 THE ROMAN INVASION
OF RAMSBOTTOM
Music by David Nield, book and lyrics by Jeremy James Taylor
Synopsis
What would have happened if the Romans had built the motorways? Gaius
Julius Agricola, Governor of Britannia, tries to extend the C6 Chariotway
to Carlisle but Roman might is defeated by Lancastrian tripe in Ramsbottom.
A lively and humorous account of this little-known episode in English
history; another gem from the National Youth Music Theatre.
The setting is 9th century Roman Britannia, and only two things stand
in the way of Sicilian mafia boss Don Baloni's plan to commandeer the
new British roads and turn the future England into a bonanza of Italian
take-out restaurants and ice cream stands: a quaint pub sitting smack
in the middle of the construction zone, and its feisty British patrons.
It's an hilarious, anachronistic and very English farce with shades of
Monty Python.
Principals:
5 female (3 non-singing), 11 male (4 non-singing)
- Accrington Stanley - a pub-frequenting local comic
- Acrimonius - an evil tribune
- Agricola - Governor of Britannia, fun-loving
- Albert - Annie and Jack's young son
- Annie Trotter - proprietor of the Pub
- Conkus Maximus - big-nosed Roman officer
- Dolly Diggle - the local barfly
- Don Giuseppe Balon - the mafia Boss of Sicily
- Elsie - a bossy and loud English wife
- Gracie - barmaid and charmer
- Jack - proprietor of the Pub with wife Annie
- Little Lil - petite, loves milk stout
- Momma - Baloni's Old World momma
- Parsimonius - an evil tribune, Acrimonius' accomplice
- Rita - Lancashire's feared meter maid
- Victoria - Annie's young daughter
- Virgil - Baloni's secretary
Also: at least 30 more named roles - plus a chorus. Lots of room
for doubling between scenes
Musical Numbers
- Viva Agricola - Majorettes, Chorus
- The Boozer On The Highway - Agricola, Chorus
- Viva Conkus - Majorettes
- Roman Superiority - Conkus Maximus, Acrimonius, Parsimonius
- The Centre Of Manners Is Rome - Aristocrats
- Welcome Britannia - Baloni, Virgil, Momma, Acrimonius,
Parsimonius
- The Song Of The Taurus Soporens - Conkus Maximus, Acrimonius,
Parsimonius
- Julius Caesar - Stanley, Chorus
- In The Morning - Gracie, Chorus
- The Nut Dance - Orchestra
- The Day I Came To Rule Britannia - Agricola, Chorus
- For Several Years - Agricola, Chorus
- Intermezzo - Baloni, Virgil, Momma
- I Love These Moors - Agricola, Gracie, Chorus
- The Tripe Dance - Agricola, Gracie, Chorus
- Wedding Bells - Agricola, Gracie, Chorus
Instrumentation:
Reed I (alto sax, clarinet, bass clarinet, contrabass clarinet),
Reed II (alto sax, clarinet, bass clarinet), Reed III (tenor sax,
clarinet), Reed IV (flute, tenor sax, clarinet), 3 trumpets, 2 trombones,
opt. tuba, piano, bass (or tuba)
|
