The Vortex
From: Wednesday, 20th February 2008
To: Saturday, 7 June 2008
Our Review: 
Your Reviews:
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Synopsis
England in the 1920s - the post-War party is in full swing, the English are living life to the full and the enchanting if middle-aged Florence remains a sparkling beauty on the fashionable scene. When her son Nicky returns from Paris with a secret, the veneer of charm and decadence begins to disintegrate as guilty truths are confronted... The Vortex created a notorious sensation when premiered in 1924 with its brave depiction of the darkness behind the dazzle of the Bright Young Things. Noel Coward's career was launched by this compelling, stylish story of the jazz generation dancing its way into a whirlwind of desire and deceit.
Our Review:
27 February 2008
Felicity Kendal’s stage career has consistently challenged her television sitcom wholesomeness, not least in her recent collaborations with Peter Hall as director: Winnie in Beckett’s Happy Days, Esme in David Hare’s Amy’s View and now, most remarkably of all, perhaps, Florence Lancaster in Noel Coward’s The Vortex.
Florence is a married bitch of an actress with a musician son, Nicky, whose return from a debauched year or two in Paris prompts a split with her toy boy lover – he is the latest in a string of them – and an incestuous bedroom showdown with the raw emotionalism of the closet scene in Hamlet or the wound-dressing flare-up in The Seagull.
No wonder the Lord Chamberlain reached for his red pencil in 1924. But Coward’s triumph was the launch pad of his astonishing career. The writer renowned for “cocktails and laughter” always added “but what comes after, nobody knows...” Florence is scatty and superficial, yes. But she is ...
Latest User Review
Barry C - 4 June 2008:
Saw this last night and loved it! The outstanding performances of Felicity Kendal and Dan Stevens were a masterclass in acting - if only I could be so good. Loved the whole production but agree with the fact that two intervals does intrude on the dramatic flow - but loved it! ...
Cast
Felicity Kendal (Florence)
Dan Stevens (Nicky)
Phoebe Nicholls (Helen)
Barry Stanton (Pawnie)
Annette Badland (Clara)
Daniel Pirrie (Tom)
Paul Ridley (David)
Cressida Trew (Bunty)
Timothy Speyer (Bruce)
Vivien Keene (Preston)
Creative
Noel Coward (Author)
Peter Hall (Director)
Alison Chitty (Design)
Paul Pyant (Lighting)
Gregory Clarke (Sound)
Laila Diallo (movement) (Director)
Mick Sands (Music)
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