DSP Spotlight 2020

Musical and Drama Catalogue 2020 Recent Professional Shows & Booking Info: Page 2 Parody and Musical Comedy: Page 4; Jukebox: Page 5 Small Cast Musicals: Page 6; Large Cast Musicals: Page 7 Youth Musicals: Pages 14/15; Operetta / G&S: Page 8 Plays: Australian Comedy: Page 9; Farce: Page 10 Plays: Outrageous/Dinner: Pages 11/12; Murder Mystery Spoof: Page 13 Regency Plays: Page 13; Panto/Children’s Musicals: Page 16

WE WILL ROCK YOU ROCKS Giant replica statues of Freddie Mercury, sound and light shows that resemble major rock concerts and wizards on electric guitars are just some of the highlights of the first seasons of We Will Rock You in community theatres and schools.

The musical by Queen and Ben Elton has rocked historic regional theatres, entertainment centres, and school halls across Australia in 2018.

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CenterStage Geelong

Theatres in New Zealand are joining the party in 2019 having purchased a professional touring set.

The success of the movie Bohemian Rhapsody has added to the excitement.

MOST POPULAR

PeeWee Productions Canberra

NEW RELEASES

We Will Rock You Back to the 80’s Ladies in Black Masquerade Popstars The Boy from Oz Disco Inferno Australia Day Essgee’s Pirates Song Contest

A MESSAGE FROM David Spicer I felt like a groupie when I met Brian May – the legendary guitarist of Queen – to present him with the DSP published edition of We Will Rock You. The musical is the biggest show ever signed by DSP in its 22-year history. I saw 11 productions in 2018. There are plenty of other new musicals, plays, theatre restaurant and children’s theatre in this catalogue. Please keep this on file and check the website for updates.

David Spicer Productions Pty Ltd. ACN 097 126 504. ABN 12 097 126 504.

CONTACT - Ph/Fax: Inside Australia 02 9371 8458 Outside +61 2 9371 8458 Email david@davidspicer.com Web-site www.davidspicer.com.au Mail PO Box 2280 Rose Bay North 2030 NSW Australia All perusals and show applications can be booked on my magnificent new easy-to-use website www.davidspicer.com.au Find the show then click Order A Perusal or Apply for This Show. Alternatively email, fax or write to DSP with contact details of your company/school, desired show, dates, number of performances and venue size.

Royalty Guide: Professional Theatres, USA and UK theatres - By Negotiation.

Codes: A = 16% of Box Office, B = 14%, C = 12.5%, D = 10%, E = 8%. (GST is added only in Australia).

Perusals: Some are free, some hired and others must be purchased. Piano Vocals are rented for $20 plus $20 refundable. Additional titles $10 each. Check the website for details.

Book and Music Hire/Purchases: Some shows have hire rates, some can be photocopied or purchased.

See the website. Videography: Restricted on some titles. Approval must be given in writing from DSP. Availability: Please check show is available before you start show preparation.

Denotes the show has a superb CD Backing Track to help with rehearsals and in some cases performances.

RECENT PROFESSIONAL SEASONS THE BOY FROM OZ. Songs by Peter Allen. Book by Nick Enright. Originally produced by Ben Gannon and Robert Fox. The Boy From Oz tells the dazzling, funny, and heart-breaking story of the great entertainer Peter Allen. From his humble beginnings growing up in the Australian outback, through a meteoric rise to fame as an international star who would go on to break all box-office records at Radio City Music Hall in New York. Singing in country pubs from age 11, Peter Allen survived family tragedy to become a local TV star at age 16. Discovered by Judy Garland, he married her daughter Liza Minnelli and went on to become a beloved performer and an Oscar-winning songwriter. Songs include Everything Old is New Again, I Go to Rio, Theme from Arthur, Don’t Cry Out Loud, Tenterfield Saddler and I Still Call Australia Home.

The Boy From Oz has sold more than 100 million dollars worth of tickets in Australia – has won a Tony on Broadway and is now selling out in community theatres.

Cast: M3, Boy 1, F7, Minor roles: M8 F4, Large Chorus. Orch: Small 6 part. Standard…12 part…3 Reed, 2 Trum, 1 Trom, 2 Key, Guit, Bass, Drum Perc. Optional extra 6 woodwind & Sax. Royalty: Australia: 18% New Zealand: 16%. USA: 16%.

SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER THE MUSICAL. Written by Robert Stigwood and assisted by Bill Oakes. Music by The Bee Gees and others.

“A jam-packed, dance-crazed, fuel-injected show, lighting up the Theatre for almost two-and-a-half hours of energy, music and oh-so-tight pants.”

The Age. The 1970’s movie catapulted John Travolta into international stardom and the soundtrack by the Bee Gees sold 25,000,000 copies. They were credited with defining the era. Bruce Elder wrote that it “suddenly made disco explode into mainstream…increasing its audience by five or ten fold.” Since the musical adaptation debuted on Broadway in 1998 it has been performed almost every year on professional stages around the world. The story about a young working class man striving for identity has universal appeal. Tony Manero is described by the character Stephanie as “a cliché going no-where on the way to no place.” But his talent on the dance floor is anything but predictable and so too is the unexpected ending.

Songs Include: Stayin Alive, Night Fever, More Than A Woman, Tragedy, and Immortality.

Cast: 7M 4F. Minor parts 7F + 4M & Chorus. Orch: Key 1 & 2, A Sax 1 & 2, T Sax, Guit, Bass, Drums, Percussion. Royalty: 17%.

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Sydney Lyric March 2019

NEW RELEASES WE WILL ROCK YOU. By Queen and Ben Elton.

“It’s deliriously, majestically, mad entertainment” The Australian.

“Laugh out loud funny” Arts Hub. Since 2002 over 16 million theatregoers in 28 countries have been thrilled by this production.

Ben Elton (The Young Ones, Blackadder, Popcorn) fashioned this hilarious futurist comedy around more than 24 of Queen’s biggest hit songs including We Are The Champions, Radio Ga Ga, I Want To Break Free, Somebody To Love, Killer Queen, Don’t Stop Me Now, Under Pressure, Bohemian Rhapsody, Another One Bites The Dust, and of course, We Will Rock You. The musical takes place in a future age on a planet once called Earth that is now controlled by a mighty corporation. Rock music and all musical instruments are banned. The hope of breaking free rests with an unlikely resistance - an alliance of rebel Bohemians and the dreamer Galileo who hears strange lyrics in his head.

Available for community theatre and schools.

Cast: 4M 3F. 15+ minor parts and chorus. Orch: Bass Guit, Electric Guit 1, Electric Guit 2, Key 1 (MD), Key 2, Key 3 and Perc. Royalty: Community Theatre 18%.

Schools 17%.

Platinum Entertainment (WA) LADIES IN BLACK. Book by Carolyn Burns. Music and Lyrics by Tim Finn. Based on the novel The Women In Black by Madeleine St John. Originally directed by Simon Phillips.

“A rich heart-warming musical that will leave you smiling.” Dance Magazine.

“Tim Finn’s songs range from Broadway-inspired numbers to true blue ballads, from witty patter songs to shades of blues and jazz standards. They’re beautifully integrated with the dramatic action, and the comic lyrics are priceless.” The Age. A scrumptious coming of age musical set in the 1950’s. The lead character is a teenager Lisa, who joins the staff of a fashionable department store while she waits for her final year exam results.

Over a summer that changes her life, she befriends the colourful characters of the women’s clothing department. Each is on the precipice of change - facing independence, working for a living and what it means to be a woman.

Cast: 8F 3M. Chorus. Orch: Music Director/Piano, Guit, Bass, Violin, Cello, Drums/Percussion. Royalty: 16.5%.

Original Queensland Theatre Company production NED. Music and Lyrics by Adam Lyon. Book by Marc McIntyre and Anna Lyon.

“Composer Adam Lyon has created an accessible, engaging score, the high quality of which is cause for celebration.” Simon Parris “Quite simply the best entirely Australian musical ever.” Stage Whispers NED explores the extraordinary highs and devastating lows of Ned Kelly’s journey from local hero to felon to legend. Audiences will see themselves in the struggle of a poor family trying to make it through in a system that was stacked against them.

Adam Lyon (King Kong) has written a hauntingly beautiful score that captures the sounds of the bush, while the libretto has all the raucous humour, warmth and tragedy audiences expect from this iconic story. The musical also focuses more on the women behind Ned. Cast: 9M 5F. Minor roles and chorus. Orch: Flute/Piccolo, Bass Clarinet/Alto Sax, Oboe/Cor Anglais, Trum/Flueg, Horn 2, Tromb, Violin 1, Violin 2, Violin 3, Violin 4, Cello 1, Cello 2, Guit, Guit2/Banjo, Keys 1, Keys 2, Bass, Perc. Royalty: 16%.

