Our Miss Gibbs
A Musical Play in 2 Acts by "Cryptos". Constructed by James F. Tanner. Lyrics by Adrian Ross and Percy Greenbank. Music by Ivan Caryll and Lionel Monckton. Produced by Mr. GEORGE EDWARDES
Presented at the Gaiety Theatre, London 23 January, 1909 (636 perfs)
Presented at the Knickerbocker Theatre, New York 29 August, 1910 (57 perfs)
Synopsis
The heroine is a shop girl, courted by by an earl in disguise, who ought to be paying his attentions to a more suitable lady for his station in life.
Miss Gibbs is a Yorkshire lass who has come to London to work as a shop girl at Garrods where she sells candy. All the local hooray-Henrys are making themselves sick on sweets as they come to ogle and sigh over the no-nonsense Miss Gibbs who disapproves thoroughly of their attempts at 'sophisticated' familiarity.
Miss Gibbs has given her heart to a young bank-clerk who is, in reality, Lord Eynsford. When she discovers his deception she dumps him on the spot!.
Timothy Gibbs, Mary's cousin, has come down from Yorkshire to play second euphonium for the town band in the big contest at the Crystal Palace. Timothy is a real country cousin and his adventures in the big city prove to be really something. He manages to get mixed up in a crime when he mistakenly picks up a bag belonging to the Hon. Hughie Pierrepoint, an enthusiastic amateur criminal. The bag contains the Ascot Gold Cup which Pierrepoint has just managed to steal.
Act 2 takes place at the Franco-British Exhibition at the White City. Timothy is in a sweat over his 'crime' and imagines that the police bloodhounds are after him. He disguises himself as an entrant in the big marathon race and staggers into the stadium mistakenly to be acclaimed the winner.
Finally, the Gold Cup is recovered and restored to its owner who happens to be young Eynsford's father, by now so charmed with Mary Gibbs that he is more than happy that she should become his daughter-in-law.
Dramatis Personae
with original cast members.
- THE HON. HUGHIE PIERREPOINT (an amateur criminal) - MR. GEORGE GROSSMITH, Jnr.
- THE EARL OF ST. IVES (Lord Eynsford's Father) - MR. O. B. CLARENCE.
- SLITHERS (a professional crook) - MR. ROBERT HALE.
- MR. TOPLADY (Manager at Garrod's) - MR. ARTHUR HATHERTON.
- LORD EYNSFORD (in love with Mary) - MR. J. EDWARD FRASER.
- MR. BEAVIS (the Earl's family solicitor) - MR. J. A. EVELYN.
- A TAXI CABBY - MR. F. PAYNE.
- MR. AMALFY (the Director-General of the White City) - MR. H. B. BURGHER.
- TIMOTHY GIBBS (Mary's Yorkshire cousin) - MR. EDMUND PAYNE.
- LADY ELIZABETH THANET (engaged to Lord Eynsford) - MISS DENISE ORME.
- MADAME JEANNE (Modiste at Garrod's) - MISS JEAN AYLWIN.
- THE DUCHESS OF MINSTER (Lady 7hanet's mother) - MISS GLADYS HOMFREY.
- MRS. FARQUHAR (an impecunious woman of fashion) - MISS MAISIE GAY.
- CLARITA - MISS KITTY MASON.
- NORA - MISS OLIVE MAY; SHEILAH - MISS ADELINE BALFE; KATHLEEN - MISS ROSIE BEGARNIE; (Colleens of Irish village at the White City)
- LADY CONNIE - MISS GLADYS COOPER.
- LADY SYBIL - MISS JULIA JAMES.
- LADY TRIXIE - MISS ENID LESLIE.
- LADY ANGELA - MISS CRISSY BELL.
- LADY MURIEL - MISS SUZANNE SELBOURNE.
- LADY GWEN - MISS GERTIE THORNTON
- MISS GIBBS ("Our Miss Gibbs") - MISS GERTIE MILLAR
GIRLS AT THE STORES :— Mesdames Madge Melbourne, Ida Barnard, Rhona Dalvy, Joe Howard, Gladys Carrington, Pattie Wells, Irene Warren, Shirley Power, Pauline Francis, Nancy Moore, Marjorie Michie Marjorie Napier, Ruby Kenned Ruth Argent, Gertrude Birch, Marie Dean.
DUDES :— Messrs. G. Grundy, E. Camp, A. Fraser, J. Redmond, C. Cameron, S. Lindon.
Scenes and Settings
ACT 1 - Garrod's Stores
ACT 2 - Court of Honour at the Franco-British Exhibition
Musical Numbers:
ACT I.
- OPENING CHORUS - (We will be quick and do our shopping)
- SONG (Eynsford) - My Yorkshire Lassie - (There's
a girl at the stores called Mary)
- CHORUS OF BRIDESMAIDS - (We're the dear little ladies, selected)
- SONG ( Jeanne) and CHORUS of GIRLS - Hats - (Some
people say, success is won)
- SONG (Betty) - Romance - (Though I am not so unwilling)
- CHORUS OF DUDES - Correct - (A fashionable band
of brothers are we)
- SONG (Mary) and CHORUS of DUDES - Mary - (I'm a
little Yorkshire Lass)
- SONG (Hughie) and CHORUS - Hughie - (Though I'm
a man of noble birth)
- DUET (Mary and Timothy) - Country Cousins - (When
the season's on the wane)
- DUET (Mary and Hughie) - Not That Sort of Person -
(I will confess that as a man you're all)
- CONCERTED NUMBER - The White City - (There's a
City of palaces white)
- FINALE ACT I - (Saturday afternoon, the welcome bell gives warning)
ACT II
- OPENING CHORUS & ENTRANCE of IRISH GIRLS - (Palaces Oriental,
glistening marble halls)
- SONG (Mary) - In Yorkshire - (Oh, London is really
a wonderful town)
- SEXTET (Hughie, Toplady, Slithers, Amalfy, Eynsford and Timothy)
- An English Gentleman - (Though something has upset
us)
- SONG (Betty) and CHORUS - Arms and the Man - (I
am sure your education is not complete at present)
- CONCERTED NUMBER - Baby and Nurse - (Push the pram
for baby)
- DUET (Mary and Timothy) - Our Farm - (I'd like
to tell you all about the farm)
- CHORUS and SOLO DANCE - Moon-Fairies - (Over the
dome and steeple)
- SONG (Mary) and CHORUS of GIRLS - Moonstruck -
(Moon, moon, mischief-making moon)
- DUET (Hughie and Timothy) - You Come and Stay With Me -
(1f you'll come down to my place)
- FINALE ACT II - (When country cousins come up to Town)
Addenda
SONG (Hughie) and CHORUS - Bertie the Bounder - (Bertie Fitzfootletop, King of Romance)
SONG (Betty) - Slack-wire San - (Slack-wire San from far Japan)