'Set to Music': Noël Coward Adapts 'Words and Music' for Broadway

Set to Music is a significant revue, particularly as it was a first on several aspects: Coward’s first musical adaptation, his first solo Broadway revue and his first show without Charles B. Cochran, and at a time when the revue genre was also evolving. It is an adaptation of his London revue Words and Music (1932) in which he had full control – he directed and wrote the entire show. In writing Set to Music, Coward adapted his work specifically for an American audience, whilst simultaneously continuing the development and maturity of the Intimate Revue. I will chart the adaptation process from the show’s genesis through to Coward cutting and adapting sketches from Words and Music and rewriting new ones specifically for Set to Music before looking at its critical reception. In turn, I will offer explanations as to why he made these decisions.

This thesis is the first time that a Noël Coward musical adaptation has been discussed and Set to Music is an interesting point in which to begin the process of examining his musical works. Furthermore, this study bridges the gap between the early musical revues and the post-war musicals; it has furthered research on revues which is a marginalised genre in terms of literature on them.