Ulumbarra Theatre Bendigo

www.davidspicer.com.au

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PARODY AND MUSICAL COMEDY SONG CONTEST - THE ALMOST EUROVISION EXPERIENCE. By Glynn Nicholas, Daniel and Gideon Frankel, et al.

“Achingly funny.” Herald Sun. “Ridiculously enjoyable.” The Australian.

A glitzy comedic and loving tribute to the Eurovision Song Contest. It’s as close to the real thing as you can get, with eleven countries competing, a multitude of anxious contestants, a gushing hostess and all the quirkiness that both delights us and makes us cringe in a single breath. The audience voting is authentic with the potential for a different winner every night. Includes special app to allow members of the audience to vote.

Cast: Two presenters and song/dance teams from twelve countries including Iceland, Germany, Greece and Sweden. Royalty: A. SHANE WARNE THE MUSICAL. Books, lyrics and music by Eddie Perfect.

“Eddie Perfect’s oh-so-clever-song book with songs ranging from soul and rock to Bollywood and R & B is.. incredible.” The Age. (4 stars) An outrageous musical romp through the life and times of the all-Australian hero who held the hopes of a nation in the palm of his right hand. It traces his story from his early days as a pizza boy, to the giddy heights of his extraordinary first ball debut in England, to meeting his wife Simone, getting married, and falling to temptation as ‘a lone rooster cruising a farm of free range chickens.’

Cast: Min 6M 4F. Maximum – divide up to 42 characters amongst cast.

Orch: Max – 24 parts. Min 6. Royalty: B. REAL HOUSEWIVES: THE MUSICAL. Books, lyrics and music by Molly Bell.

“A tuneful, hilarious, show-stopping musical spoof. I loved every second!” StageScene LA. It’s the real housewives as you have never seen them before. Localise the title for your community then grab a glass of pinot and watch the girls lie, cheat and sing their way up the social ladder. Hiding behind skin care lines and charities these women have it all or do they? Find out what the smiles are hiding when the gloves come off.

Orch: Piano, Keyboard, Bass, Drums. Cast: 4F 1M. Royalty: B. SCARY MUSICAL: THE MUSICAL. By Richard Hochberg & Michael Paternosto.

NEW

“Downright hilarious” The Guardian.

They sing! They dance! They die! Then they sing some more! On the night before the opening of Vera Miles High School Drama Department’s production of Scary Musical, a brutal double murder takes place.

Combines a slasher movie plot with a rock ‘n’ roll score, and laugh out loud comedy.

Cast: 4M 4F. Orch: Keyboard, Guitar, Bass, Drums. Royalty: B.

HYPERSPACE - THE STAR WARS MUSICAL PARODY. By Peter Novakovich.

Puts the farce into the Force as you are taken on an all-singing, all- dancing, parody-tribute of one of most successful film franchises of all time. Join Duke Flyswatter, his loyal robot RU DED2, and his sister Princess Highway, as they search for the last missing episode of Hyperspace, the intergalactic soap opera that thrilled throngs throughout the galaxy. With catchy tunes and jokes for Star Wars tragics and non tragics alike. Cast: 3F 7M & chorus. Orch: Elec Guit, Bass, Drums, Piano/Keyboard. Royalty: 12.5%.

WARP DRIVE - THE STAR TREK MUSICAL PARODY. By Peter Novakovich.

Join Captain Jerk and the crew of the Starship Enterthise as they boldly go where no musical has gone before: roaming the galaxy searching for signs of intelligent life (having found none on Earth). Warning: This show is highly illogical. Stage on its own or as double sci-fi feature with Hyperspace. Cast: 7M 6F & Chorus. Orch: Electric Guitar, Piano/keyboard, Bass, Drums. Royalty: 12.5%.

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www.davidspicer.com.au

JUKE BOX ALLEY....FREE PERUSALS

By Neil Gooding and Nicholas Christo

By Neil Gooding*

“Popstars was a hit, with audience members enthralled by the story, and singing along with the great 90’s soundtrack.”

Geoff Samuels, St Patrick’s College, QLD. At a school in the 1990’s Mark is head over heels in love with his girlfriend, Queen Bee, Shannon Van de Witt. When she learns that popband impresario Simon Austin is the surprise judge at the State Talent Show she dumps him sparking a boyband v girlband battle. Smash hits from the hyper coloured 1990’s by artists including THE SPICE GIRLS, BRITNEY SPEARS, MC HAMMER, BACK STREET BOYS and many more.

“A fantastic show and our school community can’t stop raving about it!” Julie Ashburn, Mirani State High School, QLD. Packemin 1000 + seasons world-wide of this Productions musical in the style of movies such as Back to The Future, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and The Karate Kid. Back to the 80’s relives the highs and lows of the senior class of William Ocean High – as seen through the eyes of insecure and love-struck Corey Palmer.

THE SONGS: • Wannabe • Bye Bye Bye • Hit Me Baby One More Time • Larger Than Life • Waterfalls • Step By Step • Genie In A Bottle • Always • Achy Breaky Heart • My Heart Will Go On • End Of The Road • U Can’t Touch This • I’ll Be There For You (Theme from Friends)

THE SONGS: • Wake Me Up Before You Go Go • Footloose • Nine to Five • Kids in America • Girls Just Want To Have Fun • Mickey • Video Killed The Radio Star • Glory of Love • Material Girl • Let’s Hear It For The Boy • I’m Gonna Be 500 Miles • Man in the Mirror • We are the World • Love Shack • Total Eclipse of the Heart

Cast: 7F, 5M, 2 optional (M or F) and ensemble.

Orch: Key1 / Cond, Key2, Trumpet / Flugel / Tambourine, Tenor Sax / Alto Sax / Flute / Shaker, Guitar 1, Guitar 2, Bass, Drums, Percussion. Royalty: A.

*Additional material Stuart Smith.

Cast: 11M 9F & unlimited chorus. Orch: Tenor & Alt. Sax, Trump, Tromb, Drums, Elec. guitar, Bass guitar, Key 1 & 2.

Royalty: A.

“St John the Evangelist High School was rocking with the sound of great Australian music, laughter and applause.”

Peter Szota.

By Jodie Connor with additional material by Sue Lockwood.

Albatross Musical Theatre Holy Spirit College

Songs by AC/DC, Midnight Oil, Skyhooks, Dragon, The Choirboys, Daddy Cool, J.O.K. Sherbet, Ted Mulry Gang, Jet, Billy Thorpe, Rick Springfield, Divinyls, The Screaming Jets and more!

Troy and Darren Wilson, the most popular shearers in town, get hitched at a bachelor and spinster ball during a game of spin the bottle to Kazza and Shazza. But Help is on its way. Whilst drowning their sorrows they are told one of them is heir to a multi-million dollar sheep station. So they have to jump in my car to visit the posh mansion to claim their inheritance.

Cast: 10F 7M and chorus.

Orch: Trum, Flute, Clar, Alto Sax, Viol, Drums, Bass guitar, Piano and Keyboards.

Royalty: A.

By Justin Sepple*

Porirua Little Theatre

“We had a fantastic time performing this musical - the kids never wanted it to end.” Deb Meyers, Pittwater High.

THE SONGS: • Celebration • Crocodile Rock • Kissing In The Back Row of the Movies • Hot Stuff • Village People Medley (In The Navy / Go West / YMCA) • Pop Muzik • Boogie Night • Star Man • I Will Survive • Play That Funky Music White Boy • Disco Inferno It was the summer of 1976. Jack Flash is about to turn 21. His favourite haunt is a club called Disco Inferno. There he meets the devil’s right hand lady. He accepts a Faustian request to trade his soul for success. He is so successful that he tours to Australia to appear on Countdown. But success is hollow. Can he get his old girlfriend back? *Additional material David Spicer.

Cast: 5M 4F, 7 minor roles and chorus/dancers.

Orch: Tenor & Alt. Saxophone, Trumpet, Trombone, Drum, Electric Guitar, Bass, Keyboard 1 and 2. Royalty: A.

www.davidspicer.com.au

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SMALL AND MEDIUM CAST MUSICALS NEW

MARGARET FULTON: I SANG FOR MY SUPPER. By Doug MacLeod and Yuri Worontschak. Based on I sang for my supper by Margaret Fulton.

Margaret Fulton was Australia’s first cooking superstar. She sold 1.5 million cookbooks and changed the way Australian’s ate.

