Interview: Stephen Unwin

Of all the plays in all the world, why Hay Fever?

Well, Noel Coward is a local boy, he comes from Teddington. And I consider him to be one of the great great great writers in the English language of the 20th century. It’s an early comedy and it’s his most perfect jewel. He called it ‘a comedy of bad manners’.

So what’s it about?

It’s about the Bliss family. They are Bohemians: an actress, her husband and their two precocious children. Each has invited a visitor unbeknown to the others. It’s absolute mayhem.

What’s this Bohemianism all about?

I’ve been doing some research, and I’ve been quite amused and amazed by it. They had a lifestyle that even a modern liberated audience might find shocking. A level of lifestyle, innovation and experimentation that was not repeated until the 60s. The family is so tight that no one can get in.

Where does Coward fit into the family tree of great British writers?

He is part of a long line of humour and comedy starting with As You LIke It, coming through Congreve, and Goldsmith through to Wilde. It’s a golden thread of humour. I think Hay Fever represents the best of English comedy which recognises the importance of being trivial, the importance of that in terms of a balance of life. And there’s lots of psychological depth there too.

Whither the Rose next?

We’ve got The Three Musketeers coming after Hay Fever. That will be our very first musical. These are our homegrown shows. We’ve had eight so far including A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Judi Dench which was just a dream! The single most important thing that I can do, as Artistic Director here, is to keep on working out how I can keep producing our home-grown work.

And the single most important thing we can do?

What can people do? Well, keep buying the tickets, keep coming to the Rose, join the Friends, become a Production Patron. The Rose has a very big embrace - it’s not elitist or a private place for artists.

Celia Imrie stars in Hay Fever by Noel Coward at the Rose from 23 September. The Three Musketeers opens 27 November. www.rosetheatrekingston.org