June 16th 2012 |
Concert £6 (£8) |
"The Sunshine Girl" (1912) |
Music by Paul A. Rubens
Lyrics by Paul A. Rubens & Arthur Wimperis
An Amateur Concert Centenary Revival by members and friends
Musical Director: Mr Geoffrey Porter
Piano: Mr Rex Latter
Narrator: Miss Marion Porter
The show was produced by George Edwardes at the Gaiety Theatre, London, opening on 24th February, 1912 and running for 336 performances. Port Sunlight is the real life suburb on which the setting of the musical is based. The show introduced the tango to British audiences.
Lord Bicester | a young stockbroker | Mr David Bathurst |
Floot | an ex-four-wheeler driver | Mr Charles Dixon |
Vernon Blundellte | Mr Alan Jackson |
Commodore Parker | of the Blundell Line of Boats | Mr Malcolm Lawrence |
Hodson | Chief Manager of the Works | Mr Mark Everitt |
Delia Dale | of the Perfume Department of the Works | Miss Rebecca Grove |
Marie Silvaine | Head of the Packing Department | Miss Stephanie Peat |
Brenda Blacker | Floot's Wife (maiden name) | Miss Ann Bray |
Lady Rosabelle Merrydew | Lord Bicester's Fiancée | Miss Shirley Burrington |
Nancy | | Miss Gillian Wintle |
Emmeline | a party guest | Miss Alison McCaffrey |
Sybil | Head of the Accounts Department | Miss Ros Lawrence |
Soap Girl | | Miss Barbara Leech |
Chorus: above + Pat Alderton, Glenda Ashdown-Watts, Derek Debuse
Irene Elborn,
Anita Hayward, Peter Hayward, Avril Mitchell
Gloria Mowatt, Claire Murphy, Mabel Padfield, Jo Shannon
Roger Tilbury, William Tubey, Janice Walter, Linda Ward
Act One | Port Sunshine |
1 | Opening Chorus | (Soap Girl) |
2 | Song | (Marie) & Chorus | "Get a move on" |
3 | Duet | (Delia & Vernon) | "Love" |
4 | Song | (Lord Bicester) | "The other chap" |
5 | Duet | (Mrs Blacker & Parker) | "The Kitchen Range" |
6 | Chorus of Welcome |
7 | Duet | (Lord Bicester & Delia) | "Ladies" |
8 | Duet | (Marie & Floot) | "When the ladies have their way" |
9 | Octette men | "Men of Business" |
10 | Song | (Mrs Blacker) & Chorus | "Brighton" |
11 | Song | (Delia) & Chorus | "A Tiny Touch" |
12 | Finale | (Bicester, Hodson, Floot, Delia, Vernon, Rosabelle, Blacker) |
~ Interval ~
Act Two | A Party at Mr Blundell's Private House at Port Sunshine |
13(13) | Opening Chorus |
14(15) | Quartet | (Marie, Mrs Blacker, Floot, & Lord Bicester) | "The Butler" |
15(18) | Song | (Lord Bicester) & Chorus | "Little girl, mind how you go" |
16 (int) | Song | (Emmeline) & Chorus | "Nottin' 'Ill" |
17(19) | Duet | (Lord Bicester & Floot) | "In your defence" |
18(20) | Song | (Lady Rosabelle & Chorus of Workgirls) | "Miss Blush" |
19(21) | Duet | (Delia & Lord Bicester) | "The Argentine" |
20(22) | Song | (Mrs Blacker) & Chorus | "I've been to the Durbar" |
21(int) | Song | (Nancy) & Chorus | "All little boys" |
22(int) | Song | (Delia) | "I Love the Moon" |
23(int) | Duet | (Sybil & Parker) & Chorus | "Ozone" |
24(23) | Finale |
Synopsis: The hero, Vernon Blundell, has inherited the great "Sunshine" Soap Factory at Port Sunshine, but in the will his uncle inserted a clause that Vernon must not be engaged or married within the space of five years, otherwise the whole property will be vested in the various heads of departments on a co-operative basis. Vernon, however, had for some months been working in the factory as an ordinary "hand" and in that space of time had fallen in love with pretty Delia Dale, an assistant in the perfumery department. He wants her to love him for himself, rather than his position, and accordingly he arranges for his friend, Lord Bicester, commonly known as "Bingo", to personate him and pose as head of the establishment.
After some demur, "Bingo" agrees to the proposition and trusts to chance that his identity will not be discovered. Unfortunately, he quickly finds himself in a tangle of complications. He is recognised by his fiancée, Lady Rosabelle Meridew, and also by Floot, an ex-cabman, who once drove him from a Covent Garden Fancy Dress Ball after a night of more than ordinary exhilaration. Floot arrives at Port Sunshine on his way from Land's End to John o' Groats, his purpose being to win a £50 prize for walking offered by an enterprising newspaper to whomsoever shall accomplish the journey without begging, borrowing or stealing. Floot immediately sees that he has a good thing on, and Lord Bicester has to purchase his silence by making him the general manager of the works.
Floot is married to Brenda Blacker, who was "Bingo's" travelling companion on his journey home from the ball. She is now engaged as a cook in the household of the Lady Rosabelle and is also carrying on a flirtation with a longshoreman, known as Commodore Parker. At the end, it is declared that no law can stop a man from marrying the woman he loves, and in that manner the terms of the will are over-ridden, and Vernon and Delia prepare to "live happily ever after".
Previous last nights: |
2000 | | The Geisha | Sidney Jones | 1896 |
2001 | | The Arcadians | Monckton & Talbot | 1909 |
2002 | | The Maid of the Mountains | Harold Fraser-Simson | 1917 |
2003 | | An Anniversary Miscellany |
2004 | * | A Country Girl | Lionel Monckton | 1902 |
2005 | * | The Quaker Girl | Lionel Monckton | 1910 |
2006 | * | Miss Hook of Holland | Paul Rubens | 1907 |
2007 | * | San Toy | Sidney Jones | 1899 |
2008 | * | A Greek Slave | Sidney Jones | 1898 |
2009 | * | Our Miss Gibbs | Caryll & Monckton | 1909 |
2010 | * | A Runaway Girl | Caryll & Monckton | 1898 |
2011 | * | A Chinese Honeymoon | Howard Talbot | 1899 |
| * | CD recordings available from Tony Borrow |