This joyous musical traces her life from working in a factory during WWII, to living in the rocks as a single mother, succeeding in a man’s world, falling in and out of love, making a fortune then almost losing it. First staged in 2012 in St Kilda the musical was described by The Australian as “terrific”, in the Herald-Sun as “hilarious” and in The Age as “infectious fun.”

Cast: 4F 2M. Orch: Keyboard and backing. Royalty: A. THE MARVELOUS WONDERETTES. Created by Roger Bean.

“Effervescent and irresistible! An utter charm bomb.” The New York Times.

This smash off-Broadway hit takes you to the 1958 Springfield High School prom where we meet Betty Jean, Cindy Lou, Missy, and Suzy, four girls with hopes and dreams as big as their crinoline skirts! As we learn about their lives and loves, the girls serenade us with classic ‘50s hits including “Lollipop,””Stupid Cupid,” and “Lipstick on Your Collar.” In act two, the Wonderettes reunite to take the stage and perform at their ten-year reunion. We learn about the highs and lows the girls have experienced in the past decade and are charmed to find that no matter what life throws their way, they will conquer it together. Cast: 4F. Orch: Key1 and 2, Guitar, Drums, Reed (Flute/Baritone/Alto/Tenor Sax) Royalty: A. MOTHERHOOD THE MUSICAL. THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE LAUNDRY. Music and lyrics by Sue Fabisch.

“Heart warming laugh out loud funny.” Broadway World.

Having a baby is just the beginning…motherhood is for life.

Four women share their insights, challenges and pleasures at a baby shower. In 90 minutes of fun you’ll get a peek into the powerful friendship of Amy, a soon-to-be first-time mom; Brooke, a hard-working lawyer; Barb, a stressed-out mother of five; and Tasha, a single mom seeking to balance work, her family and her divorce. Cast: 4F and optional chorus. Royalty: A. HOT SHOE SHUFFLE. Story & Concept by David Atkins & Max Lambert.

Original Choreography by David Atkins & Dein Perry.

Book by Larry Buttrose & Kathryn Riding. Original Set Design by Eamon D’Arcy.

Hot Shoe Shuffle has been a smash hit musical across Australia and the West End. The seven tap brothers receive a telegram - telling them that they’ll inherit millions from their late father if they reproduce the famous Hot Shoe Shuffle one month after his death. More surprises follow when a lost twin sister turns up. The dance musical features glorious music including Putting on the Ritz, a Fats Waller Medley, Song and Dance Man, The Rug Cutter and Name in Lights by Peter Allen. Applications are assessed and approved by David Atkins Enterprises. Cast: 8 amazing male tappers. 1 W…Chorus girls. Orch: Trombone, Drums, Bass, Guitar, Perc., WWx4, Trum.x3, Piano. Royalty: A. KEATING! Written and Composed by Casey Bennetto.

“Dazzlingly funny.” Raymond Gill, Arts Editor, The Age. “This is a beautiful set of numbers.” Paul Keating.

The musical Australia had to have, which sold out for two years is now available in your electorate. Keating! is the timeless story of the rise and fall of a Prime Minister. He was the boy from Bankstown who flicked the switch to vaudeville. Great music, easy to stage and simple costuming. All you need are some suits and a pair of fishnet stockings.

Cast: Bob Hawke. Paul Keating. John Hewson. Alexander Downer. John Howard. Gareth Evans.

Cheryl Kernot. Orch: Drums/Percussion, Elec. guitar, Acoustic bass guitar, Key, Sax. Royalty: A. Keating! Original production

MY WAY - A MUSICAL TRIBUTE TO FRANK SINATRA. Conceived by David Grapes and Todd Olson.

“You haven’t got a show...you have a license to print money.” Venice Little Theatre.

An award winning music revue featuring more than 50 songs recorded by ‘Old Blue Eyes’.

This is not about impersonating Frank Sinatra rather it is a classy tribute to his style, his era and some of the 20th century’s most beautiful songs. It is set in a stylish 1950’s nightclub and performed by four singers who each bring out a facet of Sinatra with their vocal style. Songs: All of me, Fly Me To The Moon, Love and Marriage, I Get A kick Out Of You, Moonlight Serenade, My Way, Strangers in the Night, New York New York, The Way You Look Tonight.

Cast: 2M 2F. Orch: Piano, Bass, Perc. Royalty: A.

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www.davidspicer.com.au

ROCK AND LARGE CAST MUSICALS NEW EDITION

PARIS. Music and Lyrics by Jon English and David Mackay, et. al.

“Irresistible, engaging and exciting.” Aussie Theatre. “The best rock musical you’ve never heard of.” Simon Parris.

With sweeping music, a fantastic love story and a few funny surprises this musical is a delight Jon English in Paris for audiences and performers. Paris is about a free spirit, a dreamer, a lover who is sent on a mission of peace from Troy to Greece but comes back with the wife of his enemy. The Trojans come to realise that the love between Paris and Helen is worth fighting for. There are great characters - Cassandra, Achilles, Hector, and Ulysses. Paris has now been staged in Australia, NZ, Eng. and Austria. New edition orchestrated by Isaac Hayward. Additional material from Neil Gooding, Stuart Smith and Jonathan Sora-English. Cast: 11M 5F and Chorus. Orch: 14 parts. Royalty: A. BEACH BLANKET TEMPEST. Book/Lyrics by Dennis Watkins. Music by Chris Harriott.

“The best show of the year.” SMH. “Theatrical Magic.” The Australian.

A surf rock musical inspired by Shakespeare and the teenage beach movies of the 1960’s. Set to the wit of Dennis Watkins and the sumptuous music of Chris Harriott. The Gemco Players, VIC Tempest is Shakespeare’s tale of a man’s journey from vengeance to forgiveness. In BBT Tony Prospero, the former king of Rock ‘n’ roll, has been banished to a desert island with his daughter and a genie who wants to ‘ride the wild surf and be free’. He conjures a Tempest to bring his enemies to the island to make them face their wrongdoings and a fabulous TV quiz show. Cast: Min 4F 4M, now also with optional chorus.

Orch: Bass, Key 1/2, Trum, Alt Sax, Guitar. Opt: Viol 1/2, Viola, Cello, DB, Clar 1/2, Ten Sax, Flute 1/2, Tromb, Perc. Royalty: A. LEND ME A TENOR THE MUSICAL. By Peter Sham and Brad Carrol. Based on the Play by Ken Ludwig.

“Crammed with laughter and great numbers.” Essex Inquirer.

“The most accomplished musical comedy opening in the West End this season.”

The Stage.

The riotous tale of mistaken identities and unexpected romance explodes in this 2011 West End musical comedy based on the Tony award nominated play. It’ s 1934 and Opera virtuoso Tito Merelli is about to revive Otello for the ten-year anniversary of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company. When Tito becomes unexpectedly incapacitated, a suitable replacement must be found. Cast: 6F, 4M, Ensemble. Orch: Key, Bass, Perc, Violins 1, 2, and 3, Reeds 1, 2, 3, and 4, Trum 1 and 2, Trom, Horn. Royalty: A. CRUISIN’ THE MUSICAL. By Rod Christian and Peter Waterman.

“The show delighted audiences of all age groups.” St Mary’s College Cairns.

Goodbye Caruso, Hello Elvis. 50’s rock musical about a ‘good’ Italian boy who wants to become a pop star. Lots of comedy as Vinnie rebels against his school and parents’ desire for him to work in the family business. It climaxes with the final of the Battle of the Bands. Superb music is inspired by the original era of rock n roll. It features some big ballads, Latin songs and great jive numbers to rock your socks, with fantastic arrangements. Cast: 8M 8F & chorus. Orch: Alto and Ten sax, Trum, Tromb, Piano, keyboard, Bass, Guit and Drums. Opt: Flute/Clarinet. Royalty: A. Please visit www.cruisinthemusical.com BOY’S OWN MCBETH. By Grahame (Aunty Jack) Bond and Jim Burnett.

“Explosively funny”

Aunty Jack has erupted again in a zany school comedy of swots, crawlers, stirrers and dunces. Terry Shakespeare is really the school old boy - he’s 42 and has been in Year 11 for 28 years with his two sons. He’s not stupid, it’s all a tax dodge. His school forces him to direct Macbeth in a bid to force him to graduate – with hilarious consequences. Cast: 11 principals (can be 7) and chorus. Orch: Min 2 key, 2 guit, elect bass, drums/perc. Extra: altosax/flute, ten sax/clar, trum & tromb. Royalty: B. AOTEAROA – A NEW ZEALAND ROCK MUSICAL. By Jamie Lawrence.

