Music by Frederic Norton
Book and Lyrics by Oscar Asche
Directed by Alex Sutton
Musical Direction by Leigh Thompson
Designed by Gabrielle Williams
Costume Design by Mushroom Zhao
Presented by Citric Acid Productions in association with Neil McPherson for the Finborough Theatre
Cast in order of appearance
Abdullah – David John Watton
Khuzaymah – Sarah Jo Carter
Bostan – Hannah Richmond
Zahrat – Camilla Bard
Marjanah – Victoria Kruger
Alcolom – Esther Biddle
Abu Hasan – Edward Handoll
Kasim Baba – Alex Dower
Mahbubah – Adèle Anderson
Nur – Will Barratt
Ali Baba – Alan Cox
Otbah – David John Watton
Mukbill – David John Watton
Mustafa – David John Watton
The Orchestra
Musical Director / Piano – Leigh Thompson
Cello – Anna Hamilton
Clarinet – Paul Sadler
Flute – Kim Reilly
Trumpet – David Marley
The Celebrating British Music Theatre series continues with the record-breaking 1916 operetta...
Sundays and Mondays, 14, 20, 21, 27 and 28 July 2008
Our Celebrating British Music Theatre series continues with a semi-staged score-in-hand production of one of the West End’s most successful musical hits of all time – the spectacular 1916 operetta Chu Chin Chow, with new orchestrations, rescored for piano, trumpet, saxophone, clarinet, flute, violin and cello.
Opening at the height of the First World War in August 1916, Chu Chin Chow swiftly became a favourite of soldiers on leave, running for almost five years and a total of 2235 performances – a West End record which it held until Salad Days forty years later.
Based on the tale of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, Chu Chin Chow is set in the magnificent Eastern palace of the wealthy merchant Kasim Baba who is preparing to give a lavish banquet for a wealthy Chinese merchant, Chu Chin Chow, who is on his way from China. However, bandit leader Abu Hasan arrives at Kasim's palace in disguise as Chu Chin Chow, who his gang has recently robbed and murdered, as part of a dastardly plot to steal Kasim Baba’s riches. Meanwhile Kasim Baba’s brother, Ali Baba, discovers the secret of Abu Hasan’s secret cave of treasure and its password "Open Sesame"…
Chu Chin Chow brings together Egyptian, Javanese, Arabic and Chinese costumes, perilous quests, murder and treachery, forbidden lovers, high slapstick comedy, and some of the best known songs of the period including Any Time’s Kissing Time, The Cobbler’s Song, We Are The Robbers of the Wood and I Built a Fairy Palace in the Sky.
Composer Frederic Norton (1869-1946) originally trained as a singer and actor. In 1911, he provided additional music for Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld at His Majesty's Theatre which then landed him the job of composing Chu Chin Chow, his most successful score.
Librettist Oscar Asche (1871-1936) was born in Australia. He became Actor-Manager of His Majesty's Theatre in 1907 where he directed his own versions of Shakespeare, before producing, directing, writing and starring in Chu Chin Chow.
Director Alex Sutton was Assistant Director on Our Miss Gibbs at the Finborough Theatre. He has directed The Crocodile (Arcola Theatre), How to Live Forever (Trafalgar Studios), Dido and Aeneas (Saint Andrews Crypt, Holborn), Hello Dolly! (Oratory Arts Centre), Pheadra's Love (Winston Theatre), and Macbeth (Young Vic Studio). As Assistant Director, he has worked on La Traviata (Longborough Opera), Missing Persons (Trafalgar Studios) and Don Carlos (Stowe Opera). He also worked with Martin Duncan on The Original Chinese Conjurer (Almeida Theatre and Aldeburgh Festival).
Musical Director Leigh Thompson trained at Bristol University and with the National Choir of Wales. He was Musical Director in Residence at the Bristol Academy of Performing Arts where he conducted The Pajama Game and Cabaret. With Eyebrow Productions, he has conducted Company, Assassins and Kiss of the Spiderwoman in Bristol and Edinburgh. Leigh was also the Musical Director of the Holland America Line for four years.
