 Chrysanthemum
a melodrama in ragtime by Neville Phillips and Robin Chancellor:
Music by Robb Stewart
New Lindsay Theatre, London 14 March 1956 (40 perfs)
Prince of Wales Theatre, London (transferred to Apollo) 13 November,
1959 (148 perfs (total))
Cast:
(in order of appearance)
(daughters of Captain Brown)
LILY - GRETA HAMBY
DAISY - JUDY CARNE
ROSE - JOSEPHINE BLAKE
LAVENDER - VIVIEN GRANT
VIOLET - CAROL DYER
(their boy friends)
SAM - TERRY THEOBALD
TOM - RAY WARWICK
JOE - ROY JAMESON
WILLIE - ROY SKELTON
CAPTAIN BROWN (a retired sea captain) - RAYMOND NEWELL
UNCLE FRED (his other-in-law) - RICHARD CURNOCK
BOB BROWN (his son) - ROGER GAGE
CHRYSANTHEMUM BROWN (his eldest daughter) - PAT KIRKWOOD
MA CARROTY - FREDA WIGSON
JOHN BLESSINGTON-BRIGGS - HUBERT GREGG
MARY ANN BLESSINGTON-BRIGGS - PATRICIA MOORE
EMILY (Mary Ann's personal maid) - STELLA CHAPMAN
CHING LOO - ARNOLD YARROW
1ST LADY OF LIMEHOUSE - AUDREY HODGKISS
2ND LADY OF LIMEHOUSE - INA CLARE
3RD LADY OF LIMEHOUSE - JANET HOWSE
1ST SUFFRAGETTE (MRS. POTTS) - MARGO CUNNINGHAM
2ND SUFFRAGETTE (EDITH) - MONICA MACLEOD
3RD SUFFRAGETTE (MONICA) - SHIRLEY GORDON
4TH SUFFRAGETTE - BURDA CANN
JAMES (the Blessington-Brigg's butler) - JOHNNY WHYTE
HARRIET (their parlour maid) - DIANA NEVILLE
PEPE - NICHOLAS AMER
GERTIE, HORACE - (a couple outside "The Rose & Crown")
- JANET HOWSE & MICHAEL HARDING
A NEWSPAPER BOY - JOHNNY WHYTE
1ST CHINAMAN - FRED EVANS
1ST THUG - ROY PATTISON
2ND THUG - ALAN ANGEL
A POLICE OFFICER - ROY PATTISON
THE FIREMEN - ROY SKELTON, TERRY THEOBALD, MICHAEL MILLER, ROY JAMESON, FRED
EVANS.
Singers and dancers; Guests & Friends of the Browns,
Limehouse Characters, Wedding Guests, Couples in the Park, Passers By.,
etc.
Synopsis
The action takes place in Greenwich Park Lane and Limehouse in 1913
- the age of Ragtime, Russian Ballet, William Morris, Suffragettes,
Opium Dens, Lloyd George and the White Slave Trade
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| One morning Chrysanthemum Brown goes out to fetch in the
milk but vanishes. It is three years later that she returns with the milk
cans, filled this time. Her father accuses her of having been to Buenos
Aires and consequently turns her out of his house and onto the streets
where she wonders in Limehouse with the other fallen ladies. The secret
that Chrysanthemum cannot reveal is that she has been a victim of the
white slave trade. She was ensnared by the evil Ma Carroty and when Chrysanthemum
learns that the innocent Mary Ann, beloved of her other Bob Brown, she
is horrified. Mary Ann has been whisked away by Ma Carroty as she dallied
to meet Bob in the park.
Chrysanthemum rushes to Limehouse to rescue Mary Ann and she returns
the girl to Bob. Mary Ann is now safe but Chrysanthemum loses her heart
to John Blessington-Briggs. Mary Ann, in gratitude for being saved convinces
Chrysanthemum's family that she had been at a Paris finishing school during
the period she was absent - and not in Buenos Aires at all. A double wedding
is on the cards, Mary Ann and Bob, Chrysanthemum and John.
