‘Hay Fever’ a departure from the average Noel Coward play
“Hay Fever” is the first play Noel Coward penned, even though it wasn’t the first one that made it to the stage from the page. But its place in Coward’s body of work makes it an interesting one to adapt to modern stages.
Even 100 years later, audiences can find a character or storyline in “Hay Fever” they can latch on to, according to the director of Butler Little Theatre’s upcoming production.
“’Hay Fever’ is basically the inside look of Noel Coward's impressions of an American actress,” Director Casey Bowser said. “From there it kind of spins into what it would look like to stay at the Bliss' house for an extended period of time.
“It puts a mirror up to British Society, specifically the upper crust... I almost kind of think it's his impression of what the real housewives would be, just in that time.”
Butler Little Theatre’s production features nine actors — a relatively large cast for the venue — and a set designed by a longtime contributor to the company, Keith Osbourne, whom Bowser said worked his magic on the living room set for “Hay Fever.”
The cast features Heidi Nicholls Bowser, Megan Flannery, Matt Leslie, Andrew Miller, Molly Miller, Jud Stewart, Sam Thinnes, Laila Taylor and Katy Wayne.
The play is comedic, which Bowser said mainly comes from the interactions between the members of the Bliss family.
Set in an English country house on the River Thames, “Hay Fever” begins when each of the four members of the Bliss family invites a guest to stay at the family estate for the weekend. This sets the stage for a series of raucous misunderstandings that explores the eccentric behavior of a family obsessed with acting and theatricality.
The story centers on Judith Bliss, an aging celebrity actress, and her novelist husband, David, who are both deeply immersed in their theatrical world. Their children also feel the effects of constant theatricality, leading to a humorous exploration of the blurry line between reality and performance, according to a synopsis on Butler Little Theatre’s website.
This version of “Hay Fever” sticks pretty close to the original text, but Bowser said the play being in the public domain means the Butler version could make a few changes. He said the Butler theater are mostly updating some of the language, but its version also removed a song that is featured in the original script.
Bowser said the play still tackles topics that people in 2026 can relate to.
“One of the nice things about doing any sort of play is that you do kind of get a wonderful sense of how things haven't changed that much,” Bowser said. “It's a nice little exercise in being a person and observing and interpreting the actions of others.”
Bowser also said anyone can likely find some humor in “Hay Fever,” but it also could lead to some funny interactions between audience members afterward, who may compare some of the characters to people in their own lives.
“The shows I like are the ones where people can go and have conversations about after. They say, ‘I can see somebody I know in that character,’” Bowser said.
“Hay Fever” shows at 7:30 p.m. May 29 and 30, and June 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, and at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, May 31, at Butler Little Theatre, 1 Howard St, Butler, PA 16001. Tickets are available online at butlerlittletheatre.com.
