Gay's the Word
Book and music by Ivor Novello. Lyrics by Alan Melville
Premiered at the Palace Theatre, Manchester - 17 October
1950
Transferred to the Saville Theatre 16 February, 1951 (504
perfs.)
Gay's The Word is really a series of set pieces linked with dialogue and sub plot.
The Story
Gay Daventry is to bring a musical to London but which, in the event, it turns out to be a flop. It was a "Novello-type" musical and the author-composer started the show with a satire on his own work. After a Novello love song, Gay leaves the theatre to muse on the show's unlikely prospects.
The ingénue of the show offers Gay £2000 to set up a drama school which she does - in Folkestone. A subplot follows the fortunes of a couple of smugglers who are anxious to use the school as a front for their operations. Teaching her students ballet, Gay drums into her pupils the recipe for success is "Vitality".
Act 2 takes place as the end-of-term show at the Town Hall. The school's dance teacher having resigned means that Gay has to go on stage as a Greek dancer. Other scenes include an auction scene in which Gay, disguised as an auctioneer sells off the contents of her basement, including a trunk used by the smugglers to conceal their contraband. The final scene is the new show which gets Gay and her pupils back on to the professional stage.
Cast:
- Prince
- Rosetta`
- Gay Daventry
- Stage Door Keeper
- Mrs Cheadle
- Peter Lynton
- Monica Stevens
- Birdie Wentworth
- Madame Nicolini
- Margaret Fallowfield
- Pierre Silvano
- Sir Claude Burton
Plus Chorus
Musical Numbers
- Ruritania - The Boys
- Everything Reminds Me Of You - Prince, Linda and Chorus
- Guards On Parade - Gay and Boys
- It's Bound To Be Right On The Night - Gay
- Father Thames - Madame Nicolini and Students
- Finder, Please Return - Linda
- An Englishman In Love - Peter
- If Only He'D Looked My Way - Gay
- Vitality! - Gay and Company
- Teaching - Madame Nicolini, Monica and Margaret
- Vitality! Reprise - Reprise Linda, Gay and Company
- Sweet Thames - Linda, Boys and Girls
- Gaiety Glad - Gay and Company
- If Only He'D Looked My Way Reprise - Gay and Peter
- A Matter Of Minutes - Peter and Linda
- A Matter Of Minutes Reprise - Peter and Linda
- On Such A Night As This - Linda, Girls and Boys
- Bees Are Buzzin' - Gay and Company
- Bees Are Buzzin' Reprise - Gay and Company
- Finale - The Company