Semi-Monde

The first single edition of No l Coward's most controversial play.&quote;Onlyin Semi-Monde does Coward find a successful metaphor for the sexualcomplications that lie behind his posturing. Semi-Monde is easily themost visually daring of his comedies, and the most intellectuallystartling ... made up of sexually mischievous tableauxvivants and gets much nearer the homosexual knuckle than Coward'spublic image allowed.&quote; - (John Lahr, London Review of Books)Writtenin 1926 and originally entitled Ritz Bar, Semi-Monde was considered toodaring for its time: &quote;its production in London or New York seemedunlikely as some of the characters, owing to lightly suggestedabnormalities, would certainly be deleted by the censor&quote; (No l Coward,Present Indicative). The play finally received its public premiere onlyafter Coward's death, at the Citizen's Theatre, Glasgow, in September1977.