Part love story, part eco awareness and part spiritual enlightenment. Maxine a local Maori girl and Dan a local pakeha are boyfriend and girlfriend. They meet as teenagers and reunite years later to confront a huge challenge. It is a light hearted walk into the forest wrapped around some of the great New Zealand rock songs of our time including April Sun in Cuba, Six Months in a Leaky Boat, Aotearoa Land Of The Long White Cloud, Fraction Too Much Friction, Don’t Dream It’s Over, I See Red, The Gumboot Song. Cast: 5F 3M and small parts/ensemble. Orch: Tenor and Alt Sax, Trum, Tromb, Drums, Elec Guit, Bass Guit, Key 1 and 2. Royalty: A. PYJAMAS IN PARADISE. By John-Michael Howson, Ashley Irwin and Peter Pinne.

Gold Coast Arts Centre 2011

“This show sizzles.” Stage Whispers.

Set in a time where bikinis were Itsy Bitsy, love had people Shakin all Over and everyone was going on a Summer Holiday. Follow the lads travelling to Surfers to meet some nice girls set to fabulous tunes of the 1950’s and 60’s including The Great Pretender, Rock Around the Clock, Pink Shoe Laces and It’s My Party. Cast: 8M 8F and chorus Orch: Guit x 2, Bass, Perc, Drum, Key, Trum x 2, Reed x 2, Trombone. Royalty: A.

www.davidspicer.com.au

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OPERETTA AND CLASSICS UPDATED ESSGEE’S PIRATES OF PENZANCE, H.M.S. PINAFORE, THE MIKADO Based on Gilbert and Sullivan’s all time classics. New orchestrations by Kevin Hocking. Additional Lyrics by Melvyn Morrow.

“A constant barrage of fun...one of the most delightful nights out.”

“As Dazzling as the Best of Broadway.”

“An unfolding caravan of delights.”

Sparkling new adaptations of The Pirates of Penzance, The Mikado and HMS Pinafore as staged by Essgee Entertainment from 1994 to 2009.

Features a unique funky female chorus known as the Singlettes - inspired by The Three Little Maids from The Mikado. All have fabulous megamix finales, tighter funnier scripts, swashbuckling choreography and direction you can copy from the DVD and modern orchestration for 6 parts or optional extras for Pirates. While the chorus numbers are modernized the most beautiful solos are untouched. NEW dance sequences, See choreography and comedy now available from the 2008/09 Professional production of The Mikado.

Orch: 3 keyboards, percussion, bass, drums plus optional for Pirates 2 keys, 4 Woodwind, Horn in F, 3 trum, 2 trom, electric Bass, 3 Perc.

Royalty: A. In the UK Pirates/Mikado is represented by StageScripts. HMS Pinafore – Josef Weinberger. USA – Stage Rights.

Videos

A CHRISTMAS CAROL: A SEASONAL SAVOY OPERA. Adapted by Patrick Redmond.

“Let the bells with-in the steeple. Ring with joy for all good people.” This gem marries the drama of Charles Dickens with the music of Gilbert and Sullivan. There is a smorgasbord of songs from The Yeoman of the Guard, The Pirates of Penzance, HMS Pinafore, Iolanthe, Trial by Jury, The Mikado, Patience and Ruddigore. Includes many rousing chorus numbers. Royalty: C.

LOLA MONTEZ. Music by Peter Stannard. Lyrics by Peter Benjamin. Book by Alan Burke.

When Lola Montez left behind her celebrity lovers in Europe and toured Australia, the gold miners of Ballarat covered her stage with Gold nuggets. But the editor of the Ballarat Times gave her a panning. So she horsewhipped him in public. Lola Montez has been staged by more than 100 theatres across Australia. In the style of Rodgers and Hammerstein this musical treat has been enhanced by a new performance version. It includes the most recorded song in Aus. Musical theatre history (Be My Saturday Girl). Cast: 9 Prin, 7 small roles & ch. Orch: 13 parts. Royalty: 12.5%. Updated edition from Stephen Helper.

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: THE MUSICAL. By Bernard J Taylor and Jane Austen.

“Glorious melodies (that) capture Jane Austen’s book.” Masquerade Magazine.

Jane Austen described Elizabeth Bennet as quite the most delightful creature as ever appeared in print. This musical adaptation has been staged with great success in more than a dozen towns around the world. It has 11 fantastic roles for women (most with solos), from the dim Mrs Bennet, to her five daughters, to the formidable Lady Catherine and bitchy Caroline Bingley. Mr Collins is a classic role for comics. Cast: 11F. 6M chorus. Orch: Horn, Trum. Clar, 2 Violins, Cello, Bass, Perc, Oboe, Flute, Synth. Royalty: 12.5%.

THE MERRY WIDOW FROM BLUEGUM CREEK. Music By Franz Lehár. New Words and Lyrics by Frank Hatherley.

The most popular and exquisitely beautiful operetta of the 20th Century now has comedy to match. This edition is endorsed by the Lehár estate. No music is changed. It’s still 1901 in Paris. But the embassy is from Down Under not the Balkans. The hapless French “don’t know what’s a chook or how to take a Captain Cook.” But they want to get their hooks into the Aussie Merry Widow. If she marries a ‘Frenchie’ the new Federation of Oz will go broke. The ambassador hopes “she can tell the difference between French tripe and prime Aussie beef.” Cast: 10 Aussies. 4 French. Chorus. Orch: Magnificent reduction by Stephen Gray. Can be staged: 5 Strings & 2 Key. Optional Wind, Brass, Perc. Royalty: C. UK - Josef Weinberger.

DIE FLEDERMAUS. With EXTRA CHORUS – on stage for 40% of performance. Cast: 5M, 4F and large chorus.

Orch: Reduced orchestration of 16 or full score for 25+ instruments. Royalty: E. ORPHEUS IN THE UNDERWORLD. New Translation with EXTRA CHORUS Orch: Min. 17. Royalty: E. CARMEN. Beautiful new English translation of this classic opera by Bizet. Royalty: E. LA BOHEME – THE MUSICAL. Adapted by Peter Novakovich from the Puccini Opera. Royalty: C.

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AUSTRALIAN COMEDY, DRAMA AND FARCE Royalty: C THE BEAST. By Eddie Perfect.

NEW

“An enjoyable, laugh-out-loud entertainment.” The Age. After surviving a nasty near-death experience, a group of close friends embrace a tree-change, living a sustainable life in the country. But nature isn’t so welcoming, when the friends are faced with the pressing task of killing a young cow. First staged by the Melbourne Theatre Company and at the Sydney Opera House.

Cast: 3M 4F. AUSTRALIA DAY. By Jonathan Biggins.

“A charming comedy.” SMH. “Perfectly pitched jokefest.” The Australian.

After several tours of duty as an Australia Day Ambassador in regional NSW Jonathan Biggins’ initial scepticism about celebrating the national day melted like a Lamington in the mid-day sun. It showed him the warmth, dedication and quiet patriotic pride of organisers. The experience whet his appetite to write a comedy aimed squarely at another hallowed institution – the committee. Cast: 4M 2F. THE INCREDIBLE HERE AND NOW. By Felicity Castagna.

NEW

A play about cars and boys and having to grow up too soon. Michael is living in the shadow of his older brother Dom - the guy who grabs everyone’s attention. When he is gone Michael roams the streets, navigating life, friendship, love and family. Cast: 7F 6M (Doubling possible).

GALLIPOLI: A MANUAL OF TRENCH WARFARE. By Clem Gorman.

“May be a masterpiece.” David Malouf.

A raw country boy and an older soldier share a sandbagged trench in Gallipoli in 1915. They find themselves battling not only the enemy, for whom they have a sneaking admiration, but also themselves. Their unique mateship helps them through the horrors of war. Cast: 5M. OPEN FOR INSPECTION. By Frank Hatherley.

A modern farce that pokes fun at real estate madness. This breathless plot is inspired by the furious, headlong farces of Georges Feydeau and John Cleese. Helplessly out of control, the characters chase money, sex, and harbour glimpses to the bitter, hilarious end. Cast: 4M 4F. MANLY MATES. By Frank Hatherley.

Riotous comedy about a former Premier, his corrupt Police Commissioner and their afternoon in the pub when everything goes wrong. Hatherley’s fiendish plot leads all the colourful characters into spiralling turmoil. And it’s all based on ‘Underbelly’-style fact. Every role is a challenge for big comedy performances. Cast: 7M 4F. MY HENRY LAWSON. By Frank Hatherley.

Filled with the rousing verse of Banjo Patterson and Henry Lawson and their tumultuous real-life relationship. Cast: 2M 1F.

Newly Published Frank Hatherley set

SHENANIGAN’S WAKE. By Daryl Peebles.

