Me And My Girl - 1985 London Cast

Me and my Girl is a popular British stage musical, with book and lyrics by Douglas Furber and L. Arthur Rose and music by Noel Gay. It first opened at the Victoria Palace in 1937 and its run of 1646 performances survived the outbreak of war. The show was famous for "The Lambeth Walk" which became a sensation! This version of the show, revised by Stephen Fry, was first presented at the Leicester Haymarket Theatre in 1985 starring Robert ...
...in an amateur production of Me and my girl - so I bought the cd about 4 years ago to help me with the vocal characterisation. This is the London cast recording of 1985. I also own the broadway recording but I think the London one is a much higher quality in terms of vocal and orchestral composition. It's really easy to listen to and understand the plot (even if you've never seen the musical). My sister assures me this is the case as she loves it ... more

Me and my Girl is a popular British stage musical, with book and lyrics by Douglas Furber and L. Arthur Rose and music by Noel Gay. It first opened at the Victoria Palace in 1937 and its run of 1646 performances survived the outbreak of war. The show was famous for "The Lambeth Walk" which became a sensation! This version of the show, revised by Stephen Fry, was first presented at the Leicester Haymarket Theatre in 1985 starring Robert Lindsay and Emma Thompson which later transferred to the Adelphi Theatre in London. In 1985 it won the Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Musical and Best Performer In A Musical (Robert Lindsay). It still holds the record as the most performed musical comedy in the history of West End theatre.

The Plot
Basically the Earl of Hareford has died leaving no heir. The family members have come together to hear how the estate will be split. However the family solicitor, announces that he has tracked down an heir to both the family fortune and the family seat of Hareford Hall. Bill Snibson, a Cockney wide boy from Lambeth, is the unlikely chap who inherits the title and fortune of the Harefords of Hampshire. Maria, the Duchess, decides to tum Bill into a worthy gentleman. She also tries to get him to marry Lady Jaqueline, who is very eager for money and the title. (so eagar she calls off her engagement to Gerald) Despite Lady Jaqueline's advances, Bill is determined to marry his cockney girlfriend from Lambeth, Sally Smith. Sally doesn't want to ruin Bill's chances and tries to convince Bill that he is too good for her, even though she loves him dearly. She decides to gatecrash his party with a group of loud Lambeth locals to prove that he deserves better than her. Funnily enough, instead everyone joins in and does The Lambeth Walk. Sally decides to leave Hareford and return to Lambeth. But Bill and Sir John make separate plans to bring her back. Bill travels to Lambeth to find her but returns empty handed as Sir John has packed her off to a speech professor he knows!!
The Duchess throws another party but Bill isn't up for it. The Duchess starts to realise how much he is in love with Sally. Jaqueline also recognises also and returns to Gerald. Once the party gets going, Sally makes a second uninvited entrance and elegantly shows she is a suitable wife for an Earl.

The cd
This has to be the best recording I've heard. I think this soundtrack really does it justice and honour to such a fantastic musical. I played the part of Sally Smith in an amateur production of Me and my girl - so I bought the cd about 4 years ago to help me with the vocal characterisation. This is the London cast recording of 1985. I also own the broadway recording but I think the London one is a much higher quality in terms of vocal and orchestral composition. It's really easy to listen to and understand the plot (even if you've never seen the musical). My sister assures me this is the case as she loves it but is yet to see the musical. The accents are fabulous in this version too - really accurate and clear. Each voice is really distinctive and which provides fantastic contrast when listening and distinguishing between characters. The downfall of this London cast recording is that it doesn't have the song "Hold my Hand" (the Broadway one does) and this is one of my favourite numbers. It does however have "If only you cared for me" (the Broadway one doesn't have this one). I listen to this recording everywhere -in my car, when I'm cleaning, when I'm running and even when I'm in the bath. Who can refuse songs such as "Lambeth Walk" and "Take it on the chin" Its a real feel good soundtrack. I've even got my mum into it and she's quite the "anti musical" type. It is interesting to listen to the vocal performances of Robert Lindsey and EmmaThompson as well as Susannah Fellows (to name a few).

The tracks

ACT ONE

Overture
A Weekend At Hareford
Thinking of No-one But Me
The Family Solicitor
Me And My Girl
An English Gentleman
You Would If You Could
Hold My Hand
Once You Lose Your Heart
The Lambeth Walk

ACT TWO

Entré Act
The Sun Has Got His Hat On
Take It On The Chin
Song of Hareford
Love Makes The World Go Round
Leaning On A Lamp-post
Finale

I paid about £12 from Borders bookstore for this cd and it was worth every single last penny. 

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