Present Laughter.

signed

A signed first edition of Present Laughter by the playwright Noel Coward. Coward won multiple awards across his lifetime and even had a West End theatre posthumously named after him. Present Laughter was a comic, and semi-autobiographical play he wrote in 1939, though due to the start of the Second World War it was not put on for the first time until 1942. Coward himself played the protagonist, an egotistical comedy actor preparing to tour in Africa who encounters a series of farce-like issues and a mid-life crisis.

First UK edition, inscribed by the author to front free endpaper 'For 'Hxxx' / From / Noël'; 8vo (19 x 13.5 cm); age-toned, some occasional spotting to outer edge of text-block else very good; publisher's purple cloth boards with gilt lettering to spine, upper board and spine a little soiled from age with signs of wear to upper and lower spine, supplied dust-jacket with yellow and black decoration, a little soiled, primarily to lower panel and edges of upper panel, rubbed at extremities with small tears to top of upper panel, top of rear panel and lower spine, not affecting text, small tear to spine affecting 'G' of laughter, though still legible, stain to rear panel, else a good copy given age; 92pp.