A Light Comedy in Three Acts.
London, Ernest Benn, Limited, 1925
Inscribed by Coward to an original cast member. The inscription to cast member Mary Robson reads: 'For Mary/With all, love and thanks/for your sweetness to me/Noel/1924' (assumed pre-publicaton copy). Front panel of original dust-jacket laid in, as well as a printed advertisement for the play's pre-West End run at the Everyman Theatre in Hampstead. The original printed wraparound band from the book: ' The Vortex/Now Being Played At The/Royalty Theatre, London' is also present; the play transferred to this West End theatre on Coward's birthday, 16 December 1924 and ran for a further 224 performances. It moved to the Comedy Theatre on 9th March, 1925 and then to the Little Theatre, on 4 May, 1925.
Mary Robson (1893-1977) first appeared with Coward in Cosmo Hamilton's comedy "Scandal" at the Strand Theatre; opening on December 7, 1918 and running for 237 performances. Her second appearance with Coward was her starring role in "The Vortex". Her final role with him was as the lead in "The Rat Trap", which opened at the Everyman Theatre on October 18, 1926, and ran for only 12 performances.
First edition; 8vo; inscribed by Coward on front free endpaper, age-toned but clean; publisher's blue cloth, printed paper labels to upper cover and spine (browned, more so to spine), endpapers lightly spotted, mild rubbing to extremities; preserved in a modern quarter blue morocco solander box by Baker Bindery, Alabama; (106), (1) (ads) pp.
Mary Robson (1893-1977) first appeared with Coward in Cosmo Hamilton's comedy "Scandal" at the Strand Theatre; opening on December 7, 1918 and running for 237 performances. Her second appearance with Coward was her starring role in "The Vortex". Her final role with him was as the lead in "The Rat Trap", which opened at the Everyman Theatre on October 18, 1926, and ran for only 12 performances.
First edition; 8vo; inscribed by Coward on front free endpaper, age-toned but clean; publisher's blue cloth, printed paper labels to upper cover and spine (browned, more so to spine), endpapers lightly spotted, mild rubbing to extremities; preserved in a modern quarter blue morocco solander box by Baker Bindery, Alabama; (106), (1) (ads) pp.
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