Londoners
Kip (an East End evacuee)
Kip’s Mother
Mr Duncan Constance (A London schoolteacher)
Chuck; Mack; Eric; Arthur
Eileen; Kath; Nan; Elsie; Molly (London Evacuees)
Additional vackees

London mothers and fathers

In Darchett Village
Buzz Brown (leader of the Darchett gang)
Lance; Stan; George; Fred; Dot (members of the Darchett gang)
May; Nel; Alice
Additional gang members

Aunt Luce (the woman with whom Kip is billeted)
Ellen (her niece and ward)
Mrs Crabtree (Aunt Luce’s cook/housekeeper)
Grace (14 year old maid at Aunt Luce’s)

Laura Maybee (Village schoolmistress)

Mr Jack (man living in the woods)

Lady Holdmore (A Darchett landowner)
The Vicar
Billeting Officer
German Pilot
Land Girls

Stars of the silver screen:
Ginger
Gangsters
Starlets/movie characters

Prologue characters
BBC radio announcers, Seaside Landlady, Dancing couple;
Health and Education Official; Stenographer

Act One:
1 Wireless Music 1 (Instrumental)
2 London Kids (Darchett gang)
4 Moving On (London parents; Vackees)
5 Please Someone Choose Me (Darchett adults; Vackees)
5a Please Someone Choose Me (reprise) (Eileen; Kath)
5b Constance and Maybee’s Choose Me (Mr Constance; Miss Maybee)
6 When This War Is Over (Kip; company)
7 Morning Prayers (Kip; Aunt Luce; Mrs Crabtree; Ellen; Grace)
8 The Country’s The Country (Vackees and Darchett gang)
9 Looking To See (Kip; Mr Jack)
10 Our Rules (Vicar; Lady Holdmore; Vackees and Darchett gang)

Act Two
11 Wireless Music 2 (Instrumental)
12 Letter From The Front Line (Kip’s Mother; London parents)
13 Winning Through (Ellen; Aunt Luce; Lady Holdmore; Miss Maybee; Vicar; Kip; Chuck; Ellen; Mack; Buzz; George; Land Girls)
14 Warning: Man In Uniform (Miss Maybee; Land Girls)
15/16 If You Ain’t Ever Been To The Pictures /Glamour (Kip; Ellen; Chuck; Mack; Eric; Usherette; Ginger; Children; Gangsters; Stars; Starlets)
16a If You Ain’t Ever Been To The Pictures (Ellen)
17 Battle Of Darchett Hill (Mr Jack; Vackees, Darchett Gang)
18 Just For A Moment (Ellen; Grace)
19 Somewhere Behind (German Pilot)
20 Winds Of Change In Darchett (Grace; Dot; May; Vackees, Darchett gang)
21 Moving On (reprise) (Kip; Ellen; Company)

 THE VACKEES

Music by Carl Davis. Book & lyrics by Hiawyn Oram.
The story – an overview.   (Please note there are many more characters who are not mentioned here. SONGS are in capital letters)

As the story unfolds, it is interspersed with items of news about the war read by BBC announcers.

Kip, a tough East End evacuee and his friends are being evacuated to the country to escape bomb-blasted London. They are being billeted to Darchett, a small village in Somerset, south England. The Darchett gang – led by Buzz Brown – feel very threatened by the arrival of the cockneys. They think they are going to turn the town to ruins and take over the school playground. (LONDON KIDS)

Kip’s Mother back in London is very distressed to see Kip go off as an evacuee but understands it is for his own good (SENDING YOU TO SAFETY). Parents wave goodbye to the evacuees (the vackees) at the station (MOVING ON).

The Darchett adults express their surprise when they meet the evacuees to take them to their homes as they are not what they expected but the evacuees ask that PLEASE SOMEONE CHOOSE ME.  Kip (that “heathen-looking boy”) is chosen by Lucia Braithwaite (Aunt Luce) and is billeted in her house. Kip and the other evacuees dream what they will do WHEN THE WAR IS OVER.  Kip forms a close friendship with Ellen, Aunt Luce’s niece who lives with her. Aunt Luce has a young maid in training, Grace who becomes friends with Chuck, another evacuee.