Unfortunately Uncle Fred spoils the celeations by inging in Pepe
who recognises Chrysanthemum as the "Flame of Buenos Aires".
Chrysanthemum returns to Limehouse, determined to find Ma Carroty and
seek revenge. She disguises herself as a Chinese strip-dancer to enter
Ma Carroty's establishment, "The Skull and Chopsticks". However, her disguise
is penetrated and she is imprisoned. Back at the Brown household Pepe
has revealed the truth to the family. He it was who had saved Chrysanthemum
from the bordellos of Argentina. She had become his dancing partner and
subsequently famous and rich enough to be able to return home to England.
The judgement of Chrysanthemum is revised and John goes off to find his
love. Drama follows as Ma Carroty prepares to immolate the gagged and
bound Chrysanthemum. In the nick of time, John, together with Bob and
Mary Ann arrive and rescue Chrysanthemum just as the building goes up
in flames. Ma Carroty is captured and her true identity revealed.
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Musical Numbers:
ACT 1
- Overture
- Opening Chorus: "Alexander" - The Brown
Sisters, Boy
Friends & Guests
2a Melos
- Song: "Ships At Sea" - Bob & Guests
3a - Chysanthemum's Entrance
3b - Melos
- Song: "Sinner Me" - Chrysanthemum & Chorus
4a Reprise "Sinner Me" Chorus
4b Ma Carroty Theme (1st Version)
- Song:'Watch Your Step" John
5a John's Exit
- Duet: "Mary Ann" - Mary Ann & Bob
6a Ma Carroty Theme (2nd Version)
6b Ma Carroty Kidnaps Mary Ann
- The Limehouse Ballet
7a Change of Scene
7b The Escape
- Song: "Sorry You've Been Troubled" - John
- 1st Reprise "Mary Ann" - Bob & (off-stage) Chorus
- 2nd Reprise "Mary Ann" - Mary Ann & Bob
- Duet: "Is This Love" - Chrysanthemum & John
- Concerted Number: "Understanding" - Captain Brown, the
Brown
Sisters & Friends
- Duet: "Love Is A Game" - Chrysanthemum & John
- Quartet "Double Wedding" - Lily & Daisy, Rose & Lavender
- Finale Act 1:
- Wedding Guests
"At The Wedding" - John, Bob & Best Men
Mimed Scene - Chrysanthemum, Mary Ann,
Captain Brown & Violet
Scena - The Full Company
ACT 2
- Intermission Leading To Opening Chorus Act 2: -
"Saturday Night" - Chorus
- Concerted Number: "Thanks To The Weather" - Bob, Mary
Ann
& Chorus
- Song: "No More Love Songs" - Chrysanthemum
- Reprise "Saturday Night" - Chrysanthemum & Chorus
19a Pepe Says: No: Routine
19b Pepe Routine - Exit
19c Change Of Scene
- Song: "How Can I Find My Love" - John & Chorus
- The Skull & Chopsticks
- Song: "Shanghai Lil" - Chrysanthemum & Chorus
22a Incidental Music
22b Chrysanthemum Enters The Secret Den
22c Melos - Agitato
- Opening Scene 6
23a Reprise "Love Is A Game" - Lily & Sam, Daisy & Tom,
Rose & Joe
23b Melos - Pepe And The Suffragette
23c General Panic - Off To Pennyfields
- The Secret Den
- Concerted Number: "The Fire Brigade" - Chorus of Firemen:
25a The Fire Scene :
25b Ma Carroty Is Caught :
- Reprise "Understanding" - Chrysanthemum & Full
Company:
- Finale To Act 2
Reprise "Double Wedding" - The Company :
- Reprise "Love Is A Game" - The Company :
- Reprise "Saturday Night" - The Company :
- Playout :
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