Half a Sixpence

Haymarket Theatre, Basingstoke, 12th-22nd November 2008

Show synopsis
Half a Sixpence is a lively musical comedy with a foot tapping score and energetic choreography, with numbers such as “Flash BANG Wallop What a Picture!”, “Economy”, “Money to burn”, “I Don’t believe a word of it”, “A proper gentleman”, “She’s too far above me”, “If the rains got to fall”, “The old military canal”, “The one who’s run away”, “Long ago”, “I know what I am”, “The party’s on the house” and of course “Half a sixpence”. It was written originally as a vehicle for Britain’s first pop-star, cheeky-cockney 1950’s Tommy Steele.

Half a Sixpence follows the story of one Arthur Kipps. An poor orphan who works and lives as an apprentice draper. He presents his childhood sweetheart, Ann, with a lovers token of half a sixpence to prove his devotion, but the very next day inherits a fortune. Spurred on by his new social standing Kipps proposes to another girl, Helen Walsingham, but finally realises that his true love is Ann.

Set in 1900, the show is based on H.G. Wells's novel "Kipps: The Story of a Simple Soul". The novel is somewhat autobiographical, being inspired by the rapid changes in Wells's own life, who but for chance might have never advanced past the station of draper's assistant (essentially, department store clerk). The original book was a statement about the class divide highlighting that for Kipps, wealth comes with instant loneliness and awkward dealings with too-predictably snobby upperclass folk.

David Heneker (who had also worked on Irma La Douce and Charlie Girl) wrote both music and lyrics. Tommy Steele's importance to the show was made evident by his appearance in twelve of the musical's fifteen songs. Much of this musical seems to be originally tailored as a star vehicle for Steele's particular talents. This is especially evident in the musical number "Money to Burn": when Arthur Kipps realizes that he is about to become wealthy, he decides that the first thing he will buy is ... a banjo (Steele is best known for playing the guitar and banjo). This is the cue for someone to hand Tommy Steele a banjo so that he can demonstrate his skill on the instrument! However it just so happens that in Wells’s original novel, one of the first things that Arthur Kipps purchases with his newfound wealth was, indeed, a banjo.

Half a Sixpence transferred to Broadway in 1965, playing at the Broadhurst Theatre for 511 performances. The Broadway production also starred Tommy Steele. John Cleese played the small but crucial role of Walsingham, the stockbroker from a respectable family who embezzles Kipps's fortune. Half a Sixpence was the last West End show to transfer successfully to New York before the late 1970s and early 1980s musicals of Andrew Lloyd Webber.

A film version, also starring Steele, followed in 1967.

Ticket prices and performance dates

Concessions

Box office
Tickets may be purchased from the Anvil box office (tel: 01256 844244).

Other information
Link to Wikipedia entry.

List of characters.

For specific details about the show, including the audition dates, rehearsal schedule and cast list click here.