TILLY

Music by Tony Rees
Lyrics by Gary Young and Tony Rees
Book by Maureen Ann Moran

THE STORY

The musical traces the rise to fame of Tilly Devine from London prostitute at the end of World War 1 to reigning "Bordello Queen" of Sydney's underground, during the Depression and World War II. Tilly at her fiftieth birthday party, once again the centre of scandalous headlines, looks back to her "rise to infamy", the two great loves of her life, Digger Devine and Mike, her outrageous history and her remarkable ability to survive. This energetic, colourful, gutsy, risqué romp is also the poignant and human story of this woman's battle to "keep her head above water and to hold on to some semblance of love and life." She turns every opportunity to her advantage. Her methods are unorthodox. Her manner is brash. She is the "rough diamond" the newspapers call "THE QUEEN OF CRIME" - She is Tilly Devine.

PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS

Tilly
Young Tilly
Digger Devine
Mike
Tools
Bandages
Duicle
Gloria
Melba
Flo
Charlie
Emit

(plus Chorus)

PRINCIPAL MUSICAL NUMBERS

Front Page News
Something'll Turn Up
This Time It's Gonna Be Different
Blue Sky
Sharing The Load
The First Time In My Life

INSTRUMENTATION (Total number of books = 12)

1 Piano 1 Bass 1 Trumpet I 1 Trumpet II Conductor's Score

1 Trombone I 1 Trombone II 1 Alto Saxophone 1 Tenor Saxophone

1 Drums 1 Percussion 1 Timpani 1 Piano