Shows - The Boyfriend - May 2004

• Chairman's Welcome
• Synopsis
• About The Show
• The Cast
• Scenes and Musical Numbers
• Production Team
• Orchestra
• Cast Profiles

The NODA Report on CMP's performance of The Boyfriend is available here.

Chairman's Welcome

The most difficult decision to be made by any Amdram society's committee is which show to perform. It must be suitable for a large cast of principles and chorus, it must obviously have a good script and music and, hopefully, it will be popular with audiences. The Boyfriend has all this, and more. Everyone who has ever seen or taken part in it holds a special affection for the show and for those, like me, who were new to it, it has been a real pleasure finding out why all the enthusiasm is so richly deserved. Coupled with that, we are celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the show's West End and Broadway debuts.

Following the great success of Me And My Girl last year, Carol Hardy is again our Director, with Nick Austin as Musical Director. We welcome back Debbie Mann as choreographer who, as you will see, has been extremely busy!

A warm welcome goes to all the new members who have joined us this year, together with grateful thanks to all the other members and friends who have been involved both onstage and behind the scenes. I hope you enjoy the performance and that you will eventually be able to get that 'Riviera' tune out of your head!

Our Autumn concert this year is Highland Hi-Jinx and, next year, we are looking forward to performing South Pacific. To join our free 'Friendsof CMP' mailing list and receive details of all our activities, please leave your details at the raffle desk in the foyer or contact me on the number opposite.

Synopsis

It is 1926 in the South of France. In Madame Dubonnet's Finishing School for perfect young ladies, the maid, Hortense, and the girls are getting excited about that evening's fancy dress ball. The two items they each require are a lovely costume and that essential accessory - a boyfriend. Poor little rich girl, Polly Browne, is wary of boys since her father - the millionaire, Percival Browne - has warned her that they are only after her money. She is reduced to creating an imaginary boyfriend when, suddenly, a mysterious and handsome boy turns up to deliver her Pierrette costume and - would you believe it?! - they fall in love at first sight. They arrange to meet at the beach that afternoon. Meanwhile her chums, Dulcie, Fay and Nancy, flirt with local French boys, Marcel, Pierre and Alphonse, while Maisie sets her sights on American playboy, Bobby van Husen.

Percival arrives to see Polly, only to discover that Madame Dubonnet is none other than 'Kiki', with whom he spent a romantic evening in Paris in 1918.

Down on the beach, we encounter Lord and Lady Brockhurst who (when Lord B is not ogling the local scenery) are looking for their son, Tony, who has disappeared from Oxford and was apparently last seen in Nice. Hortense discovers Polly and the delivery boy, Tony's, (for it is, indeed, him) secret assignation, but she agrees not to betray them to either Mme Dubonnet or the chums. As Polly and Tony exchange a kiss, he is recognised by his parents who call for a gendarme to apprehend him. As Tony flees, a heartbroken Polly concludes that must be a thief. A thief who has stolen her heart.

At that night's ball, the music is playing, the champagne is flowing and all the boys are proposing to all the girls - who tell them that they will get an answer at midnight. Lord Brockhurst is throughly enjoying himself, until Lady B arrives on the scene. But the big question is, will Pierrot turn up to see his Pierrette? And will the boys get to marry all the girls? Will Percival rekindle his old flame with Kiki? Will Tony be reconciled with his parents? And will everybody live happily ever after??

Well, without revealing too much about the ending, this wasn't written by Verdi or Puccini, so what do you think happens??!!

About the Show

Written by Sandy Wilson in the fifties as "a new musical of the twenties", The Boyfriend began life in 1953 as an hour-long 'filler' for the Players Theatre in London, intended for a relatively small cast with no big chorus line-ups and no 'star parts'. Such was its immediate popularity however, that a revised and expanded version was soon commisioned, which again proved so popular that the show transferred to Wyndham's Theatre in the West End on 14 January 1954, where it ran for 2,084 performances. The show was also successful on Broadway, opening September 30 1954 with a young Julie Andrews as Polly Browne - the part which launched her career. The show has since been revived several times and is now a favourite of amateur societies. Several soundtrack albums are available. And the least said about the Ken Russell film version, the better...

The Cast

CHORUS: GUESTS, BATHERS, NICE PEOPLE, etc:
Gaby Anderson, Christine Charlton, Sue Ford, Sandra Humbert, Susanne Lee, Chris Pask, Rachel Roberts, Michael Sturdy, Rachel Tucker, Janet Winn, Peter Winn, Karina Winslade, Malcolm Winslade, Jo Wood.

Scenes and Musical Numbers

ACT ONE

The Drawing Room of the Villa Caprice, Madame Dubonnet's Finishing School, near Nice, A morning in the year 1926.

ACT TWO

The Plage. The afternoon of the same day.