Mr. Duncan Constance, Kip’s teacher tries to persuade Miss Laura Maybee, the local school mistress to allow the evacuees to share the school room with the Darchett children and young people. She eventually agrees. Mr Constance falls in love with Miss Maybee (but she doesn’t know it).

Aunt Luce is a formidable woman whose desire is to turn Kip into a respectable, clean and well mannered boy so she sets various rules, also insisting on MORNING PRAYERS.

The vackees are settling in and trying to understand the ways of the country and how it’s not like the town (THE COUNTRY’S THE COUNTRY).  The Darchett gang spot them on a bridge and Buzz Brown and his gang start to threaten the vackees. The vackees run off into the woods for safety.

In the woods, Kip meets Mr Jack (the “wild man of the woods”) who encourages him to open his eyes LOOKING TO SEE the wild animals and plants in the wood.

When the vackees and the Darchett young people share the classroom, their teachers try to hold two lessons at once resulting in complete mayhem.  The students and people from Darchett tell the vackees that they must keep OUR RULES.  The first act ends with the declaration of war between the people from Darchett and the Londoners.

 Act Two

Back in London the Blitz has started and the London parents describe its effects in LETTER FROM THE FRONT LINE.

Kip sees a German pilot jump out of his plane into the trees in the Darchett wood before the plane crashes.  He tries to tell the villagers but no-one will believe him.  Ellen lies and says that she saw the pilot jumping from the plane.

In the country, the Land Girls and villagers explain how important their work in growing crops is in WINNING THROUGH.

Mr Constance has joined the armed forces and wants to ask Miss Maybee to spend some time with him before he leaves.  She declines, but after he has gone realises the effect he has had on her heart – WARNING MAN IN UNIFORM.

Aunt Luce goes to check up on Ellen’s story supporting Kip’s sighting of the German pilot particularly as Ellen has sworn its truth on the Bible. To cheer up Helen, Kip and his friends disobey Aunt Luce’s strict instructions and take Ellen to the movies where they fall into the dream world of PICTURES AND GLAMOUR and meet stars such as Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire.

Aunt Luce has confirmed that Ellen has not only been lying but has also been to the pictures and confines her to her room.  Aunt Luce wants Kip sent back to London but he decides to run away.  Whilst he is leaving, he and the evacuees are confronted by the Darchett gang.

The London and Darchett gangs fight it out in a fierce BATTLE OF DARCHETT HILL.  The battle ends with Kip being knocked unconscious.

Grace and Ellen back in Aunt Luce’s house both recount the excitement of recent events and how their lives have been changed by the arrival of the vackees – JUST FOR A MOMENT.

Kip is found by the German Pilot who decides not to kill Kip but to protect him.  The pilot  sings of the futility of war SOMEWHERE BEHIND.
The villagers search for Kip, and the German pilot surrenders. Lady Holdmore takes the village to task for its attitude to the vackees and all agree to WINDS OF CHANGE IN DARCHETT.

Grace gets a promotion to work at Lady Holdmore’s and Ellen is allowed to travel back to London with Kip. Chuck and the others stay back in Darchett for a little while longer. After MOVING ON and getting back to London, Kip hardly recognizes any of the war-torn areas. On seeing his blown up street he searches for his mother.

As usual it has a large cast of all ages. We were pleased to see 38 people at our workshop to find out more about the production on July 21st.  We reviewed the story,  listened to some of the music and tried out different characters and developed various scenes -  in London and in the country village to where the Vackees were moved.

If you would like further information please email smash@solihull-methodist.org.uk. View more details about the story, the characters, the songs.
STOP PRESS – the auditions will be held on October 7th and October 13th – more details here as soon as they are available.

