Music by Harold Fraser-Simson and James W. Tate
Lyrics by Harry Graham, F. Clifford Harris and 'Valentine'
Book by Frederick Lonsdale
Directed by David Dorrian
Musical Direction by Russell Hepplewhite
Presented by the finboroughtheatre

Cast
Carlo - Robert Archibald
Beppo - Andy Mace
Andrea - Andrew Thwaite
Zacchi - David Freedman
Pietro - Andrew Pepper
Tonio - Christian Jon Billett
Teresa, "The Maid of the Mountains" - Anita Louise Combe
Baldasarre - Graham Vick
Angela - Elisabeth Baron
Vittoria - Alana Phillips
Gianetta - Laura Selwood
General Malona - Sévan Stephan
Mayor - David Freedman
Crumpet - Andrew Pepper
Ruigini - Andrew Thwaite
Terroni - Robert Archibald

A SEMI-STAGED PRODUCTION OF THE CLASSIC LIGHT OPERETTA

Sundays, 3, 10 and 17 December 2006

The multi-award-winning Finborough Theatre continues its Finborough Gaieties season, celebrating British Musical Theatre 1870-1918, with The Maid of the Mountains - one of London’s most successful musical hits of the First World War. It follows the first two productions in the series: Florodora starring Olivier Award nominee Rosemary Ashe, and Lionel Monckton’s Our Miss Gibbs in its first professional London revival in nearly a century – which both sold out and received critical acclaim.

The Maid of the Mountains opened in London in 1917 where it ran for 1,352 performances, and has been unseen professionally in London since 1972. The score includes such hits as Love Will Find A Way and A Bachelor Gay Am I. The local Governor faces ousting from his post because of the activities of Baldassaré, a brigand leader who terrorises the entire country. In a last ditch attempt to retain his power, the Governor captures the “Maid of the Mountains” Theresa who is hopelessly – and unrequitedly – in love with Baldassaré. After many adventures and betrayals in the end it becomes clear that “Love Will Find A Way” and the story ends happily ever after…

Director David Dorrian previously directed the sell-out UK premiere of Michael John LaChiusa’s Lucky Nurse and Other Short Musical Plays at the Finborough Theatre. He was Assistant Director to Daniel Kramer on the Gate Theatre’s sell-out revival of Hair and Assistant Director to Fiona Laird for Greenwich Theatre’s 10 Minute Musical Challenge. Musical Director Russell Hepplewhite studied at Chetham's School of Music and at the Royal College of Music.  He composed The Canterbury Tales and Everything Must Go for Southwark Playhouse, where he also orchestrated The Canterville Ghost. He has been Assistant Musical Director for Oh What a Lovely War (Guildhall School of Music and Drama) andThe Beggar's Opera (RADA).

The cast includes Anita Louise Combe whose West End credits include creating the role of Stephanie Mangano in the World premiere production of Saturday Night Fever at the London Palladium, Sunset Boulevard in which she created the role of Betty Shaeffer in the show’s UK and Canadian premieres and playing both Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly in the current West End production of Chicago; Robert Archibald is currently appearing in Les Miserables; Elisabeth Baron is currently appearing in Evita; Christian Jon Billett was a finalist in this year’s Voice of Musical Theatre competition; David Freedman appeared in the London production of Jesus Christ Superstar; Andy Mace is currently appearing in Wicked ; Andrew Pepper was most recently seen in Mary Poppins; Alana Phillips has numerous West End credits including Saturday Night Fever and We Will Rock You; Laura Selwood was most recently seen in Saucy Jack and the Space Vixens at the Venue; Sévan Stephan has numerous West End credits including Big Jule in Guys and Dolls, My Fair Lady, Martin Guerre and the title role in Lautrec; Andrew Thwaite is currently appearing in The Phantom of the Opera; Graham Vick is currently appearing in Mamma Mia!.

Composer Harold Fraser-Simson (1872-1944) established himself as one of the most celebrated show composers of the 1920s after the success of The Maid of the Mountains. His fame endures thanks to his musical setting of Kenneth Grahame's Toad of Toad Hall as dramatized by A.A. Milne. James William Tate (1875-1922) was a famous music composer, responsible for such standards as 'I Was a Good Little Girl Till I Met You', 'A Broken Doll', 'Ev'ry Little While' and 'Give Me a little Cosy Corner'. The book is by Frederick Lonsdale (1881-1954) whose society comedies such as On Approval, The Last of Mrs Cheyney, Aren’t We All? and Canaries Sometimes Sing - remain widely performed to this day

Presented by arrangement with Samuel French Limited