Harmony Close
a musical in two acts by Charles Ross. Music by Ronald Cass and Charles Ross
Lyric, Hammersmith - Opened 17 April, 1957, Closed 8 June, 1957 (62 performances)
Synopsis
The population of Harmony Close shelter a variety of passions and a portion of guilty secrets, too. Various love affairs are mixed with blackmail when one of the less likeable characters triers to extort money from the others as the price of his silence.
Virtue triumphs in the end when everyone gets together and admits their foibles and weaknesses thus disarming the blackmailer. The characters of Harmony Close present a variety of conventional types: the modern young people on the one hand , the upper middle-class folk on the other hand, and an ex-Madame thrown in for good measure.
Story
Harmony Close is a series of mews that have been improved for human occupation, and tenanted by the
old-time retired Colonel Carruthers, Dolly Gander, a retired “Madam”, a business executive, Jim Sinclair, a
young writer, and Jill Grant, a would-be young actress. The community is a mix of the old, the middle-aged
and the young. The various love affairs and secrets are mixed with blackmail when Robin Webster tries to
extort money as the price of his silence, but virtue triumphs in the final scene when everyone admits their
indiscretions and harmony reigns.
Musical Numbers
- Opening / Good morning
- Getting nowhere fast
- Undesirable elements
- Great big city
- London is a village
- Don’t knock
- Goodbye to all that
- I go round in a whirl
- Nothing to do in London
- Goodnight until today
- Lovely weather for ducks
- Why should I care?
- Exercising the dog
- Life should be a lively thing
Cast
- Sam
- Milkman
- Daisy
- Paper Boy
- Tony
- Mrs Carruthers
- Jim
- Paula
- Colonel Carruthers
- Mr Brown
- Mrs Brown
- Dolly Gander
- Carl
- Jill Grant
- Joe
- Willie
- Police Sergeant
- Neighbour
- P. C. Connelly