ACT THREE

The Terrasse of the Café Pataplon. That night.

Production Team

CMP wishes to thank EBOS and Shinfield Theatre for loan with costumes; Starmaker for assistance with chaperones; all those who have helped with Front of House and the raffle; and all the Friends of the Society who have made this production possible.

Orchestra

Cast Profiles

Polly Browne - Laura Gosden

Laura has appeared in many shows with CATS in Crowthorne, including several pantomimes. Her all-time favourite role was Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz and it is therefore not surprising to learn that her idol is Judy Garland. Her first CMP appearance was in the chorus for Kiss Me, Kate, three years ago. Her second was her wonderful performance as Sally Smith in last year's Me And My Girl. Laura works for a local IT company and is about to undergo the nightmare process of buying her first house!

Tony - Alex Aucken

Alex joined CMP around nine years ago and has played many roles, including Francis Fryer in Calamity Jane, Freddie in My Fair Lady and Bill/Lucentio in Kiss Me, Kate. Several of these involved wearing dresses (or similar-looking robes) which, rather worryingly, he does seem to enjoy immensely. Alex has an enviable job which involves him working from his home (or rather, his deluxe garden shed) in Twickenham and gallivanting around Europe looking at high-performance sports cars. His wife, Sally, has also appeared in many CMP shows and they have two young daughters.

Madame Dubonnet - Anne Darsley

Anne's sixth show for CMP and her first in a lead principal part, having enjoyed herself in the role of Mrs Brown, the cockney landlady, in Me And My Girl. The accent required for this year's part is somewhat more of a challenge! She has also appeared as a dancer in previous shows. Away from the society (where she is in charge of fundraising and social events) and her job as a primary school teacher, Anne's passion is running. After several years' break from marathons, she recently completed the London event and, the weekend after this show, she is off to Stockholm, where she plans to run her 30th marathon.

Percival Browne - Mark Conolly

Known to his friends as 'Tiny Tommy' or 'petit Percy' (well, he is now anyway), Mark is appearing in his eleventh CMP show, previous roles having included Sir John in Me And My Girl, Fred/Petruchio in Kiss Me Kate and Moonface Martin in Anything Goes. He also appears regularly with EBOS, most recently last November with a disturbingly realistic performance as the rogue and ne'er-do-well, Jigger, in Carousel.

Maisie Merryweather & Bobby van Husen - Melinda & David Bennett

This is Melinda's first show with CMP having performed & choreographed with EBOS for the past 6 years. The Boyfriend marks her return to treading the boards after the birth of her daughter in October 2003 and she is pleased to be 17 once more and marrying her husband again for the third time in four years! She has had a "splendid time" playing Maisie and would like to say a big thank you to all the Grandparents who have made it possible. David returns to CMP for a second time after a 6-month hiatus, during which he & his wife have been nurturing their own 'production' of a beautiful baby girl. Despite the ensuing sleepless nights, David was keen to 'get back up there' and is delighted to have been given the opportunity to play 'the terribly rich and good-looking' one! It is also an ideal part to add to his growing list of parts beginning with the letter 'B' i.e., Bobby Child, Crazy For You; Benny Southstreet, Guys & Dolls; and Baniel Pontipee, Seven Brides For Seven Brothers... OK, so maybe that should be 'Daniel Pontipee'. Apparently, he has Billy Elliot in his sights next... er... maybe Dave should try and get some more sleep!

Hortense - Danusia Maleczek

Danusia joined CMP six years ago and has enjoyed playing many roles including Katie Brown in Calamity Jane and Hope Harcourt in Anything Goes! She is a full-time primary school teacher and finds being on stage in front of an audience not unlike being in front of a classroom of pupils - not that anyone would call her teaching methods theatrical!! (and I am equally sure, dear readers, that she is not really comparing the sophisticated Wilde Theatre audience to a class of six and seven-year olds! Ed.) Danusia is married, with two children and, at the last count, six cats.

Lord & Lady Brockhurst - John Caley & Ro Gorell

This is John's sixth CMP show following his move 'darn Sarf' from 'oop North' and he has found it a real challenge getting into the role of a healthy, red-blooded, blue-blooded elderly aristocrat - or as he could alternatively be described - a dirty old man! Opinions are divided as to whether Lord B, or last year's camp Parchester in Me And My Girl, is the most over-the-top, over-acted and thoroughly disgusting character! His current ambition (and Ro's devout hope) is that, having finished flogging tickets and writing this programme, he might find time to learn his lines - well, maybe at least by the final night. Ro Gorell is well suited to the role of Lady Brockhurst having perfected the tone on her husband, Ryszard (Pierre in the show) over many years of married life! She has acted on stage in many cameo roles in the past, including that of a bunny-carrying-nanny from Bury, a man in a bear suit (it was a large bear suit and hid her talents very well!) and a bee. She is nothing if not game for a laugh, and can be heard laughing most of the time - except as Lady B! Her main claim to fame as a teenager was pianist for a local Church which required no thinking on her part and usually solicited cries of 'Look at the key signature!' from the congregation. This is her third show with CMP having been in the chorus for Die Fledermaus and Me and My Girl.

