(seen on 25th January 2026)
On the gorgeous 1930s luxurious apartment set of “Fallen Angels,” two (well, three, as it turns out) of its stars give a Sunday evening cabaret, an unmissable celebration of its author, Noel Coward.
“A Room with a View” opens proceedings, Janie Dee then pouring herself a snifter – “I’ve done a shift” she quips – before launching into a tipsy “I’ve Been to a Marvellous Party.”
“A Bar on the Piccola Marina” introduces co-star, cabaret and piano maestro Stefan Bednarczyk, the hilarious tale of Mrs Wentworth Brewster’s Capri widowhood.
Bednarczyk first encountered Noel Coward’s work playing Elyot in “Private Lives” at Oxford University. Theatre writer Sheridan Morley saw it, and they became friends.
Dee was given Coward’s collected works by her mother. It languished until Sir Peter Hall cast her in “Design For Living.” Later, a charity fundraiser to celebrate the end of Angela Lansbury’s run in “Blithe Spirit” cemented her love of Coward and cabaret.
Launching a little precariously into “Any Little Fish,” a lively run up before “Forbidden Fruit” – Noel Coward’s first published song in 1916. A very witty observation that man will work for what is just out of reach.
A fabulous Jani Dee tale of the Queen, Dee’s 7-year-old daughter’s school raffle tickets and a performance at Buckingham Palace brings the house down; Bednarczyk noting that he too met royalty – the Queen Mother in 1980 at Oxford.
Back to Coward, and his war years undercover as a spy while funding his own cabaret. The monkey’s all-time favourite Noel Coward song, one of its all-time favourite songs ever, too, “London Pride” is given to perfection by Bednarczyk.
While Coward claimed to have written it spontaneously on a bombed London station platform in 1941, it in fact took him months to polish – and we cherish his efforts still.
Apparently on Christmas Eve’s “Woman’s Hour” this year, the duo sang “Where Are the Songs We Sung.” Repeated here for our delight, along with a wonderful tale of Coward and Judy Campbell (who made famous “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square”) touring to rally people in bleak early World War Two.
Coward told Judy that, “it takes talent to put over a song when you have no voice.” Still friends, he also quipped “our theatre was on fire last night, some fool put it out.” The remarkable side of him came out visiting a sailors’ hospital. A technique enabled him to remember the sailors from their roles as extras in “In Which We Serve;” while breaking his schedule to speak alone with one man prevented needing primitive ECT therapy. Such was Noel’s magic.
Celebrating the Gershwin connection, (not just that Gershwin ran hands-over-ears from attempting to teach Coward piano), 1937’s “They Can’t Take That Away from Me” balanced the evening – Dee leaning nonchalantly on the 1930s radiogram.
“Love Is Here to Stay” follows, Gershwin’s final completed song in 1938. Bednarczyk adding an anarchic “Your Mother’s Here To Stay” alternative lyric to close the first half.
Second half opening with Janie Dee in dazzling green for Sondheim’s spoof “The Boy From…,” allowing her to note that Sondheim disliked Coward’s “suggestive” lyrics. Pot calling kettle.
A chance for Dee to play piano, in an extract from her role in “Fallen Angels” and bring on her co-star Graham Vick as she notes the final chord is “Send In The Clowns”!
Changing tone, Vick gives a splendid “Where Is the Life That Late I Led?” tying Cole Porter’s “Kiss Me Kate” – originally directed on Broadway by Coward’s lover / manager Jack Wilson – into the tale.
Perfection then follows with Janie Dee and Stefan Bednarczyk performing a little of the first act of “Private Lives.” With correct period accents and rhythms, the monkey yearns for them to give the play in full sometime.
“I Am No Good at Love” then intones Stefan as Coward, followed by “Never Again,” bitter and honest.
By the age of 30, Noel Coward had experienced three nervous breakdowns, and his treatment was always to “Sail Away” – as his song from the hit musical of the same name told.
“Bronxville Darby and Joan” from the same show brings humour levels up, Dee ‘sand dancing’ with joy.
Reminding us that Coward created his own media persona, just as stars do today, and suffering the same fate of hiding his real self; Stefan tells us of the faked bed pose “like a heavily doped Chinese illusionist” set up for one newspaper. To find the real Coward, it is in the poetry written for family and friends before being collected for publication.
The diaries are even more sensational, but it is the sparkling “The Boy Actor” which reveals most about what made the man he became. Hair pricklingly recited, a deep joy.
“Don’t Put Your Daughter on the Stage, Mrs. Worthington” is sound advice to those less talented than he… and the missing last verse is rude, truthful and hilarious.
Janie Dee may worry over 1952’s “There Are Bad Times Just Around The Corner,” but it is relevant today, “the rats are leaving the BBC” a poignant and topical line eliciting audience laughter.
Dee’s silver sparkling dress is her final chance for “This is to Let You Know” and closing numbers “Always” and “I’ll See You Again.”
A final nod to Vick’s Scottish heritage and Burns Night for the whole audience to join in on “Auld Lang Syne” and a truly wonderful party is over.
This one-off show sold out in four hours. The Menier Chocolate Factory’s owner David Babani would be insane not to bring it back for a longer run when both performers are available.
5 stars, standing ovation given.