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 stockbrokerMr David Bathurst
Floot an ex-four-wheeler driverMr Charles Dixon
Vernon BlundellteMr Alan Jackson
Commodore Parker of the Blundell Line of BoatsMr Malcolm Lawrence
Hodson Chief Manager of the WorksMr Mark Everitt
Delia Dale of the Perfume Department of the WorksMiss Rebecca Grove
Marie Silvaine Head of the Packing DepartmentMiss Stephanie Peat
Brenda Blacker Floot's Wife (maiden name)Miss Ann Bray
Lady Rosabelle Merrydew Lord Bicester's FiancéeMiss Shirley Burrington
Nancy   Miss Gillian Wintle
Emmelinea party guestMiss Alison McCaffrey
SybilHead of the Accounts DepartmentMiss 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
1Opening Chorus (Soap Girl)
2Song (Marie) & Chorus "Get a move on"
3Duet (Delia & Vernon) "Love"
4Song (Lord Bicester) "The other chap"
5Duet (Mrs Blacker & Parker) "The Kitchen Range"
6Chorus of Welcome
7Duet (Lord Bicester & Delia) "Ladies"
8Duet (Marie & Floot) "When the ladies have their way"
9Octette men "Men of Business"
10Song (Mrs Blacker) & Chorus "Brighton"
11Song (Delia) & Chorus "A Tiny Touch"
12Finale (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