A Runaway Girl

Theatre poster

Katie Seymour as Alice

A Runaway Girl is a musical comedy in two acts written in 1898 by Seymour Hicks and Harry Nicholls. The composer was Ivan Caryll, with additional music by Lionel Monckton and lyrics by Aubrey Hopwood^[1] and Harry Greenbank. It was produced by George Edwardes at the Gaiety Theatre, London, opening on 21 May 1898 and ran for a very successful 593 performances. It starred Hicks's wife, Ellaline Terriss and Edmund Payne.

The work had stiff competition in London in 1898, as other successful openings included A Greek Slave and The Belle of New York.

The story concerns an Englishwoman who joins a group of musicians in Italy who are really bandits.

Roles

• Brother Tamarind (A Lay Brother of St Pierre) – Harry Monkhouse
• Guy Stanley (Lord Coodle's Nephew) – W. Louis Bradfield
• Lord Coodle (A Tea House Keeper) – Fred Kaye
• Signor Paloni (Consul at Corsica) – Robert Nainby
• Mr. Creel (An Entomologist) – Willie Warde
• Sir William Hake (A Cook's Tourist) – Fred Wright
• Leonello (Head of a Wandering Troupe of Musicians) – John Coates
• Pietro Pascara (Also of the Troupe) – Edward O'Niell
• Flipper (A Jockey) – Edmund Payne
• Alice (Lady Coodle's Maid) – Katie Seymour
• Dorothy Stanley – Ethel Hayden (replaced by Grace Palotta)
• Carmenita (A Street Musician) – Connie Ediss
• Lady Coodle – M. Talbot
• Fraulein Ehrenbreitstein Von Der Höhe (A Cook's Tourist) – Grace Palotta
• Winifred Grey (An Orphan) – Ellaline Terriss

Musical numbers

Act I

• No. 1 - Opening Chorus and Scene" - "Breathe soft, wind of the South..."
• No. 2 - Song - Winifred and Chorus - "The Sly Cigarette."
• No. 3 - Song - Leonello and Chorus - "Sea-girt land of my home..."
• No. 4 - Chorus - "Hark, the Convent Bell is ringing..."
• No. 5 - Scene II - Opening Chorus and Scene - "Bright and blue our sunny skies..."
• No. 6 - Song - Guy and Chorus - "There are girls of every station..."
• No. 7 - Song - Winifred and Chorus - "I'm only a poor little singing girl..."
• No. 8 - Duet - Winifred and Guy - "Of all the maids I've ever seen..."
• No. 9 - Concerted Piece an Dance - "The Man from Cook's."
• No. 10 - Duet - Carmenita and Tamarind - "We've left Barcelona society..."
• No. 11 - Finale - Act I - "To Venice."

Act II

Cast of a 1921 production in Ireland

• No. 12 - Act II Opening Chorus and Scene - "In Venice when fêtes are swinging..."
• No. 13 - Trio - Winifred, Guy and Flipper - "We have left pursuit behind us..."
• No. 14 - Song - Hake and Chorus - "When you're out on the spree..."
• No. 15 - Song - Dorothy and Chorus - "Soldiers in the Park."
• No. 16 - Song - Winifred and Chorus - "The lazy town is dreaming..."
• No. 17 - Carnival Chorus - "Welcome to the Water Fête..."
• No. 17a - Song - Leonello and Chorus - "Comrades all! Come, see the sight..."
• No. 18 - Song - Winifred and Chorus - "There was once a little boy..."
• No. 19 - Duet - Alice and Flipper - "When de twilight's fallin'..."
• No. 20 - Song - Carmenita and Chorus - "Though my family's pedigree..."
• No. 21 - Finale - Act II - "I'm only a poor little singing girl..." and "Soldiers in the Park."
• Addendum 1 - Song - Winifred and Chorus - "When the little pigs begin to fly..."
• Addendum 2 - Song - Carmenita and Chorus - "I thought it my duty to say so."
• Addendum 3 - Song - Winifred and Chorus - "Merry little gipsy maid." (marked as "No. 4.")
• Addendum 4 - Song - Carmenita and Chorus - "Pussy Jumps." (2 verses only)

References

External links

• midi files, lyrics and cast list
• Information about the Broadway production.
• Information about a recording of some of the songs
• Photo of programme cover
• List of longest running plays in London and New York