Poor Seamus died of liver failure and it was his wish that his mates from the boozer send him off in a manner to which he was accustomed...suitably well plonked...hic! Alas the sobriety of the wake is shamefully disrupted as his wife gets into fisticuffs with his lover, and all manner of authorities turn up demanding cash that has slipped through his fingers over the years. Cast: 3M 3F. EMMA CELEBRAZIONE! By Graham Pitts.

“A sure-fire box office hit.” The Australian.

Italian immigrant Emma Ciccotosto is cooking for a family wedding feast, regaling the audience with tales of her feckless husband and venomous mother-in-law. At interval the audience tastes her delicious pasta and a Choir of Italian women assist with song and celebration. This play often sells out weeks before opening night. Cast: 2 or 3F, 1M & choir. Set: I Kitchen II Wedding.

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FARCE AND COMEDY. Royalty: C Introducing Devon Williamson’s Australian editions

WEDDING OF THE CENTURY. Sister Dorothy, a 99-year-old nun, is visited in her nursing home by a ‘Goth Girl’ student. Dorothy tells her that not only is she going to reach her 100th birthday (next week) but she’ll get married on the big day. Cast: 2M 7F.

NEW

THE JAILHOUSE FROCKS. Dimwitted Officer Dwayne’s tranquil evening at the Birchwood County police station is interrupted by the arrests of three unlikely women; the mayor’s drunk wife, the local cat-lady, and a dangerous looking New Yorker who has crashed her car into the police station. Cast: 3F 2M. NEW

OVER PAID, OVER SEXED AND OVER HERE. It’s mid 1942 and as our able bodied men fight overseas, a sleepy seaside Aussie town is invaded by the Americans. The ladies are excited but the local lads are upset because the visitors… are overpaid, over sexed, and over here! Cast: 4F 5M. MY INLAWS ARE OUTLAWS. Annie discovers her mother in-law has hired a mad group of assassins to kill her! How will Annie, a mild mannered Librarian, outwit the best of the Italian, Russian and Irish contract killers? Cast: 4 to 6F .

2 to 4M. Length: Two Acts (110 minutes) CRAZY LADIES. Five school friends stage a reunion after 25 years apart. Sparks fly when you mix a gun toting chocoholic funeral director with a nun and the woman who had eight children with the school nerd. Friendships are rekindled, secrets are revealed, and a janitor is kidnapped! Cast: 5F 1M. MENOPAUSE MADE ME DO IT. Ten years since the last reunion of the Crazy Ladies, their children have left home and menopause has made them crazier than ever. The women are lured to a motel by a kidnapper who seriously underestimates his prey. Can be staged as a sequel or stand alone. Cast: 5F 1M. UNDERSTANDING WOMEN. Mike, Dave and Julian spend a weekend in a garden shed determined to break an age-old mystery.

Armed with a case of beer, a box of girlie magazines and a holy book they are going to “understand women”. What they discover is not quite what they expected. A comedy for both sexes! Cast: 3M 1F. THE OLD PEOPLE ARE REVOLTING. The world is about to find out how dangerous a retired lawyer, car salesman, hairdresser and farmer can be! Using the United Nations charter on the rights of self-determination the residents of a retirement village decide to create their own independent Kingdom, and appoint a monarch to teach the world a lesson. Cast: 4F 1M. MY HUSBAND’S NUTS. Barbara’s husband is missing on the family farm. When Jack finally returns he won’t leave the house. He’s suffering from Agri-phobia (the fear of agriculture)... and is convinced that he is Hiroo Onoda - a Japanese soldier holding out on an island after WW2. What will help restore Jack’s mind …the medical profession... or a dose of common sense? Cast: 3F 2M. HOW TO TRAIN YOUR HUSBAND. This madcap comedy follows the adventures of three generations of the Smith family as they attempt to turn their men into fully trained members of the opposite sex. Cast: 5F 2M. TWAS THE FIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS. Hilarious and uplifting Christmas comedy. Cast: 4F 2M. THE SUPERMARKET SISTERHOOD. As if the daily skirmishes with farcical customers and the dim-witted men in their lives wasn’t enough, the women who operate the checkouts at the Discount Co supermarket are now facing a new boss and the prospect of losing their jobs to automated checkout aisles. Cast: 5F / 2M, (plus female extras).

BONDI LEGAL. By Tony Laumberg. Hapless anxiety prone lawyer Brad Pitt (no relation) turns up to fill in for the day for a lawyer on holiday and is thrust unprepared into a complex case. Facing a scowling magistrate and a lawyer who resembles a Rottweiler, he has to overcome the odds. Cast: 6M 2F. THE GREAT DIVIDE. By Tony Laumberg. The lives of a well-to-do lawyer and his love-starved wife are turned upside down when a lively young Greek couple move in next door. A fence dispute ends up in court and each woman leaves her partner in disgust. Cast: 3M 2F. BARBECUE. By Daryl Peebles. Colin Cooper, a salt of the earth truckie, wins Lotto and moves into a rich suburb. He invited his neighbours and the audience over for a free snag. He loves the ‘Barbie’ because afterwards you don’t have to wash down the table, just run the Victa over it. Enter the snooty neighbours and the Mormon Missionaries.

Cast: 5M 5F. DON’T GET YOUR VICARS IN A TWIST. By Ann Gawthorpe & Lesley Bown. A fast-moving farce about a senior church warden who has let the empty vicarage to a travelling theatre company for a murder mystery weekend to pay for his daughter’s extravagant wedding. Mistaken identity, other forms of misunderstanding, cross-dressing, drunkedness and general chaos ensue. Cast: 6M 5F. WHERE THERE’S A WILL. By Norman Robbins. In this riotous comedy dry eyed mourners turn up to Edie Puddiphat’s funeral with a will saying they are the sole heir to her millions – but the old lady has outwitted the vultures. Cast: 2M 5F. DYING TO MEET YOU. By Ron Hutson. Richard and his wife Barbara accidently offer the same room as lodgings to a young undertaker and a young woman who has the mafia after her. Confusion, panic, cross dressing and many misunderstandings abound. Cast: 4M 4F.

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OUTRAGEOUS COMEDIES. Royalty: C. (*PM: Playmarket in NZ) HOTT PROPERTY. By Matt Byrne.

NEW

“Had the audience in fits of laughter.” Weekend Notes.

Bursts the Real Estate bubble, as white-shoed Red Hott, world-weary wife Smokin’ Hot, would-be model daughter Pipin’ Hott and her sleazy ambitious fiancé Terry Trott, try to find the right property for four very different couples! It’s an all-auction night out! Cast: 2M 2F. * STIFF. A comedy by April Phillips. (Play or add songs to suit) This will make your audience die laughing. Angel Delight, the illegitimate daughter of a funeral parlour director, inherits her father’s business. Before she can sell she has to run the funeral parlour for five years. Unfortunately she knows nothing about the funeral business but a lot about prostitution. Nothing is off limits in this zany quickfire comedy about sex and death by misadventure. Cast: 5F 2/3M.

Chapel Off Chapel 2013

* DEATH & TAXE$. By April Phillips Dodgy deals, a fishy tax inspector, a nutty cop, murder, mayhem and a hairy Yak! Cast: 4M 4F. SPY CLUB. By Liane Mills.

Set in the Spyglass Club frequented by a hot bed of Russian, American, and British businessmen, spies or gypsies such as Artie Choke, and Mona Littlemore. The audience laugh themselves silly and listen out for titles to James Bond movies. Cast: 8F 8M. CRUISE CLUB. By Liane Mills.

Set sail for adventure on the cruise of a life-time to Bermuda aboard the beautiful Costa Lotta. It’s not all smooth sailing. Someone is trying to poison the passengers and nobody knows who will be next. Audience participation is a must. Cast: 5-8M 3-7F. MISS ABIGAIL’S GUIDE TO DATING, MATING & MARRIAGE! By Ken Davenport and Sarah Saltzberg.

Let Miss Abigail take you back to a simpler time, before speed-dating! It’s Loveline meets Dr. Ruth as Miss Abigail shares her vast knowledge of every piece of relationship literature known to mankind. The audience participates in this hilarious variety show. Cast: 1M 1F. Hurunui Theatre Group NZ

ACT YOUR AGE… Musical Farce by Christopher Wortley.

Celebrity Sanctuary is a clinic that offers relaxation for A Listers. It has, however, fallen on hard times.

When the owner receives a call from “Victoria’s agent” they are delighted, but this quickly turns to concern as they realise that they cannot now provide all the facilities that are expected.

Cast: 10F 4M + minor principals and chorus. Orch: Piano, keys, Drum. MD. Royalty: B.

SILLY OLD BUGGERS. By Gillian M Wadds.

