 Twenty Minutes South
A musical comedy in 2 acts by Maurice Browning. Music
by Peter Greenwell. Produced at the Players' Theatre under
the management of the Players' Theatre io May, 1955. Restaged
at the Theatre Royal, Birmingham, 27 June, 1955 and played
at Nottingham 4 July. Opened at the St Martin's Theatre 13
July, 1955 for a run of 101 performances closing 8 October,
1955.
Director: Hattie Jacques; Musical Director: Peter Greenwell
(piano)//Robert Probst; Choreography: Ian Stuart; Costumes
and Scenery: Reginald Woolley
Original Cast
Sybil Bates - Totti Truman Taylor/Patricia Kerry
Ethel Bannister - Natalie Kent
Paper Boy/Mr Casey - Brian Tipping Codd
George Bannister - George Woodbridge/Johnny Ladd/Michael Kent
Jane Bannister - Joan Bailey
Susan Bannister - Louie Ramsay
Kitty Hemming - Margaret Burton//Daphne Anderson
Henry Bates - Johnny Ladd/Michael Darbyshire
Roger Bates - Robin Hunter
Bob Williams - Donald Scott
Miss Flynn - Josephine Gordon
Miss Mason - Valerie Swinnard
Miss Martin - Mavis Traill
Mr Gray - Kenneth Luckman
Office Boy - Graham McCormack
Arthur Harris - John Le Mesurier
Mr Thompson - Philip Lewtas
Fred - Brian Blades
Harry - Douglas Squires
Bert - Jack Manuel
Mrs Thompson - Margaret Ashton/Jane Martin
Mrs Brownlow - Betty Felstead
Telegraph Boy - Frederick Frost/out
add Postman - Graham McCormack
Synopsis
A Story of London suburbia
The Banister family – George, Ethel,
their two daughters Jane and Susan – are outside their suburban
house in Addison Park one morning and are joined by a crowd of
neighbours and office workers who tell of the joys of the regular
morning journey up to town.
At a London station we meet Ethel Banister's cousin
Kitty, en route for Addison Park, in conversation with three London
spivs, to whom she expounds her personal philosophy. That evening
in Addison Park Kitty meets the Banister family,
Bob Williams, Jane's fiancé, and Roger Bates, the athletic boy from
next door whom Susan is determined to marry. Kitty, Roger and Susan
discuss their various ideas of recreation
after Kitty has surprised the two Banister girls by announcing that
she has applied for a secretarial position at the firm where they
both work.
Left alone, Bob and Jane declare their feelings for
each other but Jane wants to wait and save enough money before they
marry, while Bob is all for getting married immediately, and Kitty
has expressed herself as agreeing with Bob's point of view. This
causes trouble. The following morning Susan, Jane, Roger and the
rest of the staff are in the office when Kitty arrives for her interview
with the boss, Arthur Harris. Kitty is given the
job and Arthur introduces her to the staff.
Later that day Kitty is the cause of a great deal of
trouble at Addison Park. She mistakenly cuts George's prize chrysanthemums
from the garden, makes trouble between Jane and Bob, and shows too
much interest in Roger to suit Susan who has a fierce argument with
Roger about his lack of ardour. Thus it is in no very happy
frame of mind that the entire Banister family, and Kitty, attend
the local Bowls Club dance where George is to be presented with a
cup as Bowls champion of the year.
Further trouble arises when the three spivs gate-crash
the dance in search of Susan's three typist friends. Kitty, however,
is delighted at the unexpected arrival at the dance of Arthur Harris.
Jane's quarrel with Bob comes to a head when Jane breaks off the
engagement, leaving Bob in a very unhappy frame of mind. Kitty makes
another gaffe by innocently disclosing some rather lurid details
of Ethel's childhood to a group of snobbish neighbours. The evening's
festivities reach a rousing climax when the spivs and their typist
friends encourage everyone to try an energetic new dance.
A week later, in the local park on a Sunday afternoon,
the three spivs and the typists meet Susan who is alone and furious
because Roger has gone off to a concert with Kitty. They make
fun of Susan's solitary state. Jane arrives,
and the two girls express their annoyance with their respective boy
friends. Roger returns from the concert, meets Bob, and
the two boys console each other.
Back at the house, George and Ethel depart unhappily
for church, and Roger arrives to have a row with Susan, during which
her three typist friends telephone her to enquire mockingly about
the state of her romance. Susan paints an entirely erroneous picture
of her relations with Roger. When Kitty
and the rest of the family return, Susan, unable to bear the situation
any longer, rebukes Kitty in no uncertain terms for the trouble she
has caused. Kitty is horrified that her actions have been so misinterpreted,
and promises to leave as soon as possible.
The next day at the office she sets about
putting things right, sorts out Susan's romantic problems with Roger,
and reunites Jane and Bob. Her own troubles
are solved, too, for when she hands in her notice to Arthur Harris,
he somewhat unexpectedly asks her to marry him.
Kitty accepts. George and Ethel are appeased and everybody, including
Kitty and Arthur Harris, returns home happily.
Musical Numbers
- The 8.27 - The Company
- I Like People - Kitty and Boys
- One of the Family - Ethel, George, Susan. Jane, Kitty
- It's a Lovely Evening - Susan, Roger, Kitty
- This Is Love - Bob, Jane
- Typing, Typing - Boys and Girls, Kitty, Arthur
- Never Mind, I'm Delighted - Kitty, Arthur, Girls
- Why Never Ever? - Susan, Roger
- Easy To Say - Bob
- The Addison Mambo - Ensemble
- Sunday Girl - Bob, Boys and Girls
- Sunday Girl [reprise] - Susan, Boys and Girls
- I shall - Susan, Jane
- Do We? - Roger, Bob
- Having Ourselves a Wonderful Time - Susan and Girls
- Wondering Alone - Kitty
- Typing, Typing [reprise] - Boys and Girls
- Easy To Say [reprise] - Bob, Jane
- This Is Love [reprise] - Kitty, Arthur and Ensemble
- The 5.27 - The Company
Discography:
Original London Cast Recording - Must Close Saturday Records MCSR3032
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