West End Wednesday: ME AND MY GIRL
Photo credit: Johan Persson
Me and My Girl is a wonderfully English musical set in the 1930s, opening in the West End at the Victoria Palace Theatre in 1937. With music by Noel Gay and lyrics and book by Douglas Furber and L. Arthur Rose, the show tells the story of Bill Snibson, a rough Cockney diamond who discovers that he is the 14th heir to the Earl of Hareford. Dissatisfied with this discovery, the Harefords decide that Bill must earn his title by learning gentlemanly manners and satisfying the executors Maria, Duchess of Dene, and Sir John Tremayne. It was so successful in 1937 that it was transformed into a motion picture in 1939 entitled The Lambeth Walk after one of the show’s most successful songs.
But Me and My Girl wasn’t initially a success. It was written for Lupino Lane who had played Bill Snibson in a horseracing comedy entitled Twenty to One that opened in 1935. Me and My Girl was a vehicle for Bill Snibson’s character but only received traction after it was broadcast live on BBC radio, replacing a cancelled sporting event. The original West End production went on to run for 1,646 shows.
The show was revised by Stephen Fry and the Director, Mike Ockrent, in the 1980s and the famous song ‘Leaning on a Lamp-post’ was added. Reviving at the Leicester Haymarket Theatre and transferring to the Adelphi Theatre, it ran for eight years and won two Laurence Olivier Awards. Robert Lindsay, Emma Thompson and Frank Thornton all starred in the production, which then toured the UK and transferred to Broadway.
The Broadway production opened at the Marquis Theatre on 10 August 1986 and ran for 1,420 performances. Robert Lindsay reprised his role and the show was nominated for 11 Tony Awards, winning three.
A much-loved classic, this show has a heart of gold and has been continuously performed over the years. In 2018, it was staged on both sides of the Atlantic. In May, an Encores! production in New York City starred Christian Borle and Laura Michelle Kelly as Bill and Sally, with Warren Carlyle directing. Following closely that October, Chichester Festival Theatre ran their own production starring Matt Lucas and Caroline Quentin, directed by Daniel Evans.
Featuring some classic musical theatre songs that have endured the ages including ‘The Lambeth Walk’, ‘Leaning on a Lamp-post’, and ‘The Sun Has Got His Hat On’, this homegrown show is definitely worth a listen, Besties!
Facts
Music: Noel Gay
Lyrics: Douglas Furber and L. Arthur Rose
Book: Douglas Furber and L. Arthur Rose
Theatre: Victoria Palace; revived at the Leicester Haymarket Theatre and later the Adelphi; Broadway’s Marquis Theatre
Olivier Awards (1987)
Won: Musical of the Year, Best Actor in a Musical (Robert Lindsay)
Tony Awards (1987)
Won: Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical (Robert Lindsay); Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical (Maryann Plunkett); Best Choreography (Gillian Gregory)
Nominated: Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical (L. Arthur Rose, Douglas Furber, Stephen Fry, Mike Ockrent); Best Original Score (Noel Gay, Douglas Furber, L. Arthur Rose); Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical (George S. Irving, Timothy Jerome); Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical (Jane Connell, Jane Summerhays); Best Direction of a Musical (Mike Ockrent); Best Scenic Design (Martin Johns); Best Costume Design (Ann Curtis).