“A delicious look at aging. A warm, poignant and very amusing blend of songs and pithy dialogue” The hit production of the 2009 Melb Comedy Festival. The four silly old buggers are a retired opera singer, merchant banker, truck driver and school principal determined to have some fun. Cast: 2M 2F. SHAZ AND NICK’S BIG GREEK WEDDING OR DIM TOULA. By Craig Wellington.

Not just an outrageous comedy. This is an event. A dead Greek grandmother comes back to haunt her grandson Nick Kakamanospillipapadimiopoulis during his wedding reception because he has married an Aussie. “I say to him, Are you trying to kill your Grandmother? He was right. He kill me.” Cast: 9M 8F. Part proceeds to MS Society Tasmania.

STAND AND DELIVER. By Janet Shaw.

So funny it will split your stitches. A ‘behind the scenes’ look into the world of the maternity ward. Join sex-mad nurse Lindsay Walker, and the four ladies on C Ward. Cast: 4M 10F. LOVE OR LASSOS. By Leo Regan.

A Rootin Tootin Western Melodrama. Follow the adventures of our hero Rock Hard as he battles against the villainy of Whiley J Whiplash, who will do anything to get his hands on the bar Lazy J Saloon. Can Penelope Pureheart find her true love? What does Chief Hi Howarya have in his pipe? Cast: 6M 7F. LIFE’S A BITCH. By David Cole.

Romantic comedy about dog owners and their best friends. Four of the cast are dogs including Jackson, a spoilt pedigree blue heeler on heat and Josie a flirtatious cocker spaniel. Guess who craves food, attention, play and sex: in that order. Cast: 3M 4F.

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COMIC PLAYS PANTOMIMES & THEATRE RESTAURANT

By Judith Prior. Royalty: C READ THE FIRST SIX PAGES OF ALL OF JUDITH PRIOR’S SCRIPTS at www.davidspicer.com.au “Had the audience in stitches.” Holy Spirit College Rockhampton: Jungle Juice.

“It was brilliant. The crowd just loved it.” Capella Theatre Tragics: Opportunity Knocks.

CINDERELLA MEETS THE MOTHER-IN-LAW. Prince Charming and Cinderella arrive back at the palace after their fairy-tale wedding. Cinderella is shocked to learn that the search for the missing glass slipper was instigated by her mother-law, Queen Imelda, who has a shoe fetish. 5-7F 4-6M. NEW

HACIENDA DEL TORO. Hidden treasure, bad Spanish accents, culture clashes and much mirth at the Mexican restaurant Hacienda del Toro. Audience participation in everything from mock bull fights to the Macarena. 7F 5M.

Jungle Juice.

HAUNTED HALLOWEEN. A young widow, owner of a small costume hire shop, asks her psychic sister to Holy Spirit College, contact her dear departed gangster husband, to ask him where he hid the diamonds from the robbery. Rockhampton They accidentally conjure up Al Capone and Elvis. A hilarious combination. 5M 5F + Chorus.

Hacienda del Toro Ingham Theatre Group.

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS. Three elderly lady volunteers in a charity clothes shop get a shock when they discover the nice young girls who live upstairs are exotic dancers at the Pink Pussy club. 5/6M 6/8F.

UNCLE JACK. A family wedding anniversary becomes a hilarious disaster. Mum and Dad are fighting, the black sheep of the family - Uncle Jack - turns up uninvited, and somebody has spiked the punch, making the Vicar into The Vicar of Tiddley.

Great family comedy/drama with characters that may remind you of your own family. 4M 4F & 1M or F. (The Vicar) A WINK AT THE SPHINX. Cairo’s old Bazaar - Pharaoh tells daughter Fatima her betrothed is kidnapped and she must marry evil old Royal Physician Tut Tut. Help comes from Genie in Bottle of rum and audience participation in the mummy wrapping. 5M 3F & Chorus.

JEST AT THE WEST. Complete send up of the Wild West. Audience are patrons of the Silver Slipper Saloon which is in financial trouble. Nothing seems to work, not even the flap jacket flippin’ - until a strange lookin’ city fella called Cecil turns up. Little White Dove is in love!! 7M 5F & Chorus.

JEST CALL ME COWBOY. Cecil returns to the Silver Slipper to make a movie. Hilarity continues as all the wacky characters from Jest at the West compete as they aspire to become movie stars. 7M 5F & Chorus.

PHANTOM OF THE MUSIC HALL. A Phantom who doesn’t like pantomime is residing in the old White Chapel Theatre at the time of Jack the Ripper. The cast are rehearsing Cinderella. Their efforts to convince the ghost that Cinderella is a melodrama and not a pantomime are hilarious.

6F 5M & Chorus.

OUTBACK DEBUTANTE’S BALL. A country town is forced to enlist Jackeroos with two left feet to partner Debutantes, to impress a politician in order to get an arts grant. Efforts of city Director to teach deportment to Jillaroos fail with hilarious consequences. 9F 3M & 3M/F & Chorus.

BARNEY’S FAIR. An Irish family, aided and abetted by the befuddled hero Paddy, try valiantly to save the fairground from being sold to a developer who plans to turn it into a Golf Course. Great characters amongst the stall holders. 3M 10F & Chorus.

SAILING SOUTH. A rollicking romp on a ship to Australia. The Honourable Judge Eustace McDonald is horrified to find that his mother has enlisted him in the navy on a ship crewed mostly with female ticket of leave prisoners. 6F 5M & Chorus.

Strudelfest.

THE KOOKABURRA KIDS. Students at a holiday camp fight a local Mayor’s plans to sell Home Hill Choral Society. the site. With local residents they campaign to save it from development. Songs include Waltzing Matilda , I am Australian, and Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree. Cast: 25 & Chorus. Orch: 5 parts. Royalty: B THE LAST RESORT. Set in the foyer of a retirement village. Plans for a fundraising concert to pay for a bus trip to the casino get tangled by blue-rinse politics. An enlightening comic glimpse into the life and loves of the older set. 3M 7F.

ALADDIN’S TAKEAWAY. Set in the roaring twenties Aladdin is abducted from his Chinese take-away shop by “The Mob”. His mother and the ladies of the 12th Street Mission enlist a Genie and the Pirate King to rescue him. 7F 6M & Chorus.

JUNGLE JUICE. A send up of everything to do with the jungle, including STRUDELFEST. Bad German accents are a must for this romp set at the a big game hunter, a witchdoctor, Tarzan and Jane, two rock stars and a Alpine Ski lodge run by Baroness Von Clapp. The cook breaks a leg, so the audience must help stuff the chooks, then the tour bus lands in a gorilla. 6F 5M & 1M/F. lake and two feral bikies turn up. 3M 8F. LADY GODIVA. Based on Lady Godiva’s famous ride through Coventry.

THE PIRATE PRINCE. Hamish, the Scottish Pirate King, has returned to Includes medieval maids, men in tights, a saucy serving wench, a daughter expelled from boarding school and a husband who delights in the Caribbean Island after twenty five years’ absence, to dig up his buried treasure. Alas a building has been erected on the same spot. taxing the peasants. 4M 4F & 1M/F. Calypso cavorting and songs. 4M 5F & Chorus.

THAT’S YOUR FUNERAL. When Harvey finds out how much a casket, flowers, and a cemetery plot actually can cost he enlists his best mate, JACK AND THE BAKED BEANSTALK. When Jack and his mother are Bazza, to help him build a coffin. 4M 4F. facing eviction by the manager of the local baked bean factory, he decides to trade their cows for some magic beans. Large cast and TRUE BLUE AUSSIE REVIEW. A medley of music, monologues, skits and Chorus. Suit School or Youth Theatre Production. short scenes loosely set at the time of the local Agricultural exhibition 12 leads and panto cow. and Rodeo or Show in any large city. 3M 3F & Chorus.

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MURDER MYSTERY SPOOF & REGENCY DRAMA Royalty: C AGATHA CRUSTY AND THE VILLAGE HALL MURDERS. By Derek Webb.

NEW

“Lots of witty lines and funny scenes, but there is also a genuine murder plot.” Amateur Stage.

Crime novelist Agatha Crusty (pronounced Croosty) gets caught up in a series of murders of members of a Village Hall committee. There are plenty of suspects and an incompetent police office to navigate, as the bodies begin to pile up. Cast: 4M 6F or 3M 7F. AGATHA CRUSTY AND THE HEALTH SPA MURDERS. By Derek Webb.

NEW

Agatha decides that a spell at a health spa is just what she needs to recharge her batteries. Just as she is beginning to relax one of the group is found drowned, presumed murdered, in the Moor Mud Bath.

Cast: 3M 7F. AGATHA CRUSTY AND THE MURDER MYSTERY DINNER. By Derek Webb.

