Our Miss Gibbs

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Our Miss Gibbs is a musical comedy in three acts by 'Cryptos' and James T. Tanner, with lyrics by Adrian Ross and Percy Greenbank, music by Ivan Caryll and Lionel Monckton. Produced by George Edwardes, it opened at the Gaiety Theatre in London on 23 January 1909 and ran for an extremely successful 636 performances. It starred Gertie Millar and George Grossmith, Jr.

The show also had a short Broadway run in 1910. It was revived in May 2006 in the first professional London production since its premiere at the Finborough Theatre, London.

1 Roles
2 Synopsis
3 Musical numbers
4 External links

[edit] Roles

The Hon. Hughie Pierrepoint (An Amateur Criminal)
Slithers (A Professional Crook)
Mr. Toplady (Manager at Garrod's)
Lord Eynsford (In Love with Mary)
Mr. Amalfy (The Director-General of the White City)
Timothy Gibbs (Mary's Yorkshire Cousin)
Lady Elizabeth Thanet (Engaged to Lord Eynsford)
Madame Jeanne (Modiste at Garrod's)
Mrs. Farquhar (An Impecunious Woman of Fashion)
Miss Gibbs (Mary)

[edit] Synopsis

The plot is typical of those of musicals of the period: Mary Gibbs is a Yorkshire lass who has found work as a shop girl at Garrods, where she sells candy. The young men are making themselves sick on sweets as they sigh over the beautiful, but no-nonsense Miss Gibbs, who disapproves of their attempts at familiarity. Miss Gibbs has fallen in love with a young bank-clerk who is, in reality, the son of an Earl, Lord Eynsford, in disguise. When she discovers his deception, she dumps him on the spot.

Mary's cousin Timothy has come down from Yorkshire to play second euphonium for the town band in the contest at the Crystal Palace. Timothy is a real country cousin, and he has a variety of humorous adventures in the big city. He gets entangled in a crime when he mistakenly picks up a bag belonging to the Hon. Hughie Pierrepoint, an enthusiastic amateur criminal. The bag contains the famous Ascot Gold Cup which Pierrepoint has just stolen.

At the Franco-British Exhibition in White City, Timothy worries over his "crime" and imagines that the police will find him. He disguises himself as an entrant in the marathon race and staggers into the stadium mistakenly to be acclaimed the winner. Finally, the Gold Cup is recovered and restored to its owner, who happens to be young Eynsford's father, by now so charmed with Mary Gibbs that he is more than happy that she should become his daughter-in-law.

[edit] Musical numbers

ACT I - Garrod's Stores.

No. 1 - Opening Chorus - "We'll be quick and do our shopping..."
No. 2 - Song - Eynsford - "There's a girl at the stores called Mary..."
No. 3 - Chorus of Bridesmaids - "We're the dear little ladies, selected..."
No. 4 - Song - Jeanne and Chorus of Girls - "Some people say success is won..."
No. 5 - Song - Betty - "Though I am not so unwilling..."
No. 6 - Chorus of Dudes - "A fashionable band of brothers are we..."
No. 7 - Song - Mary and Chorus of Dudes - "I'm a little Yorkshire lass..."
No. 8 - Song - Hughie and Chorus - "Though I'm a man of noble birth..."
No. 9 - Duet - Mary and Timothy - "When the season's on the wane..."
No. 10 - Duet - Mary and Hughie - "I will confess that as a man..."
No. 11 - Concerted Number - "There's a City of palaces white..."
No. 12 - Finale - Act I - "Saturday afternoon..."

ACT II - Court of Honour at the Franco-British Exhibition.

No. 13 - Act II Opening Chorus and Entrance of Irish Girls - "Palaces oriental..."
No. 14 - Song - Mary - "Oh, London is really a wonderful town..."
No. 15 - Sextet - Hughie, Toplady, Slithers, Amalfy, Eynsford and Timothy - "Though something has upset me..."
No. 16 - Song - Betty and Chorus - "I am sure your education is not complete..."
No. 17 - Concerted Number - "Push the pram for baby..."
No. 18 - Duet - Mary and Timothy - "I'd like to tell you all about the farm..."
No. 19 - Chorus and Solo Dance - "Over the dome and steeple..."
No. 20 - Song - Mary and Chorus of Girls - "Moon, moon, mischief making moon..."
No. 21 - Duet - Hughie and Timothy - "If you'll come down to my place..."
No. 22 - Finale - Act II - "When country cousins come up to town..."