Dulcie & Choreographer - Debbie Mann

The Boyfriend is Debbie's third show as Choreographer for CMP. As one of her favourite shows, she was very pleased to become part of the production team once more. Debbie began dancing and 'treading the boards' at the age of three and has continued ever since. After joining CMP in 1988 she has performed in most of their productions, playing Chava in Fiddler on the Roof, Susan in Calamity Jane and Virtue in Anything Goes! Also a member of EBOS, Debbie discovered her love for The Boyfriend in their 1993 version. She would like to say a big thank you to all the 'girls and boys' and hopes that everyone will have fun doing the Charleston, Sur le Plage, on the Riviera!

Debbie was given the opportunity to play Dulcie after an unexpected cast change and has thoroughly enjoyed turning back the clock and becoming a giggling dizzy 17-year-old schoolgirl again. (By day, she's a Section Manager in an Accounts Department, which calls for being a grown-up... occasionally!) She has very much enjoyed working with her fellow chums and is aiming to win the 'Miss Beach Hut 2004' award for having the brightest bathing costume and ball. Debbie hopes you have as much fun watching The Boyfriend as she has had performing in it and dares you not to go away 'doing the Riviera'.

Fay and Nancie - Gillian Albone and Sara Dillon

Gillian is delighted to return to CMP after an absence of five years. She has been dancing for over twenty years and been performing on stage for almost as long! Some of her favourite previous roles include Eliza in The King and I, Louise in Carousel, Mary McGinty in Once a Catholic, and Nancy in the 30th anniversary performance of J B Preistley's When we are Married. She has been choreographing for over ten years, most recently Carousel with EBOS. Her other hobby is being a full-time mum to two year old George and three month old Madeleine. Sara joined CMP in 2002 and was in the chorus for Me And My Girl last year. This is her first principal role. Sara is a part-time teacher, has two children, runs her own business, 'Ballooning Marvellous' (see Ad, p3!), and recently impressed everybody by successfully completing her first (and possibly her last!) marathon in London. A busy lady!

Pierre, Alphonse and Marcel - Ryszard Gorell, Duncan Hamilton and Chris Wood

Ryszard's acting portfolio includes playing the part of Andre in CATS' performance of Bad Hair Day. Actually, that is Ryszard's entire acting portfolio, although he was in the chorus in two previous CMP shows. He has recently been nominated for an Oscar, two Emmies and a BAFTA, all in the category of "creative lying in programme notes". His greatest challenge is yet to come, as he will be directing CMP's autumn show Highland Hi-Jinx. This is Duncan's first show for CMP, but he is no stranger to local audiences having appeared in, and directed, countless shows for societies across the Midlands and South East, most recently EBOS and the Savoy Singers. Particularly noteworthy are his productions and performances in Gilbert & Sullivan works, in which he has appeared at International Festivals. In tonight's show, besides playing Alphonse, he also, as Pepe, dances the Carnival Tango with Lolita, played by Elaine Adams , another newcomer to CMP, who has performed principal and dancing roles with EBOS. Destined for great things, Chris joined CMP last year and made an immediate impact as a chorus member in Me And My Girl, carrying off the prestigious 'Best Newcomer' Award for his scintillating cameo appearance as 'Man pretending to play piano in pub'.

Carol Hardy - Director

This is Carol's fourth major CMP show as Director following her successes with Anything Goes, Kiss Me, Kate and last year's Me And My Girl and, as she keeps telling us, it doesn't get any easier! Carol has been involved with CMP in all manner of capacities for longer than she cares to remember and she has also directed several of our Autumn shows. She is very experienced in all aspects of amateur production, having been involved with backstage work, costumes, lighting and, of course, acting with both CMP and Woodley Light Operatic Society, whose show she will be directing next Spring.

Nick Austin - Musical Director

The programme editor's dilemma is finding something new to say about a man who joined CMP in 1988, and who is now musically directing his fifteenth main show for us, as well as having been involved in countless smaller shows and concerts. So I'll start by repeating the old stuff! Nick is a graduate of Guildhall School of Music and Drama and is currently Head of Music at St Crispin's School, Wokingham. He also teaches piano, is rehearsal pianist for Bracknell Choral Society and conducts Berkshire Young Musicians Trust's Corelli Orchestra. During rehearsals for this show, he has repeatedly threatened to cut the arm off anyone who makes a mistake 'and hit them with the soggy end'. The committee therefore wishes to apologise in advance if the stage resembles the set of The Riviera Chain-Saw Massacre by the end of the week.