THE DAIRYMAIDS A Farcical Musical Comedy in 2 Acts and 3 scenes by Alexander M. Thompson and Robert Courtneidge; Music by Paul A. Rubens and Frank E. Tours. Lyrics by Paul A. Rubens and Arthur Wimperis Apollo Theatre, London - 14 April, 1906 - 8 December, 1906 (239 perfs) Criterion Theatre, New York, - 26 August, 1907 - 16 November, 1907 (86 perfs) Queen's Theatre, London - 5 May, 1908 - 18 July, 1908 (83 perfs) Aldwych Theatre, London - 22 May, 1915 - 5 June, 1915 (18 perfs) SYNOPSIS Winifred and Peggy are the `Dairymaids' of the title. In fact, they are nothing of the sort, but are merely going through the motions on a model dairy farm run by Lady Brudenell who has ideas on The Forming of the Youthful Mind. While the good lady is away, her nephews Sam and Frank arrive and begin to dally with the heroines. In the other corner, the servant Joe Mivens is making his advances to the pert maid. Now Lady Brudenell arrives home, bringing with her a fourth pair of sweethearts — her ward, Hélène and Captain Leverton — and angrily returns her errant protegées to the confines of Miss Penelope Pyechase's boarding school. After a brief glimpse at the shipboard quarters of the nautical nephews, the scene moves to the gymnasium of the school where the lads arrive, disguised as schoolgirls, to indulge in more fun, more love making, songs and dances until all is sorted out matrimonially. MUSICAL NUMBERS 1. Opening Chorus - Dairymaids we of alluring rusticity, beauties whose freshness is all unadorned... 2. Song - Winifred & Chorus - Marjorie worked on a country farm, she rose at six, fed the chicks... 3. Chorus - Entrance of Frank - They're here, 'tis they without a doubt, there's Master Sam and Master Frank... 4. Duet - Sam & Peggy - What a lot you must have been about, if the tales you tell are true... 5. Song - Eliza - There was once a pretty maid in the milk and butter trade... (three verses) 6. Concerted Number - Oh the farmer's life is the best of all, for the old ones, yes, and the young ones... 7. Song - Hélène - Love, they say, grew tired of town-- vanish'd was his old renown... 8. Sextet - Peggy, Hélène, Winnie, Sam, Fred & Frank - Little Bo Peep, she tended sheep... 9. Song - Peggy & Men's Chorus - In a certain village there liv'd a maid, a gen'ral favourite she... 10. Duet - Joe & Sam - Poaching is a dangerous career, that's what makes it fascinate you... 11. Finale Act I - We, as the tenantry, welcome 'The Quality', holiday-making with jesting and jollity... 12. Chorus of Men, with Dr. O'Bryne - With a luncheon that's fit for a King, and a circle of jolly good fellows... 13. Gymnasium Chorus - For improvement of the figure and deportment, for conducing to the cult of force and vim... 14. Song - Winifred - Little boy of today, you're atrocious! You're a man by the time that you're ten... (four verses) 15. Song - Eliza - I'm a servant, and I must confess that I try to do all in my pow'r to succeed... (three verses) 16. Song - Peggy & Chorus - The Gibson girl and the Bath bun girl, all the world has come to know... (three verses) 17. Song - Sam - I belong to a dear little club where we women have terrible larks... (three verses) 18. Song - Captain Fred, with Girls' Chorus - Now boys and girls have all been told that when the dustmen creep...
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