‘Me and My Girl’ ready to go
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THE curtain is set to raise on Dundalk Music Society’s last production, the hilarious musical comedy ‘ Me and My Girl’ which opens in An Tain Arts Centre tomorrow night, for four nights at 8p.m.
Featuring a host of well loved songs including the famous Lambert Walk, The Sun Has Got His Hat On, and Leaning on a Lamppost, the show was originally staged in London’s West End in 1937 and was one of the first musicals to be televised. Stephen Fry revived the script in 1986 for a run that won a hatful of Olivier, Drama Desk and Tony Awards,
It tells the story of an unrefined cockney who comes into a fortune and the efforts of his new found relatives to cultivate him and prize him away from his girl.
After the death of Lord Hareford,his will reveals the shocking news that he sired an illegitimate heir during a youthful dalliance with a working class woman. The heir is tracked down and brought to Hareford Hall for the family’s inspection and they discover, to their horror, that he is Bill Snibson (Anthony Fitzpatrick), a common cockney Lambeth, who was located by the family solicitor Herbert Parchester (Martin Gogarty).
Most of them want nothing to do with him, but the Duchess of Dene (Orlaith Crosbie) is determined to make a gentleman of the young man and to separate him from his sweetheart Sally (Orla Sheridan). Lady Jacqueline Carstone (Carol McCourt) is equally determined to part the young lovers, but with a different motive, and ditches her fiancé Gerald Bolingbroke (Alan Doherty) to move in on the new Lord and snag a share of his millions.
Bill is pulled in many different directions, creating various comic situations, until finally the Duchess persuades Sally to leave Bill and allow him to be- come a gentleman unimpeded by her love. However, kindly Uncle John (Tim Ahern) pursues Sally and persuades her to take some elocution lessons from a friend of his on Wimpole Street and she returns to Hareford Hall as a lady, every bit Bill’s equal. But can they all live happily ever after?
Other roles are played by Dominic Keating, Karyn McCooey, Gerry O’Hara, Olive Curran, Brian Halpin and James Brennan along with the 40 strong chorus of singers and dancers.
Direction is in the very capable hands of Colin Hughes, choreography by Lea Carroll, Ronan Dennedy as musical director and Ann McCabe as chorus mistress. Phyllis Woods as costume mistress has the mammoth task of making sure the cast of 50 plus are all well turned out in their costumes, while stage manger Niall McCooey and his team will build the impressive set and make sure it moves with precision and ease.
Tickets, €12 on Wednesday, €15 other nights, are on sale at An Tain box office, 9332332 or online at www.antain.ie