Adèle Anderson is best known as a member of the acclaimed cabaret group Fascinating Aida and co-writes much of their material with founder member Dillie Keane. Fascinating Aida have played in more than 100 theatres in the UK and Eire, with London seasons at the Donmar Warehouse, Lyric Hammersmith, Piccadilly,Vaudeville, Garrick, Apollo and Comedy theatres and the Theatre Royal, Haymarket. They have toured Australia three times, including a month at the Sydney Opera House, and also played New Zealand, San Francisco, New York, Berlin, Watamu (Kenya) and Singapore. They have made numerous television appearances and radio recordings, released seven CDs, two videos, an autobiography and a songbook. They have been nominated for the Perrier Award, the Olivier Award (three times) and the New York Drama Desk Award. Her other theatre includes The Phantom Of The Opera (National Tour), Salad Days (National Tour) and Die Fiedermaus (European Chamber Opera).
Alan Cox’s credits include Passion Play (Goodman Theatr,e New York), Trance (Bush Theatre), Translations (Manhattan Theatre Club), The Flu Season (Gate Theatre), The Earthly Paradise (Almeida Theatre), Strangers on a Train (National Tour), The Lady's Not for Burning (Chichester Theatre),The Importance Of Being Earnest (Theatre Royal Haymarket), An Enemy Of The People and The Seagull (National Theatre), and many productions For The Royal Shakespeare Company. Film credits include The Speed of Thought, Not Only But Always, The Waterfalls of Slunj, Justice, Weight, Cor Blimey, Ladies In Lavender, The Auteur Theory, Mrs Dalloway, An Awfully Big Adventure, Death Of A School Boy, Young Sherlock Holmes and TV credits include MI High, Custer, Housewife 49, Mrs David, Dinosaur Hunters, The Odyssey and Midsomer Murders. Camilla Bard played Esmeralda in Notre Dame De Paris in the West End, and Schwartz It All About in Edinburgh.
Will Barratt’s West End credits include Bamatabois and Courfeyrac in Les Miserables, and Lead Tenor in The Producers.
Esther Biddle’s credits include Mack and Mabel (Criterion Theatre), Beauty and the Beast (New Wolsey Theatre), Martin Guerre (Watermill, Newbury) and Gaslight (Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch).
Alex Dower’s credits include Wind in the Willows (National Tour), The Winter's Tale (National Theatre), Golden Boy (Yvonne Arnaud Theatre), The Caretaker (Comedy Theatre), and Oktoberfest (Lyric Studio), and many television credits including Holby City, Crisis Command, Casualty, EastEnders and Silent Witness, Is Harry on the Boat?, Night and Day, Home Farm Twins and The Bill (Thames Television).
Edward Handoll has just finished playing Buddy Holly in Buddy at the Duchess Theatre.
Victoria Kruger’s credits include A Model Girl (Greenwich Theatre) and television including Silent Witness, The Indestructibles and Trial And Retribution (La Plante Productions.
Hannah Richmond’s credits include Strictly Gershwin (Royal Albert Hall), and Sweeney Todd (Royal Festival Hall).
Previous Celebrating British Music Theatre productions have included Florodora starring Olivier Award nominee Rosemary Ashe, Lionel Monckton’s Our Miss Gibbs (both in their first professional London revival in nearly a century), The Maid of the Mountains starring Anita Louise Combe, A “Gilbert and Sullivan" Double Bill, a unique double bill featuring a play and an operetta, both receiving their first professional UK production in over a century – and written by Gilbert without Sullivan, and Sullivan without Gilbert, and starring Myra Sands and Donald Maxwell; and Dame Ethel Smyth’s The Boatswain’s Mate starring Sian Jones. All the productions have completely sold out and won much critical acclaim.
Visit the Chu Chin Chow production website here
The Press on Florodora and Our Miss Gibbs
‘“Floro-adorable!” Jack Hughes, Rogues and Vagabonds
“Yes, it’s all rather silly. But, oh, so much fun.” Timothy Ramsden, Reviewsgate
“The delicious froth of The Finborough Gaieties - semi-staged performances of Edwardian musicals - has proved so popular that…devotees were trekking in from Halifax and Birmingham.” Susannah Clapp, The Observer
“The big hit of 1899, lovingly revived in a concert version...The piece could hardly be better done.” Michael Billington, The Guardian
