO BE ALMOST A CARRICATURE AND HIS POMPOSITY WAS LEGENDARY. WHEN ASKED ON A TELEVISION INTERVIEW IF HE WATCHED TELEVISION HIS CURT REPLY WAS "MY DEAR BOY ONE APPEARS ON TELEVISION ONE DOESNT WATCH IT"!

WHEN TENNESEE WILLIAMS' PLAY BOOM WAS FILMED THE PART OF THE WITCH OF CAPRI WAS REWRITTEN AS THE BITCH OF CAPRI FOR NOEL AND THERE WAS NEVER A MORE FITTING REWRITE. THOSE WHO WERE ON THE RECEIVING END OF HIS BITCHY WRATH SELDOM FORGOT IT. SUCH AS CLAUDETTE COLBERT OF WHOM HE SAID "I'D WRING HER NECK... IF SHE HAD ONE"

OPENLY GAY LONG BEFORE IT WAS EITHER FASHIONABLE OR LEGAL HE ONCE DECLARED ON TELEVISION "I SPENT ALL OF MY YOUTH HANGING ROUND HAMPSTEAD PUBLIC LAVATORY...I MEAN LIBRARY..FREUDIAN SLIP". HE ALSO BOASTED TWO MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL FAMILY AMONGST HIS LOVERS.

NOEL WAS FINALY KNIGHTED SHORTLY BEFORE HIS DEATH SOMEWHAT BELATED, CERTAINLY IN HIS EYES, AS THE OPENING NIGHT OF CAVALCADE 30 YEARS BEFORE WHEN SOMEONE SAID YOU SHOULD GET A KNIGHTHOOD FOR THIS HE REPLIED " FOR THIS I SHOULD GET AT LEAST A PEERAGE"

THOUGH MOST OF NOEL'S FILM ROLES CONSISTED OF CAMEOS HE WAS ALWAYS GUARENTTED TO STEAL THE SHOW RARELY ATTEMPTING TO PORTRAY ANYONE ELSE BUT A THINLY DISGUISED VERSION OF HIMSELF.

FOR SERVICES TO DRAMA BITCHINESS AND HIGH CAMP WE SALUTE YOU SIR NOEL COWARD AND WELCOME YOU TO YOUR HOME AT THE QUEENS OF CAMP!