A CONCORD THEATRICALS TITLE
The Matchgirls
Full-Length Musical, Drama / 13w, 5m
Book and Lyrics by Bill Owen
Music by Tony Russell
Based on fact, this musical tells the story of a strike by the girls in a match factory in 1888, when unions were still groping for recognition and mass withdrawal of labour was an almost unheard-of strategy in industrial relations.
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Cast Size
13w, 5m -
Subgenre
Period -
Target Audience
Adult, Senior, Teen (Age 14-18)
Details
Summary
The match-cutters finally rebel against working conditions in which young girls had their jaws rotted away by phosphorus, and discipline was maintained by a system of crippling fines and sanctions. A grim episode, perhaps, but not many minutes of the play are allowed to pass before the natural ebullience of the traditional Cockney sparrow helps to create sparkling entertainment which warms the heart, yet retains the essential drama of the central theme. The incongruously named "Hope Court" is the setting for much of the play, for it is there the workers live in shabby tenements. Desperation turns Kate, the tenement girl, into a reckless strike-leader, and complicates her courtship with Joe, a docker. Annie Besant, the liberal reformer, champions the strikers' cause and plays a vital part in bringing about their ultimate victory over what was then a callous management.
Keywords
- Time Period 19th Century
- Cautions
- No Special Cautions
Media
ON BREAKING CHARACTER
8 Classic British Musicals to Perform
by Cathy Thomas
August 5, 2019
Music
- Vocal DemandsModerate
- Orchestra Size Medium
Licensing & Materials
- Licensing fees and rental materials quoted upon application.