In A Song At Twilight in a swiss hotel in the 1960’s wealthy writer Sir Hugo Latymer is forced to confront his past when an old paramour, Carlotta, turns up and despite seeming friendly on the surface it appears she has blackmail on her mind with proof of Sir Hugo’s ambiguous sexuality in the shape of love letters written to an old boyfriend.
Broadcast just two days after Come Into The Garden Maud, A Song At Twilight was one of the last plays written by Coward and was usually performed in conjunction with Maud. Sir Hugo is supposedly based on Somerset Maugham but Scofield’s performance here also carries echoes of Coward himself. More drama than comedy and basically an extended talk piece between the three leads and all set in the same hotel suite.
production details
UK / BBC Two / 1×85 minute episode / Broadcast 9 July 1982 @ 9.00pm
Writer: Noel Coward / Costumes: Colin Lavers / Illustrations (for opening titles): Tom Taylor / Production Design: Don Taylor / Producer: Rosemary Hill / Director: Cedric Messina
Series: Playhouse
cast
PAUL SCOFIELD as Sir Hugo Latymer
DEBORAH KERR as Carlotta Gray
JUNE TOBIN as Hilde Latymer
BRUCE LIDINGTON as Felix
