Graham Payn facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Graham Payn
Graham Payn with Mary Martin from a publicity still from the 1946 musical Pacific 1860
Born	25 April 1918 Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
Died	4 November 2005(2005-11-04) (aged 87) Les Avants, Switzerland
Nationality	South African
Occupation	actor, singer
Years active	1931–73
Partner(s)	Noël Coward

Graham Payn (born April 25, 1918 – died November 4, 2005) was an actor and singer from South Africa. He was also known for his close connection with the famous writer and composer, Noël Coward. Graham started his career as a young boy with a high singing voice, called a boy soprano. He later became a successful singer and actor, often appearing in plays and shows created by Noël Coward. After Coward passed away, Graham Payn managed Coward's important works and belongings for over 20 years.

Early Life and Education

Graham Payn was born in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. His parents were Francis Dawney Payn and Sybil Graham. He went to school in South Africa. After his parents divorced, he continued his education in England.

Graham Payn's Acting and Singing Career

Graham Payn first appeared on stage when he was 13 years old. This was at the London Palladium theatre, where he played the character Curly in the play Peter Pan. In October 1931, he sang on the BBC radio as a boy soprano. He made more radio appearances in 1932 and 1933.

First Big Break: Words and Music

When he was 14, Graham tried out for a show called Words and Music (1932). This show was created by Noël Coward and Charles B. Cochran. Graham's audition was very special: he sang "Nearer My God to Thee" while also doing a tap dance! This amazing performance helped him get two small parts in the show.

For 163 performances, he played a street musician who entertained people waiting in line for a movie. He also announced another popular song from the show, "Mad Dogs and Englishmen".

Voice Change and Teaching Dance

Graham also appeared in films as a boy soprano in 1932. After Words and Music finished, he signed a contract to sing in cinemas across Britain. However, this tour was cancelled because his voice suddenly changed, becoming deeper.

Since he could no longer sing as a boy soprano, he went back to South Africa with his mother. While working on Words and Music, Graham had learned tap dancing from the show's choreographer, Buddy Bradley. To earn money in South Africa, he taught dance at schools in Durban and Johannesburg, using the dance moves he learned from Bradley.

Return to England and World War II

Graham came back to England in 1936. He often sang as a light baritone on the radio. He also appeared on the new television service in variety shows in 1938 and 1939. He was also cast in radio plays.

His first adult role in London's West End theatres came just two weeks before World War II started. This was in a song and dance show called Sitting Pretty. After this, all the theatres closed. Graham volunteered to join the army but was discharged after a few weeks due to a health issue.

Working with Noël Coward

In 1941 and 1942, Graham appeared in two revues (shows with songs, dances, and sketches) called Up and Doing and Fine and Dandy. In Fine and Dandy, Graham and Patricia Burke sang "This Can't Be Love" and later, Coward's "London Pride".

One night, Noël Coward came backstage after the show. Graham later wrote that he was very nervous because he hadn't seen Coward for almost 10 years. But he was happy that Coward remembered him. Coward told him, "Very good. Splendid."

After appearing in a few other shows, Coward offered Graham a main role in his new show, Sigh No More. Graham wrote in his memories that this show "marked the beginning of a personal and professional relationship between Noël and myself that would last until his death."

Coward often helped Graham's career. Some people thought Coward praised Graham's talents too much. Graham always received good reviews for his acting, but he knew he wasn't a huge star. Coward eventually realized this too. He wrote that Graham was "a born drifter" and that his acting career hadn't been a big success. Coward loved him dearly and was happy to support him, but he wished Graham had more drive.

In 1951, Graham returned to revues in London. He and Cole Lesley, Coward's assistant, even wrote a song together for one show. This show was very successful. The next year, they had another successful show. Coward also cast Graham in an American tour of some of his plays. These shows were well-received on tour but didn't do well on Broadway.

In London, Graham appeared in Coward's new works like Pacific 1860, Ace of Clubs, After the Ball, and Waiting in the Wings. Graham's performances were well-reviewed, even though the shows themselves were not very successful. In the 1960s, he played a supporting role in Coward's play Present Laughter.

Film Roles

Graham Payn also acted in some films. In 1949, he was in a drama about a youth detention center called Boys in Brown. He appeared in two films with Noël Coward: The Astonished Heart (1950) and The Italian Job (1969). In The Italian Job, Coward played a criminal leader, and Graham played his assistant.

Graham Payn's Filmography

Later Life and Legacy

After Noël Coward passed away in 1973, Graham Payn's main job became managing Coward's important works and belongings. This was a big responsibility that he didn't expect. However, he handled it with great care and focus. Coward's biographer, Philip Hoare, wrote that Graham proved Coward's own opinion of him wrong by publishing his memories and successfully managing Coward's estate. Graham was described as a kind and straightforward person who will be missed by his many friends.

Graham Payn wrote a book called Noël Coward and His Friends (1979) with Sheridan Morley and Cole Lesley. He also helped edit The Noël Coward Diaries (1982). In 1994, Graham wrote his own life story, called My Life With Noël Coward.

In 1988, 15 years after Coward's death, Graham gave their home in Jamaica, called the Firefly Estate, to the Jamaica National Heritage Trust. He kept their other home, Chalet Covar, in Les Avants, Switzerland. Graham Payn passed away there in 2005, at the age of 87.