 This new musical by Julian Woolford and Richard John the events of three children over one summer when they have to move to the country as their father is wrongfully arrested. It  features heartfelt ballads, stirring choral numbers and tuneful melodies.

Our cast of 47 (and our audiences!) really enjoyed this show which has something for everyone.

Photos

from the technical rehearsal. Click on a thumbnail to see the full picture

Photographs courtesy of Bill Penny
(except photographs 4, 10, 14, 19 and 22 from Boot Ellis)

Reactions from the audience (received by email)

“I cried in both halves and not just at “Daddy, my daddy!” Bobby was soooooooooo good. Phyllis was “such a darling.” Perks and the Old Gentleman just as they should be. Mother was emotionally mature and sang so well. All the children in Posh Talk were assured, confident and acting their socks off.”

“It was great. I loved the big end to the first half where the children stop the train. The music, shouting, waving and train noise all built up the excitement excellently. What a great success!”

“Not sure what we were impressed with more – the children, costumes, music and singing or the train coming through the tunnel. The work leading up to and behind the scenes is unseen but without it, it wouldn’t be such a professional production. Well done to all involved.”

“The acting, singing, choreography, music, costumes and scenery, were all superb. The three main children’s characters gave a performance worthy of professionals. They were so natural and didn’t put a foot wrong all evening. Completely endearing. It could have been a West End show. Even the programme was beautifully presented.”

More about the show:

• The story of The Railway Children
• The Railway Children – list of characters
• The Railway Children – scenes and songs

Scene 1: The London House and Surrounding Streets
Song: Prologue (Perks)
Song: Christmas is here! (Family, servants, carol singers)
Song: You can never return (Perks)

Scene 2: Charing Cross Station
Song: Together (Mother, Bobbie, Peter, Phyllis)

Scene 3: The Cottage
Song: You may enter a tunnel (Perks)

Scene 4: The Hillside

Scene 5: The Station
Song: All on time (Perks, Villagers)

Scene 6: Inside the Cottage
Song: You might make a friend (Perks)

Scene 7: The Station Platform
Song: Posh talk (Bobbie, Peter, Phyllis, Perks’ children, village children)

Scene 8: The Cottage Garden and Kitchen
Song: Lullaby (in Russian! Szczepansky)

Scene 9: The Railway Carriage and the Hillside
Song: The Railway Children (Old Gentleman)

Scene 10: The Cottage Garden
Song: ‘Til the day (Mother)

Scene 11: The Hillside, Outside the Tunnel

ACT TWO

Scene 1: The Station Platform
Song: A once in a lifetime day (Perks, Engine driver, Bobbie, Peter, Phyllis, villagers)
Song: While you’re busy dreaming (Old Gentleman)

Scene 2: The Hillside, Outside the Tunnel
Dance: Paperchase ballet

Scene 3: Inside the Tunnel
Song: Nothing to fear (Bobbie)

Scene 4: The Cottage
Song: One voice (part 1) (Old Gentleman, Perks)

Scene 5: The Cottage Garden

Scene 6: The Train Carriage

Scene 7: A London Street
Song: One voice (part 2) (Mother, Bobbie)

Scene 8: The Cottage Garden
Song: One voice (part 3) (Customer, Lady, Gossip, Housewife, Vendor, ensemble, Mother, Bobbie)

Scene 9: A London Street

Scene 10: The Cottage Garden
Song: Who knows what you’ll find (Perks)

Scene 11: The Hillside
Song: Nearly autumn (Bobbie)

Scene 12: The Station Platform
Song: Finale (Bobbie, Old Gentleman, All)
Song: A once in a lifetime day (all)

Time: Christmas 1905 to September 1906

Father, a civil servant
Mother, his wife
Bobbie (Roberta) his daughter
Peter, his son
Phyllis, his younger daughter
Ruth, his maid
Cook, his cook
Carol Singers

Mr Barrie
Dr Forrest
Lord Fleet
Ethel
Flo
Mrs Ransome
Gert
The Perks family:
     Mrs Perks
     Colin Perks
     Elsie Perks
     Ginger Perks
     Patch Perks
Village Children

Old Gentleman
Rushing man
Szczepansky
Engine driver
Jim
Customer
Lady
Gossip
Housewife
Vendor

The following morning they hear a train in the distance and discover that nearby is a railway line. They wave at a passing steam train with their handkerchiefs, asking that their love is taken to their father. A distinguished-looking gentleman waves back.