A murder mystery dinner at a remote Victorian house is cut off by a storm. Life imitates art when one of the guests is murdered even though all the guests are together. Cast: 5M 6F

NEW

DAME AGATHA’S GREATEST CASE. By Robert Sheppard.

Bell Theatre Group

An eccentric selection of the rich and famous meet at a 1930’s country house weekend. Before anyone has had time to settle in a cabinet minister is murdered ‘totally without any warning’. Fortunately the famous amateur sleuth Agatha Christie is on hand to solve the crime. Optional G&S songs. Cast: 8M 9F.

MURDER AFOOT. By Knut Naerum.

A cleverly written, fast moving murder mystery comedy.Dark clouds are gathering over The Arches, the stately mansion of brash, larger-than-life shoe millionaire, Titus Platt. During a thunderstorm Titus Platt is found murdered leaving a dying clue in the form of two chess pieces. Cast: 5M 5F. MURDER ON CUE. By Robyn Jennifer Miller.

A murder mystery set in Maple Lodge, a retirement home for actors, where gossip and old rivalries sustain the residents as much as the dry sherry and shepherd’s pie. Cast: 3M 6F. SCHOOL FOR MURDER. By Bettine Manktelow.

A seminar for aspiring crime writers at an isolated house gets an unexpected practical lesson when a guest appears to be murdered. Cast: 1M 5F. Jane Austen adaptations by Pamela Whalan.

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. “It is not only fans of Jane Austen’s much-loved novel centred on romantic manoeuvres in early 19th century England who will be delighted by this witty and excellently staged adaptation.” Newcastle Herald 2011. Mainly in one setting – the morning room of Longbourn. The dialogue and the characters’ movements and expressions have audience members seeing events and people in other locations. Cast: 11F 5M. PERSUASION. Cast: 8F 5M. SENSE AND SENSIBILITY. Cast: 6M 6F. MANSFIELD PARK. Cast: 7F 6M. EMMA. Cast: 5M 6F. AMATEUR RITES. By Tim Luscombe.

A fast-paced, hilarious comedy of modern manners set at a suburban AmDram company staging a Jane Austen adaptation.

Ambitions and neuroses come to a perilous and uproarious climax in the white heat of the rehearsals for a production of Northanger Abbey. Cast: 3M 6F. THANK YOU MR DICKENS. By Jane Hilliard.

Charles Dickens arrives at a Victorian house of comfort not to sample the ladies’ delights, but to purchase some material to allow him to write his new novel. The ladies are happy to provide as much information as he wants using all their imagination.

Cast: 4M 5F. WUTHERING HEIGHTS THE MUSICAL. By Bernard J Taylor and Emily Brontë.

“Something to shiver about” House and Garden. “Simply sensational” Gazette.

The haunting image of Heathcliffe searching the moors for the ghost of his beloved Cathy is one of the most enduringly passionate scenes in English literature. Taylor’s adaptation has been recognised by the Brontë Society as marking the first time that the true spirit of this masterpiece “has been captured in music.” It has magnificent music, verging on operatic arias. Cast: 5M 3F Minor parts & chorus. Orch: 12. Royalty: 12.5%.

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YOUTH MUSICALS ROCKIN’ ROBIN. By Judith Prior.

“Our most successful musical to date.” Ben Lohrey, Burnie High School.

A school is rehearsing Horror Movie by Skyhooks for the Rock Eisteddfod when an electrical fault causes two of the cast, Maddie and William, to be transported backwards through time to medieval Sherwood Forest. Here they are welcomed by Robin Hood and Little John and immediately swept up in a zany plot.

THE SONGS: • The Wanderer • C’mon Everybody • Rockin’ Robin • Happy Together • Johnny B. Goode • Rock Around the Clock • Great Balls of Fire • Long Tall Sally • The Locomotion • Puppet on a String • A Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On...

Cast: 9F 6M. Chorus. Orch: Alto Sax, Ten Sax, Trum, Trom, Bb & Eb Lead parts, Guit, Piano, Keyboard, Bass Guit, Drum, Perc. Small Orch: 2 Key, Bass, Drum. CD Backing track available. Royalty: A. WHAT’S NEW PUSSYCAT? By Judith Prior.

“It was fantastic...because it was so funny.” Vicki Crawford, Blue Mt. College.

This modern take on the classic fable of Puss In Boots has great jokes, wonderful dance opportunities set to popular songs by artists ranging from Roy Orbison to Madonna, Beyoncé and Tom Jones.

A brother swindles his siblings out of their inheritance and dumps on them their father’s magical cat.

SONGS INCLUDE: • Workin’ For the Man • I Want to be a Billionaire • Material Girl • Single Ladies • Walk Right In • These Boots are made for Walkin • We’re Not Gonna Take It • I Feel Good • What’s New Pussycat? • Congratulations Cast: 14F 5M 10M/F – doubling possible and chorus. Orch: Guit, Bass guitar, Piano, Keyboard, Alto Sax, Trum, Drums. Royalty: A. THE SNOW QUEEN. By Kirsten Brandt, Rick Lombardo and Haddon Kime.

“A fairytale that rocks.” New York Times.

Be spirited away by this new musical adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s fantastical coming-of-age adventure that inspired the hit Disney movie Frozen. Join Gerda on a dangerous and whimsical quest to save her best friend Kai before he is trapped forever in the Snow Queen’s palace. Features an original pop-rock score, alluring ballads and urban steam punk flair. Cast: 5F, 4M and chorus. Orch: Key 1 and 2, Guit.1 and 2, Bass, Drums, Violin. Royalty: B.

Craigslea State High School

PETER PAN. By J.M.Barrie. Adapted by Peter Denyer. Music by Barrie Bignold.

“The songs are witty and tuneful and the script fast and flowing”.

This adaptation of the legendary tale of the boy who never grows old is recognised in the UK as the best available. First produced professionally in 1993, it’s since sold out across the country. A play with music it has all the delights of the original story, Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, Captain Hook, and the hungry crocodile.

As well there’s the riotously funny Mermaid Calypso and percussion rock dance of the Red Indians. Cast: 10 principals and chorus. Royalty: B. Brisbane Arts Theatre

Brisbane Arts Theatre

JUNGLE BOOK THE MUSICAL. By Markus Weber and Michael Summ.

“Full of great tunes, superb characterisation and laughs.” Stage Whispers.

A rock, pop and funky adaptation of the collected stories of Rudyard Kipling that’s been performed thousands of times across Europe. The legendary tale of Mowgli: the young boy who learns from all the animals in the jungle the art of surviving. Cast: Minimum 7 – can add chorus. Orch: CD or 2 Guit, 2 Key, Bass , Drums. Royalty: B.

ARABIAN NIGHTS. By Adam Forde and David Perkins.

Beautiful new musical adaptation written especially for youth theatres, staged dozens of times around the world. Sheherazade has been telling stories to her husband the King for 1000 nights. They range from magic carpet rides to genies to Ali Baba and the 40 thieves to Sinbad the Sailor. But is her final story good enough to save her life? Cast: Total (18m, 9f, 11m/f) Orch: Violin, Trum, Reed x 3, Elec Bass Drum, Piano. Royalty: B. BURGER BRAIN - THE FAST FOOD MUSICAL. By Dennis Watkins and Chris Harriott.

The perfect youth musical with fries and a Coke. Set in Bondi Beach at the largest restaurant of the world wide conglomerate ‘Hackets’. Everyone loved Waldo, but then he becomes a manager and has to sack a mate because he has turned 18! Lots of laughs and great music as the staff of Hacket’s quit and form a rival restaurant.

“Hamburgers Today Tomorrow the world!” First written for a young star called Toni Collette.

Cast: 40 principals and chorus. Orch: Key 1/2, Guitar, Bass, Sax 1/2, Trump. Royalty: B.

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YOUTH MUSICALS MASQUERADE. By Kate Mulvany. Based on the book by Kit Williams.

Music by Mikelangelo and Pip Branson.

Lilydale High

“A lovingly made adaptation of Kit Williams’ literary treasure hunt.” SMH. In a wondrous world of riddles and hidden treasure, bumbling Jack Hare is on a race against time to deliver a message of love from the Moon to the Sun. Bringing to life Kit Williams’ iconic picture book, Masquerade stars a talking fish, a tonedeaf barbershop quartet, a gassy pig, a precious jewel and a few mere mortals. It’s a magical adventure that is, at its heart, about the love between a parent and a child. Cast: 9M, 8F. Royalty: A SNUGGLEPOT AND CUDDLEPIE THE MUSICAL IN CONCERT. Words and Music by Peter Combe. Based on the Book by May Gibbs.

