Editing Design for Living (section)

==Revivals and adaptations==

===Theatre===
The first London production of ''Design for Living'' opened at the [[Haymarket Theatre]] on 25 January 1939, later transferring to the [[Savoy Theatre]], and running for 233 performances. The run was cut short by the outbreak of [[World War II]]. Gilda was played by [[Diana Wynyard]], Otto by [[Anton Walbrook]] and Leo by [[Rex Harrison]]. By the time the play made its delayed debut in London [[Ivor Brown]] thought it "very much of its time and already seems a trifle faded. It will not be long before they revive it in costume as a specimen comedy of 'early thirties' manners."<ref>''[[The Observer]]'', 29 January 1939, p. 11</ref>

The first major revival was at the [[Phoenix Theatre (London)|Phoenix Theatre]], London, shortly after Coward's death in 1973. [[Vanessa Redgrave]] played Gilda, with [[John Stride]] and [[Jeremy Brett]] as Otto and Leo.<ref>Wardle, Irving. "Design for Living", ''[[The Times]]'', 22 November 1973, p. 12</ref> In 1982, at the [[Greenwich Theatre]] and then the [[Gielgud Theatre|Globe Theatre]], [[Maria Aitken]], [[Gary Bond]] and [[Ian Ogilvy]] played the lead roles.<ref>Chaillet, Ned. "Many-splendoured love triangle", ''The Times'', 22 June 1982, p. 15; and "Theatre", ''The Times'', 5 August 1982, p. 11</ref>

The first Broadway revival was in 1984 at Circle in the Square Theater, directed by [[George C. Scott]], starring [[Jill Clayburgh]] as Gilda, [[Raul Julia]] as Leo and [[Frank Langella]] as Otto.<ref>''The New York Times'', 21 June 1984</ref>

A 1994 revival of the play directed by [[Sean Mathias]] at the [[Donmar Warehouse]] theatre emphasised the sexual overtones of the play. Though the Coward estate had been wary of radical reinterpretations of the plays, the author's partner, [[Graham Payn]], attended at least one performance. The production featured [[Rachel Weisz]], [[Paul Rhys]] and [[Clive Owen]]. It transferred to the West End with Weisz, [[Rupert Graves]] and [[Marcus D'Amico]].<ref>Billington, Michael. "Every Which Way", ''[[The Guardian]]'', 8 September 1994, p. A4</ref><ref>Kelleway, Kate. "Ardour and Ardour", ''[[The Observer]]'', 26 February 1995, p. 2</ref>

A 2001 Broadway revival, directed by [[Joe Mantello]], starred [[Alan Cumming]] as Otto, [[Jennifer Ehle]] as Gilda and [[Dominic West]] as Leo.<ref>McGee, Celia. "He Has a Design for Success", ''The Daily News'', 15 March 2001, p. 46</ref> This version brought the gay subtext to the fore, and included a kiss between Otto and Leo.<ref>Schwarzbaum, Lisa. [https://ew.com/article/2001/03/23/design-living-2/ "Design for Living"], ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''</ref>

In July 2002 [[Marianne Elliott (director)|Marianne Elliott]] directed a production for the [[Royal Exchange, Manchester]] with Victoria Scarborough as Gilda, Clarence Smith as Leo and [[Oliver Milburn]] as Otto.<ref>Hickling, Alfred. "[https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2002/jul/05/theatre.artsfeatures1 "Design for Living"], ''The Guardian'', 5 July 2002</ref> [[The Old Vic]] Theatre, London, staged a revival in 2010, with [[Tom Burke (actor)|Tom Burke]] as Otto, [[Lisa Dillon]] as Gilda, and [[Andrew Scott (actor)|Andrew Scott]] as Leo.<ref>Purves, Libby. "Thirties erotic hotchpotch still startles", ''The Times'', 16 September 2010, p. 56</ref>

===Radio and television===
As part of the [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] ''[[ITV Play of the Week|Play of the Week]]'' series in August 1964 four Coward plays directed and produced by [[Joan Kemp-Welch]] were transmitted, including ''Design for Living'' with [[Jill Bennett (British actress)|Jill Bennett]] as Gilda, [[Daniel Massey (actor)|Daniel Massey]] as Leo, and [[John Wood (English actor)|John Wood]] as Otto.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20180718191627/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b9eea5e7c "Joan Kemp-Welch "], [[British Film Institute]], accessed 3 August 2018</ref>

A second television adaptation was broadcast by the [[BBC]] in its ''[[Play of the Month]]'' series in May 1979. [[Rula Lenska]] played Gilda with Clive Arrindell as Otto and [[John Steiner]] as Leo. The director was [[Philip Saville]].<ref>[https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/374b5f93a6c74d4abf16acbeca926e82 Play of the Month: Noël Coward's Design for Living], BBC Genome, accessed 31 March 2020</ref>

On BBC radio on 27 December 1976, [[Anna Massey]] played Gilda, with John Rye as Otto and [[Martin Jarvis (actor)|Martin Jarvis]] as Leo.<ref>[https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/6723156aa0ff4fcca7d8f8d9229df454 "The Monday Play"], BBC Genome, accessed 31 March 2020</ref>

===Cinema===
{{Main article|Design for Living (film)}}

The play was adapted into a [[pre-Code|pre-Hays code]] [[comedy film]] in 1933, directed by [[Ernst Lubitsch]], with a screenplay by [[Ben Hecht]], starring [[Fredric March]], [[Gary Cooper]], [[Miriam Hopkins]] and [[Edward Everett Horton]]. Coward said of the film adaptation, "I'm told that there are three of my original lines left in the film – such original ones as 'Pass the mustard'."<ref>Richards, p. 86</ref> The film's plot was as follows:

In Paris, Americans, playwright Tom Chambers and artist George Curtis, both fall in love with Gilda, an American commercial artist.  She cannot make up her mind which man she loves, so the three decide to live together platonically. At first, the three are friends, but as time goes by, the two men become more competitive.  Gilda decides to end the dispute by marrying her employer, Max Plunkett, but finds the marriage dull and stifling. After Tom and George crash a party at the Plunkett mansion, Gilda returns to the two men, and Max agrees to a divorce.