Following the line until they reach the station, they meet Mr Perks, the stationmaster. They share their enthusiasm for trains – ALL ON TIME. Mr Perks introduces the children to the villagers, including the grocer, the doctor, Lord Fleet, and the postmistress.

Mother becomes ill. Dr Forrest says that she requires a number of things to help her recover but the family cannot afford them. The children paint a large sign on an old bedsheet “LOOK OUT AT THE STATION” and wave it at the 9.15 the next day. When the train stops at the station, the note is passed to the Old Gentleman.

A hamper of supplies is duly delivered to the cottage and the children thank the Old Gentleman with a similar sign “She is nearly well, thank you”. But when Mother recovers and discovers how the provisions were acquired by what she considers to be begging, she is very cross.

We next meet Mr Perks’ children (and some other village children) who poke fun at the ways of Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis (POSH TALK). However, all the children eventually act out being upper class and by so doing become friends.

One day a man staggers off a train, asking for help in Russian. When it becomes apparent that he can speak French, Mother is called to interpret.

He is the Russian dissident Szczepansky, a writer of great books, who has escaped from prison in Siberia to England to find his family. Mother invites Szczepansky to convalesce at their home. He remembers his family and sings a song from his childhood (LULLABY). Mother suggests the children say a prayer “for all prisoners and captives”.

The children write again to their Old Gentleman on the train, asking if he would be able to help in finding Szczepansky’s wife and child (THE RAILWAY CHILDREN).

Mother asks the children why they don’t talk about Father any more, and they reply that when they did, Mother became upset, so they stopped. Mother remembers her husband and longs for the time he will return (TILL THE DAY).

One day, the children witness a landslide. Knowing they cannot possibly clear the line before the 11:29 passes through, the girls create warning flags out of their red bloomers. Bobbie stands firm between the rails, waving the red rags as the brakes are slammed on. The train comes to rest but only just in time.

ACT TWO

A ceremony is held at the station to commemorate the children’s bravery (A ONCE IN A LIFETIME DAY). The Old Gentleman has succeeded in finding Mr Szczepansky’s family and so Mr Szczepansky leaves to be reunited with them.

Bobbie asks the Old Gentleman when her father will be coming home. The Old Gentleman replies that Bobbie must do everything she can to help her father (WHILE YOU’RE BUSY DREAMING) by making her dreams a reality.

A while later, the children watch grammar school boys hold a ‘fox and hounds’ paper chase. One of the hounds fails to emerge from the railway tunnel. Investigating, they find their ‘hound in a red jersey’ with a broken leg. The boy, Jim, is taken to their cottage.

Bobbie says that she will look after Jim (NOTHING TO FEAR). Dr Forrest asks the children to collect some medicine, but Bobbie notices a story in the newspaper in which the medicine was wrapped. It says that Father has been found guilty of spying and that he has been sent to prison for seven years.

Jim’s grandfather comes to visit – it is their Old Gentleman! Mother agrees to look after Jim until he is recovered.

Bobbie tells her mother what she has read in the paper. Mother explains that it appears that someone placed some incriminating papers in Father’s desk – but she cannot get anyone to listen. Bobbie remembers what the Old Gentleman said about making a difference rather than dreaming so she asks Mother to let her speak to the Old Gentleman about her father, and her Mother agrees.

