Design for Living
Noël Coward
A daring and sophisticated comedy exploring a ménage à trois between an interior designer a painter and a playwright. The three protagonists Gilda Otto and Leo find that they cannot live with or without each other leading to a series of departures and reunions across Paris London and New York. The play was highly controversial for its time for its open depiction of unconventional relationships and its rejection of traditional morality celebrating the characters' bond over social norms.
Gilda: An interior designer. Otto: A painter. Leo: A playwright. All three share a deeply interconnected and volatile romantic bond.
First Performance: 1933, at Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York
A massive hit in New York after being rejected by the Lord Chamberlain in London for its 'immoral' themes.
Original Actors: Alfred Lunt, Lynn Fontanne, Noël Coward