Noël Coward's Own Piano Will Be Featured in Reading Rep's PRIVATE LIVES

Making an entrance in the second half of Noël Coward's iconic romantic comedy PRIVATE LIVES at Reading Rep Theatre is a rather unusual star guest, a Bluthner baby grand piano that was once played by Coward himself. On loan from the Dicks family the piano was cherished by the award-winning composer Ted Dicks whose son Adam has generously made it possible for this piano, with an incredibly starry past, to once again play the music of Noël Coward in front of a live audience.

Adam Dix said…The baby grand was a cherished instrument of my fathers, Ted Dicks, and used continually throughout his professional career for compositions written for theatre, television and film. My father took ownership of the piano sometime in the late 1960's early 1970's having previously been owned by theatre producer Binkie Beaumont. Many musicians, lyricists, actors of the time would visit and the historical providence of Binkie Beaumont, Noël Coward and Ivor Novello is the story I remember. You could always hear the piano as you approached the house and days before my father died, he was putting final arrangements to the score of a musical he had written called 'Strip'. It is wonderful to put the piano and its previous custodians in the limelight once again. 

Ted Dicks was a writer and composer for the stage and screen. He won an Ivor Novello Award for his composition of the popular hit A Windmill in Old Amsterdam with lyrics by Myles Rudge. The pair were also famous for the Bernard Cribbins hits The Hole in the Ground and Right Said Fred. Coward famously selected The Hole in The Gound as one of his eight Desert Island Discs when he was interviewed on the renowned Radio 4 programme.

Private Lives Director Matthew Forbes added… “Noël Coward, renowned for his extraordinary talents in writing, directing, composing and acting, was often simply called “the Master” by his peers. I'm thrilled that this production brings together so many facets of his genius; his musical composition, his razor-sharp dialogue, and the timeless song ‘Someday I'll Find You', all woven into one experience. Having such a tangible connection to him, the piano once played by “the Master” in our production, feels more than a tribute; it's an opportunity to tap into his legacy and feel closer to his artistry. Hopefully, we can even channel a fraction of the brilliance that made his work so enduring.”

The upcoming production will star Olivier Award nominee Amy Di Bartolomeo (The Devil Wears Prada) as Amanda, Christopher Bonwell (The Mousetrap) as Elyot, Emile John (Emmerdale) as Victor, Rose-anna Nicholson as Louise, and Orla O'Sullivan (It's A Wonderful Life) as Sybil.