Andy Capp

Book by Trevor Peacock
Music by Alan Price
Lyrics by Alan Price and Trevor Peacock

First performed at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester and subsequently at the Aldwych Theatre in 1982 with Tom Courtenay, Alan Price and Val McLane heading the cast.

Synopsis

This exuberant musical, with a delightful score, conjures up the timeless dream world of work shy, beer-swilling Andy Capp, known the world over from Reg Smythe's cartoon strip in the Daily Mirror

The story is essentially a narrative setting an upcoming wedding (of Raquel and Elvis) against the ongoing fracas in Andy and Flo's household. But it is also a faithful evocation of the cartoon, full of mother-in-law jokes, drunken escapades, big-bosomed, mini-skirted women wielding rolling pins and paunchy, cloth-capped men stomping around in boots.

• "Lively, free-spirited show" Daily Mail
  
• "Alan Price's score is always enjoyable and in one number is superlative". City Limits
  
• "Andy Capp: anecdotal, larky, fun." New Statesman
  
• "An innocent, warm-hearted, gutsy frolic" - Daily Telegraph

The Cast:

M11 F9. Extras may be used

Original London Cast

Characters in order of appearance:

• Geordie ALAN PRICE
• Vicar COLIN PROCKTER
• Linda NICKY CROYDON
• Jack TREVOR COOPER
• Andy Capp TOM COURTENAY
• Percy COLIN PROCKTER
• Olga ANGELA MORAN
• Chalkie JOHN BARDON
• Pauline FIONA MATHIESON
• Elvis Horsepole MICHAEL MUELLER
• Penny SALLY BENTLEY
• Dawn JOY GRAHAM
• Fred STANLEY FLEET
• Ruby JUDITH BARKER
• Florence Capp VAL McLANE
• Ron DAVID BLUESTONE
• Passerby TREVOR COOPER
• Raquel Scrimmett NICKY CROYDON
• Mrs Scrimmett VIVIENNE ROSS
• Mr Scrimmett ROBERT VAHEY

The Scenes

Various simple interior and exterior settings

Musical Numbers

1. On My Street - Geordie
2. We're Waiting - The Company
3. Good Evening - The Company
4. I Ought to be Ashamed of Myself - Andy and The Company
5. Good Old Legs - Andy and Chalkie
6. I Have a Dream - Raquel and Elvis
7. Oh Gawd, Men...Beasts! - Mrs Scrimmett
8. Points of View - The Company
9. Spend Spend Spend - Flo, Ruby and Raquel
10. Don't Tell Me That Again - Andy and Flo
11. Frozen Moments - Geordie
12. I Could Not Have Dreamed Him - Raquel
13. Goin' to Barcelona - Mrs Scrimmett
14. Hermione - Andy
15. When You've Lived in Love with Someone - Flo
16. Mr Scrimmett - Mr Scrimmett
17. The Trouble with People - Andy and Geordie
18. It's Better to be in Simple Harmony - The Company
19. The Wedding - The Company
20. I Ought to be Ashamed of Myself (reprise) - Andy and The Company
21. Simple Harmony (reprise) - The Company

Orchestration

Piano Conductor, Woodwind 1, Woodwind 2, Trumpet, Trombone, Guitar 1, Drums, Bass, Synthesiser