COWARD, NOEL ), English playwright and actor, was born at Teddington on Dec. 16, 1899, and was educated privately. He made his stage debut as a child, and developed into a competent actor. As a playwright his skilful management of dia logue and his frank avowal of certain modern tendencies quickly won him recognition as one of the most brilliant of the younger dramatists. Among his most successful plays have been Fallen Angels and Hay Fever (1925) ; Easy Virtue (1926) ; Private Lives (1930) ; Design for Living (1933).
Cavalcade (1932), a historical play, differs from most of his other work, and proved, perhaps, his greatest success. Coward's extraordinary versatility is further evidenced by a number of musical plays and revues, for some of which he composed the music. Such productions include This Year of Grace (1928), Bit ter Sweet (1929), and and Music (1932). His autobiog raphy, Present Indicative, appeared in