Colin Firth has signed on to play
actor-singer-playwright Noel Coward in an upcoming film titled Mad
Dogs and Englishmen.
The story follows Coward's two-week
engagement at the Dessert Inn in 1955, which drew big crowds,
according to The
Hollywood Reporter.
Coward, a British import, published
more than 50 plays, composed hundreds of songs, and produced over a
dozen musical theatre works. His career spanned six decades.
Best known for his flamboyance, Time
magazine described Coward as possessing “a sense of personal style,
a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise.”
Coward died in 1973 at the age of 74.
He did not disclose publicly that he was gay; however his long-time
partner, Graham Payn, discussed their relationship after Coward's
death.
It is the third gay role for Firth,
whose portrayal of a gay man mourning the death of his lover in Tom
Ford's big screen adaptation of Christopher Isherwood's 1964 novel A
Single Man was nominated for an Academy Award. He also played a
gay character in the 2008 film Mamma Mia!