Joyce Grenfell

Princeton resident and talented local actress Diana Crane will discuss and perform selections from the works of two very English notables, Noël Coward (1899-1973) and Joyce Grenfell (1910-1979), in “A Taste of Coward and a Spoonful of Grenfell” this Sunday, January 25, at 3 p.m., in the Lawrenceville School’s Kirby Art Center. The program is part of a regular series of events hosted by the English-Speaking Union.

Ms. Crane, who holds a certificate from The London Academy of Music and Drama, is well-known to Princeton audiences for her popular work with the PJ&B Productions and The Inn Cabaret some years ago. She is Professor Emerita of German and Fine Arts at Westminster Choir College, and has worked as a dialect coach at McCarter theater and for several Rider University theater productions.

She’s also been known to tread the boards herself. “Diana has performed in regional theaters, numerous cabarets and one-woman shows of her own creation,” said president of the English-Speaking Union, Princeton, Dulcie Bull.

On Sunday, Ms. Crane will present a selection of pieces by the well-loved Mr. Coward and equally popular but perhaps lesser-known, at least in the United States, Joyce Grenfell. “I’ve selected pieces from the 20s to the post-war 40s and I hope there will be some audience participation,” she said.

Asked about combining the works of the flamboyant English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer and the comic monologuist, Ms. Crane said: “I greatly admire both these brilliant writers, musicians, and performers and like to keep their legacy alive; I was inspired to combine the works of both after reading Grenfell’s letters to her mother in the United States, in the book Darling Ma: Letters to her Mother 1932-44.” 

Ms. Grenfell’s mother, Nora Phipps, was the youngest sister of Lady Astor. After divorcing Ms. Grenfell’s father, she married a former Yale football hero and moved to North Carolina.

“In the book there are at least 20 references to Noël Coward’s works and lifestyle,” said Ms. Crane. “Not only did Noël know Joyce’s mother Nora when Joyce was little, but when Joyce began performing, their social and theatrical paths crossed frequently. They also encouraged one another to travel and entertain the troops during the Second World War.”

Ms. Grenfell, who was once a radio critic for the U.K.’s Observer newspaper, was a very popular performer on the British stage and screen. Her cheery and gossipy letters convey a sense of the English social scene during the Depression and World War II — about life on the London stage and at the Astors’ country estate, Cliveden, as well as snippets on her friends Coward, Myra Hess, Beatrice Lillie, and Stephen Potter.

The Princeton Branch of the English-Speaking Union (E-SU) is one of 68 local branches of the E-SU in the United States. A non-profit, non-political, educational organization, its primary goal is one of educational outreach and the usage of the English language to promote international understanding, friendship and goodwill. It meets once a month from October through June and holds events on Sunday afternoons with a speaker on a topic of interest and an opportunity to socialize with sherry, soft drinks, and finger eats afterward.

For more information, contact: princeton@esuus.org, or visit: www.esuus.org.

“A Taste of Coward and a Spoonful of Grenfell” will be held at the Lawrenceville School’s Kirby Art Center. All are welcome and for non-members of the English-Speaking Union, a contribution of $10 is suggested.