Coward’s play, written in 1939 and first produced in 1942 in the United Kingdom, and in 1946 in the United States is a hugely funny comedy of manners surround the domestic life of a famous stage actor, a rather wicked self-portrait of the author surrounded by a circle of friends and business partners, and plagued by a few ill-behaved fans. The first word of the title is pronounced as a verb, and assuredly has that effect when presented to an audience.

This 2017 edition of the acting script is introduced by Moritz von Stuelpnagal the director of the Broadway production that opened in April 2017, so it’s to be presumed that the technical details: stage directions, props lists, and stage design are based on that production. ( )