‘Making Waves’

 

A new musical comedy by Tony Crimlisk

 

First performed by the Aughton and Ormskirk U3A Musical Theatre Group April 2013

 

The right of Tony Crimlisk to be identified as the Author and Composer of the Work has been

asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Apart from

use permitted under UK copyright law, this publication may only be reproduced, stored or

transmitted, in any form or by any means, with written permission from the Author/Composer.

All characters in this work are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead,

is purely coincidental.

 

 

'Making Waves' - Fun and games aboard the 'Wavemaker' on its voyage to Australia. 

Reviews said: "Every bit as colourful and enjoyable as their previous efforts."

"Inventive and colourful...8/10 Excellent with fireworks in Sydney harbour as well".

 

 

CAST:

 

GEORGE BROWN – a widower who, when made redundant, decides to take a trip to Australia and asks Billy to join him.  Sings: ‘Citizen of the World’ (with Billy and Norma), ‘Quiet Times’ and ‘It’s Just Natural’ (with Norma).

 

BILLY COCKER – George’s brother-in-law is a ‘bit of a lad’ with an eye for the ladies but not much success.  Sings: ‘Lurve!’ and ‘Taking the First Train Out’.

 

NORMA JONES – George’s ex-secretary, is single and in love with him but doesn’t allow him to see it.  She gets a job on a luxury cruiser and is able to get George and Billy late cancellation tickets to Australia on the same ship. Sings: ‘Good Times’, ‘Citizen of the World’ (with George and Billy) and ‘It’s Just Natural’ (with George).

 

‘BONNIE BOOMER’ – (real name: Agnes Fairbody) is an ex-London nightclub stripper.   Arnold offered her a job on the luxury cruise liner ‘The Wavemaker’ which she accepted hoping to find a rich husband.  Seemingly hard on the outside she is actually quite sad and looking for love.  Sings: ‘Pages of Time’ and ‘Rings’.

 

ARNOLD – (the Right Honourable Arnold St John-Crisp) is an eligible bachelor, Chairman of the cruise line Board of Directors and a merchant banker in the city.  He has a weakness for women in show business.   Speaking only part.

 

SIR ROGER BLEWITT – a banker and a womaniser.  Sings: ‘Things Have Changed a Lot’ (with Maude and the Captain) and ‘It Happened in a Moment’.

 

DAME MAUDE LIVITT – is a permanent resident on the cruiser and one of the Directors.  She had once hoped to marry Captain Crabb but her father, an admiral, disapproved.   Sings: ‘Things Have Changed a Lot’ (with Roger and the Captain) and ‘Too Big for the Ballet’.

 

CAPTAIN HENRY CRABB – Bearded commander of ‘The Wavemaker’ and a confirmed bachelor.  Sings: ‘Things Have Changed a Lot’ (with Maude and Roger).

 

LADY HILDA BLEWITT - Sir Roger’s wife, hates the sea and spends most of the time on board in her cabin.   Sings the ‘Apache Wedding Blessing’

 

BEVERLY – a stewardess working at the bar. Sings: ‘Autumn Hope’

 

ELMER - a rich American passenger.  Sings: ‘The Little Silver Medal’.

 

CHORUS - of SAILORS, STEWARDS, STEWARDESSES and PASSENGERS Sing: ‘We’re making waves’, ‘Pages of Time’, ‘Rings’ and ‘Here Comes the Bride’. 

 

DANCERS – Dance to the ‘Hornpipe’, ‘Belly’, ‘Fan Veil’ and ‘Hawaiian’ dances and join in singing with the chorus where possible. 

 

Smaller speaking parts: ALBERT and POLLY (two inebriates at the bar), CINDY, AMBER (Elmer’s wife), THREE FEMALE DECKHANDS, KING NEPTUNE, two SAILOR-MEDICS, FIRST and SECOND PASSENGERS etc., and EMMA and her CHILDREN

 

 

SYNOPSIS

 

The musical comedy ’Making Waves’ is a prequel to two earlier musicals; ‘That Terrible U3A’ (2011) and ‘Up For It!’ (2012), both first performed by the Aughton and Ormskirk U3A Musical Theatre Group.  It tells the story of how two characters from the previous shows, BONNIE (an ex-nightclub stripper) and ARNOLD, a wealthy ‘stage-door Johnny’, came to be married.  

 

GEORGE a widower, BILLY his brother-in-law and George’s secretary NORMA are all made redundant from their jobs.   They fear that they wont be able to get other jobs so GEORGE decides to splash his savings and redundancy money on a trip to Australia to visit his daughter and family there, and he invites BILLY to join him on the trip.  NORMA, secretly in love with GEORGE, decides she needs a complete change and, not at first knowing of GEORGE’S plans, gets a job as a stewardess on the ‘Wavemaker’, a luxury cruiser going to Australia; as a result she is able to get him and BILLY cheaper last minute tickets on the same cruiser.  

 

Passengers wave, sailors dance the hornpipe and all cheer as the ‘Wavemaker’ sets sail.   ARNOLD, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the cruise company and also a wealthy merchant banker in the city, enjoys London’s theatre nightlife and, in a weak moment, recommended BONNIE for the job in charge of the ship’s entertainments.  She is looking for a rich husband and fancies her chances with ARNOLD’s best friend SIR ROGER BLEWITT, who is also a banker, until she discovers he already has a wife – the result of a ‘shot gun wedding’!   She then turns her attention to ARNOLD himself.  Meanwhile BILLY falls heavily for CINDY, one of the croupiers in the ship’s Casino. 

 

Dame Maude Livitt is also on the Board of Directors of the cruise company.  As a girl she fell in love with a young naval lieutenant called Henry Crabb, but her father (an admiral) forbade the liaison; Maude however continued to love him.  Henry Crabb, a confirmed bachelor, is now captain of the ‘Wavemaker’ and Maude has taken a permanent cabin on the ship so that she can be near to him. Amongst the many passengers on board the cruiser are ALBERT and POLLY; they don’t know each other at first but become firm friends - largely because of a shared interest in drinking at the bar. They get more and more inebriated as the cruise progress and one of the stewards offers them advice.  Another of the passengers, an American GI, tells of his experiences in the war and of how a little silver medal saved his life in combat.    As the cruise progresses GEORGE and NORMA get to know one another better and, nudged by BILLY and helped by MAUDE, finally come to realise that they are in love.   MAUDE who, but for a weight problem, might have become a ballet dancer, then arranges for the captain to marry them in a shipboard ceremony.

 

The cruise comes to a climax as they cross the equator and BONNIE and NORMA organise a ‘crossing the line’ entertainment for the passengers.  GEORGE and BILLY are given the full treatment by two ‘sailor medics’, and exotically dressed showgirls dance seductively for them.   Romance is in the air and BONNIE takes advantage of the situation and, using as an excuse an earlier misunderstanding about a diamond bracelet, persuades ARNOLD that they should get married as well. SIR ROGER’s wife, LADY HILDA BLEWITT, emerges from her cabin to sing an Apache wedding blessing for both couples and GEORGE’S daughter EMMA and her children join in the celebrations.