Martin and Gray labored over the score and script for nearly a decade before it reached the stage. According to Coward's diaries, he had grown impatient with the slow pace and was ready to turn down the project. But Coward was so impressed when Martin and Gray auditioned the score for him, he gave the show the green light. "It is quite brilliant," he wrote. "The music is melodic and delightful, the lyrics really witty."