Follow That Girl
The Plot
Despite being little known as a work in it's own rights, Follow That Girl boasts well-known siblings from the musical workings of Julian Slade and clever lyrics of Dorothy Reynolds, the most famous being the much-celebrated show 'Salad Days'. Follow That Girl is a wonderful creative entity of a play-within-a-play, so I ask you - at this juncture - to picture the scene;
It's the 1960's and Victoria – a chic London twenty-something – has escaped her parent's home for the evening to call at the apartment of Tom, her scruffy-yet-devoted student playwright boyfriend.
He is writing a new musical show set in the late 1800's, and so starts to regale her with the plot and imaginary cast that he has created so far – even though he hasn't fully decided on all the characters that they are to play yet. She is excited to discover that she herself is the heroine of his make-believe world, which starts to unfold before her eyes, whilst she finds herself inexplicably drawn into it as the story unfolds.
And so she embarks upon an adventure of Tom's imagination drawn out of his true-life adoration of her, culminating in all his show's characters conspiring in a desperate chase through the street's of London in search of Victoria.
She experiences disastrous love-matches and the joys of the London transport network, narrowly misses meeting the resident mermaids at the London Aquarium, and even attempts suicide-by-parasol in an unexpected Mary Poppins style!
But will Tom join in the chase to Follow That Girl? And will his script prove that – even in show-business – love still does always shine through.
The Cast
| Solo Parts | Description | 2012 |
|---|---|---|
| Tom Blenkinsop | Tenor. Boyfriend of 1960s Victoria, the musical's author | Lloyd Davies |
| Victoria Gilchrist | Sop. Girlfriend of Ton the Gilchrist's daughter. | Katherine Davies |
| Cora Miskin | Mezzo Sop. Walter's wife. Middle-aged and also rather crazy. | Sarah Bignell |
| Walter Miskin | Tenor. A slightly crazy Victorian artist who is married to Cora | Mark Blackham |
| Tancred | Tenor. Victoria's hapless, smarmy suitor. Run department store. | Neil Edwards |
| Wilberforce | Bass. Victoria's hapless, smarmy suitor. Run department store. | Matthew Baker |
| Mrs Gilchrist | Mezzo-Sop. Victoria's mother. Silly and slightly over-dramatic. | Sarah Fraser |
| Mr Gilchrist | Tenor. Victoria's father. Pompous and stuck up. | James Craw |
| Aquarium Keeper | Bass. Substantial cameo role. Dedicated to his job a dreamer. | Richard Gaunt |
| Mercia | Sop/Mezzo. Mermaid. | Steph Kiddle |
| Mavis | Sop/Alto. Mermaid. | Gemma Kiddle |
| Maud | Alto. Mermaid. | Alison Ruddy |
| Taxi-man | Bass. 1960s Transport Scene | Richard Gaunt |
| Tube-man | Tenor. 1960s Transport Scene | Trevor John |
| Train-man | Tenor. 1960s Transport Scene | Geoff Allan |
| Bus-man | Tenor. 1960s Transport Scene | Anthony White |
| Effie | Speaking part. Wife of Edward. | Naomi Booth |
| Edward | Speaking part. Long-suffering husband of Effie. | Trevor John |
| Miss Payton | Speaking Part. Store manager in Tancred's Store. | Scilla Copper |
| Shop assistant | In Tancred's Store. | Jo Hadfield |
| Young Mother | Speaking Part. | Kym White |
Photos
Follow That Girl 2012
