[2] By 1926 The Vortex (1924) and Hay Fever (1925) had made Coward's name,[1] and the producer Basil Dean staged The Queen Was in the Parlour, directing it himself.
Nadya is horrified, but the general convinces her that it is her duty, as the country is dangerously unstable, with revolution in the air, and her presence may calm matters.
A shot is heard: someone has tried to shoot Nadya as she arrives in her carriage, but the assassin's aim was deflected by a man in the crowd.
Nadya and Keri meet for the first time, and amicably agree that the interests of state oblige them to marry, although each has had to give up a true love to do so.
The shrewd old Grand Duchess Emilie, who has seen off three husbands, arrives for tea with the royal couple and General Krish, and quickly sees how matters rest.
The Queen Was in the Parlour was revived at the Malvern Festival in 1932, by a company including Kate Cutler and the young James Mason.
Mander and Mitchenson's Theatrical Companion to Noël Coward (2000) notes that there has never been a major London or New York revival.
[9] The press expressed mild surprise that Coward, who had gained fame for his daringly controversial The Vortex, should turn to Ruritanian romance, but the reviews were generally friendly.