Coward, Noeul Peirce 
1899 - 1973. 
English dramatist, actor, 
revue-writer, director, and composer. 

He epitomized the witty and sophisticated man of the theatre. From his first success with The Young Idea 1923, he wrote and appeared in plays and comedies on both sides of the Atlantic such as Hay Fever 1925, Private Lives 1930 with Gertrude Lawrence, Design for Living 1933, Blithe Spirit 1941, and A Song at Twilight 1966. His revues and musicals included On With the Dance 1925 and Bitter Sweet 1929. Knighted 1970. Coward also wrote for and acted in films, including the patriotic In Which We Serve 1942 and the sentimental Brief Encounter 1945. After World War II he became a nightclub and cabaret entertainer, performing songs like Mad Dogs and Englishmen.