He says that when he read of Father’s case in the newspaper, he had had his doubts about the verdict and that although he had not done as much as he would have liked, he had hopes that all would be well. He gives a quotation from a poem written by Szczepansky (ONE VOICE).

Bobbie and Mother go to London. The Old Gentleman has discovered that a clerk who worked for Father bore a grudge against him and that the man has been seen talking with known Russian spies. He says that now they must make people listen, and that the Government should be petitioned for the case to be reviewed (ONE VOICE part 2).

On retuning from London to the Cottage, Bobbie tells Jim that they have nearly 5,000 signatures on a petition which they would be submitting to Downing Street.

In London, a mob is reading the latest news – the information about the Russian spy at Father’s work is in the papers. The mob call for the spy to be punished by giving him a life sentence. (ONE VOICE part 3) Mother is appalled at the crowd’s behaviour and asks them to think of the man’s children and that their wanting to punish him will punish the children too. She persuades the crowd to change their mind, and join in her fight (ONE VOICE).

Jim is fully recovered and leaves. The children realise that they hardly ever visit the railway now and decide to wave at the train to send their love to Father by it.

The whole train waves back as if in celebration. Bobbie feels that something exciting is about to happen (NEARLY AUTUMN). The postmistress is on her way to deliver a telegram to Mother and tells Bobbie go to the station as quickly as she can. The whole village has gathered at the station because of news in the paper. (FINALE) A train halts and, as the steam clears, Bobbie sees a figure on the platform: “Daddy! Oh my Daddy!”.

SMASH celebrated its 21st birthday in 2009.

SMASH HITS 21 took to the boards at Solihull Methodist Church Hall for three performances in March 2009. We were pleased to welcome back SMASHers who have moved away – not only to see the show but several to take part in it, travelling long distances to the rehearsals.

The cast of over 50 followed SMASH’s journey – through song and music – from the first ever SMASH production (Follow the Star) to 2010’s production (The Railway Children).

The show contained items which our audiences have particularly enjoyed. So yes! there was “Counting sheep” with its famous dancing shepherds from Born for Us All.

As well as other classics from Born for Us All, there were songs from Whistle Down The Wind, Goodnight Mister Tom, Children of Eden and Just So — to name but a few.

Photographs of some of the items in the show

Photographs courtesy of Bill Penny

Reactions from the audience (by email)

“Where else in modern society do young and not so young meet and have fun on such equal terms?”

“I enjoyed the show.  Nice of the “oldies” to reprise some of their roles, but the future definitely belongs to the youngsters, some of whom have tremendous potential.”

“Born for us all sent a very special tingle down my spine.  To think that that whole musical was completely self produced is AWESOME!”

“We just wanted to congratulate you on a great show, and to thank you for the wonderful experience that our daughter has been able to share in. The look on her face after the shows was one of sheer joy, and excitement. As well as having fun, and making lots of new friends the experience has been something that has developed her as a young person, working in a team with people of all ages.”

Just So

Review from Solihull Times (19th March 2008)

Knockout show much more than ‘just so’

Based on Kipling’s “Just So Stories”, this play follows the story of an inquisitive Elephant-Child who embarks on a journey to correct the injustice of the world he lives in by finding a giant crab who’s playing with the sea. There’s an array of spectacular characters, a wise magician, a rowdy rhino, a neurotic chef and what musical would be complete without a singing stove? The talent in the SMASH cast is abundant and apparent, first-rate voices, fabulous cameos and full sounding chorus numbers make for top notch entertainment.

JLG

Photos from the performance

Photographs by Bill Penny

The story of Just So

At the beginning of time, Pau Amma the Crab began playing with the ocean, causing a flood that threatened the other animals. The Elephant’s Child sets out to stop the Crab, and discovers how the Leopard got his spots, how the Rhinoceros got his skin and how curiosity and a hungry Crocodile can turn an Elephant’s small nose into a very large trunk. He also discovers that one determined individual can make a real difference in this world.