Letter: 'Noël Coward hugely admired Elaine Stritch'

In 1961 Noël Coward cast Elaine Stritch as Mimi Paragon in his musical Sail Away, for which she later received a Tony nomination. Coward, who knew a thing or two about leading ladies, had huge admiration for "Stritchie", as he called her, and the feeling, it seems, was mutual. They became firm friends and remained in contact throughout the rest of his life.

She would often sing Coward songs in her cabaret acts and, indeed, in Elaine Stritch at Liberty, delivered a hilarious performance of his song Why Do the Wrong People Travel? and a moving interpretation of If Love Were All, as well as telling stories of their association.