Betty Blue Eyes

Musical in 2 acts: music by George Stiles; lyrics by Anthony Drewe; book by Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman based on the screenplay A Private Function by Alan Bennett and Malcolm Mowbray

Novello Theatre, London - 13 April 2011, (previews from 19 March 2011) - season until October 2011

Synopsis

An utterly British musical, full of eccentric characters, such as the strange odd couple, Gilbert – an evangelistic chiropodist, and Joyce – a nobody determined to be somebody; Inspector Wormold - an obsessive destroyer of illegal meat; Mother Dear – ‘She’s seventy four and ravenous’; along with a weird assortment of bullies, spivs and snobs and of course, our star, Betty the pig.

Betty Blue Eyes is set in 1947. Belts are being tightened, and government is telling the country there'll be fair shares for all if they survive Austerity Britain. Meanwhile, local officials feather their own nests by taking more than their fair share. 

Having won the war, Britain seems to be losing the peace: the country is staggering under rationing, unemployment, and the coldest winter for decades. 

The only bright spark on the horizon is the impending Royal Wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip. 

Musical Numbers

Act I

  1. Overture (Austerity Britain) —The Orchestra
  2. Fair Shares for All —Joyce, The Company
  3. A Place on the Parade —Gilbert, Joyce
  4. Magic Fingers —Gilbert, Mrs Roach, Mrs Lester, Mrs Turnbull
  5. Magic Fingers (Reprise) —Mrs Metcalf, Gilbert
  6. Painting by Heart —Wormwold, The Company
  7. Nobody —Joyce, The Company
  8. A Private Function —Swaby, Allardyce, Lockwood
  9. Betty Blue Eyes —Allardyce, Gilbert
  10. The Riot —Wormwold, Noble, The Company
  11. Lionheart —Joyce, The Billy Carroll Trio, The Company
  12. Steal the Pig —Gilbert, Joyce, Swaby, Allardyce, Lockwood, Wormwold, The Company

Act II

  1. Entr'acte (The Pignap) — The Orchestra
  2. Another Little Victory —Gilbert, Joyce, The Company
  3. Kill the Pig (Reprise) —Joyce
  4. It's an Ill Wind —Mrs Tilbrook, Townswomen
  5. Pig No Pig —Joyce, Gilbert, Mother Dear, Wormwold, Veronica
  6. The Kind of Man I Am —Gilbert
  7. A Piss Stained, Piss Poor Country —Swaby, Allardyce, Lockwood, Noble
  8. Betty Blue Eyes (Reprise) —Gilbert, Allardyce
  9. A Private Function (Reprise) —The Company
  10. Finale Ultimo - Confessions —The Company
  11. Magic Fingers (Reprise) —Gilbert, Joyce
  12. Goodbye Austerity Britain —The Company

Cast

Betty Blue Eyes (Original London Cast Recording)