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Off the Beach single work   musical theatre   revue/revusical   humour  
Issue Details: First known date: 1959... 1959 Off the Beach
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

Revue.

The items as billed in the program are:

First Wave

1. 'Off the Beach' (ensemble); 2. 'On the Beach' (Mary and John); 3. 'The Seagull' (John); 4. 'Don't Baby Me' (Noel and Beris); 5. 'Linguaphoney' (Mary, Margaret, John, and Noel); 6. 'The Girl Who Couldn't Quite' (Beris); 7. 'Matinee Idyll' (John and Noel); 8. 'Maid of the Mountains' (Mary); 9. 'Solo Recital' (Noel); 10. 'Lady Objects' (Mary); 11. 'Apples with Chappels' ^ (John, Noel, and Margaret); 12. 'Lost in a Forest' (Mary); 13. 'Intro' (Noel); 14. 'Fruit Bowl' (ensemble).

Second Wave

1. 'Me and the Boy Friend' (ensemble); 2. 'The Carol Singer' (Noel); 3. 'Story of Three Loves' (Mary, Margaret, and Beris); 4. 'Calypso Calamity' (Noel); 5. 'Salvation Sob Story' (John); 6. 'When You Got Me' (Noel and Mary); 7. 'April in Fairbanks' (Margaret); 8. 'Smile-a-While' (John and Mary); 9. 'Intro' (Beris); 10. 'Model Muddle' (Margaret, John, and Noel); 11. 'High Noon' (Beris); 12. 'Food for Thought' (Noel, Margaret, and John); 13. 'Sin Song' (Mary); 14. 'Finale' (ensemble).

  • Songs with (^) were written by Peter Pinne.

Notes

  • Presented in two 'waves', this intimate revue drew largely positive responses from the Melbourne critics when it premiered in late February 1959. The Age theatre critic records, for example, 'The promise held out by the Arlen Theatre's opening programme two months ago is admirably fulfilled in this sequel. It is not great revue fare by any means, but in many respects it is excellent. The humour is mostly of a genial undergraduate kind, which entertains without ever hurting' (23 February 1959, n. pag.).

  • Archival records supplied by Peter Pinne indicate that three of his compositions not included in the season program were in fact performed in the revue. These songs are 'I'm Square' (John Muirhead), 'Passionately' (Beris Sullivan), and 'I Played Around with Love and Lost' (Margaret Horlesy). A review published in the Truth (Melbourne) on 26 February 1959 mentions the latter song (n. pag.).

    'I'm Square' and 'It's Apples with Chappells' were previously performed in Annual Revue (February 1959). The Arlan Theatre program records the title of the latter song as being 'Apples with Chappels.'

    'I'm Square' and 'I Played Around with Love and Lost' were also presented in Saturday Night Party (1959) and Further off the Beach (1959).

Production Details

  • 1959: Arlen Theatre, St Kilda (Melbourne), 20 February - ca. April.

    • Director Bruce Wishart; Chorus Noel Tovey; Stage Managers Ellery Lawless and Colin Tilley; Music Arranger Jerry Mann.
    • Cast Mary Hardy, John Muirhead, Noel Tovey, Margaret Horsley, Beris Sullivan.
    • The Arlen Theatre was situated in Blanche Street (off High Street), St Kilda.

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

First known date: 1959
VIEW PUBLICATION DETAILS FOR ALL VERSIONS ()

Related Works

Further Off the Beach Peter Pinne , John-Michael Howson , John Muirhead , Bruce Wishart , Barry Prendergast , Jerry Mann , 1959 single work musical theatre revue/revusical humour

Revue.

The items as billed in the program are:

First Wave

1. 'Prologue' (John); 2. 'Off the Beach' (ensemble); 3. 'The Seagull' (John); 4. '1702' (Noel and Judy); 5. 'Linguaphoney' (Mary, Margaret, John, and Noel); 6. 'Boy Next Door' (Judy); 7. 'Football Followers' (John, Noel, and Clark); 8. 'April in Fairbanks' (Margaret); 9. 'Square' (John); 10. 'Star' (Noel); 11. 'House Full' (Paul); 12. 'Ornamental Orientals' (John and Margaret); 13. 'Calypso Calamity' (Noel); 14. 'The Handkerchief' (Judy and Clark); 15. 'Salvation Sob Story' (John); 16. 'Intro' (Noel); 17. 'Fruit Bowl' (ensemble) .

Second Wave

1. 'Me and the Boy Friend' (ensemble); 2. 'The Carol Singer' (Noel); 3. 'Lessons in Love' (Margaret); 4. 'Expresso Opinion' (John, Judy, Margaret, and Noel); 5. 'The Tatooist' (Paul); 6. 'Smile-a-While' (John and Margaret); 7. 'Apres-Moi' (Judy); 8. 'In Modern Dress' (Noel and John); 9. 'TV Anonymous' (Beris); 10. 'Coffee after Ten' (Margaret); 11. 'Cymbolic' (Noel); 12. 'They Also Serve' (Paul, John, and Judy); 13. 'Loved and Lost' (Margaret); 14. 'The Orator' (John); 15. 'Lost in a Forest' (Judy); 16. 'Moomba Mayhem' (ensemble); 17. 'Walkabout Sweetheart' (John); 18. 'Finale' (ensemble).

  • A song titled 'Face You're Wearing' (by Barry Prendergast) is indicated in the programme's 'Lyric and Music Credits' section, but does not appear in the list of songs and sketches.
VIEW ALL RELATED WORKS (1)

Works about this Work

'Off the Beach' 1959 single work review
— Appears in: Truth (Melbourne) , 26 February 1959; (p. n. pag.)
— Review of Off the Beach 1959 single work musical theatre
Stars Go Unnamed H. A. Standish , 1959 single work review
— Appears in: The Herald , 23 February 1959; (p. n. pag.)
— Review of Off the Beach 1959 single work musical theatre
Entertaining Revue at Arlen Theatre 1959 single work review
— Appears in: The Age , 23 February 1959; (p. n. pag.)
— Review of Off the Beach 1959 single work musical theatre
Entertaining Revue at Arlen Theatre 1959 single work review
— Appears in: The Age , 23 February 1959; (p. n. pag.)
— Review of Off the Beach 1959 single work musical theatre
Stars Go Unnamed H. A. Standish , 1959 single work review
— Appears in: The Herald , 23 February 1959; (p. n. pag.)
— Review of Off the Beach 1959 single work musical theatre
'Off the Beach' 1959 single work review
— Appears in: Truth (Melbourne) , 26 February 1959; (p. n. pag.)
— Review of Off the Beach 1959 single work musical theatre
VIEW ALL WORKS ABOUT (3)

PeriodicalNewspaper Details

Note:
This entry has been sourced from research undertaken by Dr Clay Djubal into Australian-written popular music theatre.
Last amended 18 Sep 2014 13:27:58
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