Noel Coward wrote Present Laughter in 1939, and it was in rehearsal when war was declared. As a result it wasn't performed until 1942. Many thanks to Classic British Telly for posting this Granada adaptation of it (if only by mistake) from 1964. There are lots more good things on that YouTube channel.
It was shown as the first in a season of four of The Master's plays - A Choice of Coward. There are a fair number of fluffed lines, so it was either shown live or recorded under time pressure.
Yes, the acting is theatrical, but then it has to be. This is Coward satirising the theatre and satirising himself - he even starts to do so in his short prologue to camera.
Peter Wyngarde is convincing in the lead role, and James Bolam - 1964 was also the year The Likely Lads began - is an an eccentric young playwright. His appearance is surely based on that of Leicester's leading existentialist, Colin Wilson.
If you want a good read, try the Wikipedia entry for Peter Wyngarde,
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