Cavalcade
Noël Coward
A massive and patriotic epic that follows the lives of two London families—one upper class and one working class—from New Year's Eve 1899 to 1930. The play depicts major historical events including the Boer War the sinking of the Titanic and the First World War. It is a sweeping study of national identity and the passage of time requiring a cast of hundreds and spectacular stage effects. It serves as Coward's tribute to the resilience of the British spirit during three decades of upheaval.
Jane Marryot: The matriarch of an upper-class family. Ellen Bridges: Her former maid who experiences a rise in social status. Robert Marryot: Jane's husband.
First Performance: 1931, at Drury Lane, London
A monumental success; the scale of the production was unprecedented and it was seen as a major patriotic event.
Original Actors: Mary Clare, Edward Chapman