“Fans of May Gibbs should be in gumnut heaven watching this delightful production” Newcastle Herald. May Gibbs’ royalties benefit disabled children.

This sparkling musical has been staged more than 30 times by large choirs, musical societies and schools. From the Big Bad City to the shimmering Fish Folks ball, to the stormy seas, this epic tale is full of magical bushland characters. They include Nuts, Blossoms, musical frogs and the most grubby, ragged and nasty Banksia Men ever seen. First staged at the Adelaide Festival. Available as a musical cantata, dialogue edition or shortened primary school edition.

Use sumptuous orchestrations with the flavour of the bush or use beautifully crafted new CD backing Track. Cast: 19 soloists from age of ten to ‘adult’ and choir. Orch: CDB or Flute/Pic, Oboe, Clar, Bassoon, Horn, 2 Trum, Tro, Kit drum, perc. Elec guitar, bass keyboard, 6 violins, 2 viola, cello. Royalty: B. WIND IN THE WILLOWS. By Juran Jones and John McKenna. Based on Kenneth Grahame’s classic.

When Mole becomes tired of spring cleaning, he ventures out to the river where he meets Ratty. Together they embark on an adventure through the wild wood. Delightful music. Cast: 27 principals and chorus. Orch: Flu, Brass, Strings, Bass Guitar, Horn, Keyboard, Vibraphone, Bass, Cello. Royalty: B.

LARGE CAST MUSICALS FOR YOUNG PERFORMERS ALICE IN WONDERLAND. By Gabrielle Murphy.

Alice sings and dances her way through Wonderland, where she meets the White Rabbit, the Caterpillar, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Cheshire Cat and the terrifying Queen of Hearts.

Cast: 16 Singing roles. 17 speaking. Royalty: B PINOCCHIO. By Gabrielle Murphy.

Pinocchio travels through Italy meeting the Blue Fairy, the cunning Fox and Cat, the evil puppet master Fire Eater, the naughty boys from The Land of Toys, Tunny the tuna, and the Cricket. Watch him learn about life and finally achieve his dream of becoming a real boy! Cast: 10 Singing 30 speaking. Royalty: B.

SMALL AND MEDIUM CAST MUSICALS MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET. Adapted from the 1947 Lux Radio Broadcast by Lance Arthur Smith. Music by Jon Lorenz.

NEW

When a department store Santa claims he’s the real Kris Kringle, his case gets taken all the way to the Supreme Court and a little girl’s belief makes the difference in the ‘miracle.’ With live Foley effects and a score of holiday carols, Miracle on 34th Street is a beloved musical that will melt even the most cynical of hearts.

Cast: 2F, 3M, 1F Child, 1 Piano/Foley Artist, Ensemble (Flexible).

SWEET FANNY ADAMS. By Peter Pinne and Don Battye.

Set in the naughty 30s. Based on the real life tale of Tilly Devine as featured in Channel Nine’s Underbelly series. Fanny and Kitty are making their regular appearance at the court of Petty Sessions on charges of running a house of illrepute. The bent Judge, who receives commissions from both girls, gives them a small fine and lets them go on their merry way. Let the bawdy, riotous and deliciously ribald fun begin. Cast: 3M 3F. Royalty: B. IT HAPPENED IN TANJABLANCA or RED WHITE AND BOOGIE. By Peter Pinne and Don Battye.

Based on a story by John Michael Howson. Echoes of Bogart, Dietrich and Carmen Miranda abound in this delicious send-up of dramatic Hollywood movies of the 40s. Set in the foyer of a seedy hotel in the North African city of Tanjablanca, the characters, waiting for the next clipper to Lisbon, are embroiled in a plot that involves stolen negatives from the Embassy and the murder of a rich international financier. A tap-dancing extravaganza which the critics called “thoroughly frivolous, thoroughly enjoyable”.

Cast: 4M 4W and optional chorus of six. Royalty: B.

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PANTOMIMES & CHILDREN’S MUSICALS Royalty: C FROSTED. Adapted from The Snow Queen by Warren McWilliams.

NEW

Even funnier than the Disney edition of this classic packed with gags and new characters. Two Princesses struggle to come to terms with the magical powers one has been given. Can they survive the snow storm? Will they ever find true love? Or will their kingdom be taken over by a wicked Prince? Cast: 6M 4F and chorus.

ROBIN HOOD. By Warren McWilliams.

The men in tights welcome two new members to the band of Merry Men: Alan a Dale, a minstrel who can’t sing, and Bill(inda) the butcher (a woman posing as a man) who falls in love with Little John. Cast: 6M, 3F, 1M/F. Chorus and cow.

Brisbane Arts Theatre

NEW ENGLISH PANTOMIMES. By Peter Denyer • Cinderella • Dick Whittington and his Cat • Jack and the Beanstalk • The Snow Queen • Snow White • Mother Goose • Aladdin • Peter Pan • Sinbad the Sailor • Beauty and the Beast • Robin Hood and The Babes in the Wood • The Sleeping Beauty • NEW: A Christmas Carol Peter Denyer is incredibly popular because his pantomimes are funny, well written and modern.

And they have production notes about characterisation, costumes, staging and sets. Cast: Most have up to 17 principals plus chorus. Small casts available. Script only with suggested songs.

MORE POPULAR PANTOMIMES FROM STAGE SCRIPTS • Cinderella by David Maun • Beauty And The Beast by Philip Meeks • A Little Panto On The Prairie by Richard Lock • Atlantis the panto by Paul Reakes • Dick Whittington by Philip Meeks or Tom Bright • Aladdin by Philip Meeks or Tom Bright • Snow White by Doreen Moger (Dwarves replaced by Garden Gnomes.)

SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN AUSSIE DWARVES. By Sarah Ashby.

NEW

The dwarves are named after Australian mines, including the twins, Coober and Pedy. Possum, Koala and Wallaby are a Greek chorus and provide additional comedy, along with Huntsman the spider.

Cast: 29 parts. Written for primary schools.

SLEEPING BEAUTY THE MUSICAL. By Natalie Trengove and Jim Fury.

This musical adaptation has bright tunes, lots of laughs and an Australian sensibility. We join the King and Queen as they celebrate the christening of their long awaited daughter Princess Crystal. The Bad Fairy casts a very nasty spell on the baby – she will die when she pricks her finger on a spinning wheel.

Despite their best efforts on her 16th birthday she is sent to sleep. Cast: 18 princ. & chor.

THE 12 DANCING PRINCESSES (MUSICAL). By Natalie Trengove and Jim Fury.

Based on the Brothers Grim fairy-tale about 12 beautiful princesses. Every night they go to bed locked securely in their bedroom but in the morning their dancing shoes are found to be worn through as if they’ve been dancing all night. Cast: 18F 6M and chorus.

THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA (MUSICAL). By Natalie Trengove and Jim Fury.

NEW

A Queen and King worried that their son is lonely hold a Royal Ball, inviting all the eligible Princesses from surrounding Kingdoms in the hope that he’ll find a wife. A pin placed below twelve mattresses tests a candidate. Cast: 9F 5M and chorus.

MUSICALS FOR CHILDREN. By Peter Pinne and Don Battye.

• Jack and the Beanstalk • The Little Tin Soldier • The Emperor’s New Clothes • The Shoemaker and his Elves • Billabong Bill • Beauty and the Beast • Rumpelstiltskin Peter and Don wrote a series of delightful musicals for children which premiered at the Alexander Theatre in Melbourne. They’ve become classics revived all over the world. Each includes great humour and original music, with superb CD backing tracks. Critics raved “hummable entertaining theatre songs”, “..enchanting...full of fun, heroism and wickedness”. Cast: Usually eight or more principals and chorus.

CINDERELLA’S MAKEOVER. By Bernard J Taylor.

Cinderella is discovered by a talent scout, gets a makeover, falls into peril, is rescued, falls in love and appears on “Ruritania’s Got Talent.” Music from a raft of classic composers including Mozart and Grieg. Cast: 5/7F 5/7M. GOTTA DANCE. Based on “The Twelve Dancing Princesses,” Gotta Dance! is a whirling, twirling delight for the whole family.

GRIM WORLD: In a magical forest we find the characters Hansel & Gretel, Snow White, Cinderella, and The Frog Prince. Stage Rights.

THE SLIPPER AND THE ROSE. By Robert and Richard Sherman. Bryan Forbes and Pip Burley.

From the composers of Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang comes a new release based on the legend of Cinderella. The Slipper and the Rose has beautiful music, charm and lots of laughs. First released in 1976 as a movie which was nominated for two Academy Awards. Adapted for the stage in 1984. Cast: 13F 12M & Chorus. Orch: 9 or 18 part. Royalty: B (UK NODA).

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