WATCH: Exploring the not-so-secret gay life of famed playwright & performer Noël Coward
Acclaimed actor, playwright, songwriter, singer, and director Noël Coward was the very definition of a Rennaissance man.
Born to a working class family in the suburbs of London in 1899, he turned his passion for the arts into a multi-faceted career that established him as one of the most revered voices in entertainment, from the West End to Broadway, thanks especially to his hit plays like Private Lives and Blithe Spirit (by 30, he was already the highest paid writer in the world!).
He was also gay—a truth that almost everyone knew, but no one talked about.
Your dose of fabulosi-TEA
Subscribe to our newsletter for your front-row seat to all things entertainment with a sprinkle of everything else queer.
Of course, that’s not the most surprising thing considering the era Coward rose to prominence. But it’s only in recent years that we’ve begun to fully appreciate the impact her made, not just as a dramatist, but as a queer dramatist.
While his work was never expressly gay, it was undoubtedly imbued with his queer sensibilities. Take for example, “Mad About The Boy,” one of his most well-known numbers written for the comedy I’ll Leave It To You, originally intended to be sung by women daydreaming about their movie-star crush.
Related*
But, come on: “I know it’s stupid to be mad about the boy, I’m so ashamed of it but must admit, the sleepless nights I’ve had about the boy”? It’s not hard to read those lyrics from the perspective of a gay man!
While Coward largely kept his private life private, he did eventually find a hunky screen idol of his own: The South Africa-born stage and screen actor Graham Payn, who would appear in a number of the writer’s works over the years. The true nature of their decades-long romance was kept a secret until after Coward passed.
From his lovers to his lavish lifestyle to his lasting legacy, all of that and more is explored in the fascinating documentary Mad About The Boy: The Noël Coward Story—taking its name from his signature song, naturally!—directed by filmmaker Barnaby Thompson (who also helped produce Spice World, so let’s give him his flowers).
The film recounts his life, from impoverished childhood to jet-setting star up until his passing in 1973, told largely through his own words, music, and rarely seen home movies.
Listen carefully and you’ll hear a number of familiar voices. For one, many of Coward’s famous contemporaries and admirers—from Frank Sinatra to Lauren Bacall to Dame Maggie Smith—sing his praises via archival footage. And, reading direct from the icon’s diaries, as the voice of Noël Coward himself, is out (and recently married) star Rupert Everett.
Related*
And the whole thing is narrated by recent Emmy winner Alan Cumming, whose lilting Scottish brogue is the perfect compliment to Coward’s incredible story.
After premiering in U.K. theaters earlier this year, Mad About The Boy will be screening in U.S. theaters and available via digital VOD services beginning October 11. Ahead of the release, distributor Greenwich Entertainment has shared a trailer, which features rocker Adam Lambert’s gorgeous cover of “Mad About The Boy” from his 2023 album High Drama.
Watch the trailer for Mad About The Boy: The Noël Coward Story below:
