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 Martins
Operatic Society in Gipsy Love by Franz Lehar.
 Staged: 27
to 31 March 1973 at the Neptune Theatre Liverpool
Now firmly
under the “wing” of the Barclays Eagle, Martins Operatic Society strikes out
big and bold in 1973, staging a lavish production of Franz Lehar’s GIPSY LOVE. The Official Programme
for this performance is SIX pages long, and details not only the plot of this
operetta, but - over several pages -also lists of the many people involved
both on and off stage in Bringing it before an audience for a run of five night
at the end of March. As we have mentioned before when featuring the
productions of the Society from 1970 onwards, we do miss the critique and
photographs that used to be provided by Martins Bank Magazine before it bowed
out at the end of 1969. However, GIPSY LOVE is one of several of these performances to be
covered by the amateur theatre columns of local newspapers. Hughie Ross, a
reporter who covered many shows staged by the Society in both the nineteen
sixties AND seventies, is once again
at the helm of the column entitle “The Critics”, which is reproduced below,
courtesy of our friends at the British Newspaper Archive.
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 Inside Plomley Place the guests are celebrating
the engagement of Sir Peregrine’s daughter Miranda to Lord Lyell's son
Lawrence, while in the garden a local band of gipsies led by Antonio join
in the celebrations. Miranda and Antonio arc secretly in love with each
other, but Miranda, in order to aid her father’s precarious financial
position, has agreed to marry Lawrence, the son of the wealthy Lord
Lieutenant of the County. Miranda joins Antonio in the garden where they
arc interrupted by a furious Lord Lyell - who has no time for gipsies. The
gipsies leave and Miranda confides to Kathy, her nurse, that despite the
admiration she feels for Lawrence she does not wish to marry him. Lawrence
comes into the garden and reassures Miranda that their marriage will be for
the best. He then rejoins the guests. Sir Peregrine now impresses upon his
daughter the importance of a successful marriage and she reluctantly agrees
and returns to the house. Sir Peregrine now confides to his valet Pringle
that he himself is very much in love with Lady Phoebe, one of the guests.
He insists that he is a “ devil ” with the ladies, and demonstrates his
ability in an hilarious song and dance with the gipsy girls. Following
these revels Lady Phoebe arrives finding him in an exhausted state and just
as he is about to propose to her, they are interrupted by his younger
daughter Lucinda, who seems to have caught the romantic fever and announces
her intention to marry Oswald Oliphant, the Mayor's son - a hapless
creature who seems more interested in food than in Lucinda. Peregrine
refuses to give his consent, and Lucinda remonstrates with Oswald who
admits that his father is no keener on the match than hers. Determined to
win their parents' consent they return to the party. Miranda and Kathy now
enter and arc soon joined by Antonio. Kathy, horrified, leaves them
together, and they sing of their love. It is this situation that Peregrine
encounters when he enters the garden; Lawrence and the guests are puzzled
by the situation, but Antonio insists that he has only returned to add a
gipsy’s blessing on the betrothal. The gipsies join Antonio in a
traditional gipsy wedding song, after which Miranda, no longer able to
contain her feelings, declares her love for Antonio, and they run off into
the moonlight.
Antonio and Miranda join the gipsies
at a distant Tavern, but all is not well. Miranda refuses to marry Antonio
in the gipsy fashion but insists on a church wedding. Dilaia, Antonio's old
love, warns the gipsies that Antonio will soon lose interest in Miranda,
but Antonio claims that this is mere jealousy. Dilaia. despite her love for
Antonio, adds her support to Miranda's plea, and Antonio reluctantly agrees
to a church wedding provided they arc first married in Romany style by
their Gipsy Queen. The gipsies depart rejoicing, and Miranda and Dilaia are
left alone together. Dilaia, despite her jealousy, feels some pity for
Miranda, whom she is sure will soon be disillusioned, but Miranda ignores
her warnings and they leave to prepare for the wedding. On to the scene
come the families of Miranda and Lawrence, hot in pursuit of the runaway
lovers, hoping to save Miranda from a ” fate worse than death.” The local
Innkeeper - a friend of the gipsies - denies any knowledge of the affair.
Lord Lyell insists upon meeting the Gipsy Queen. Ria, and after threatening
to invoke all the power he possesses as Lord Lieutenant of the County in
order to rid the area of the gipsies, she agrees to use her influence to
stop the wedding. The families leave and the gipsies return with Miranda
prepared for the ceremony, but Ria interrupts them to say that Antonio has
changed his mind and there will be no wedding. Weeping with grief and
humiliation Miranda runs away.
Miranda is reunited with Lawrence
and all is forgiven; she now realises the error of her ways, and yet
another party is in progress at Plomley Place. Sir Peregrine has
successfully proposed to Lady Phoebe, and overwhelmed by the romantic
atmosphere he has given permission for Lucinda and Oswald to become
engaged. The guests disperse gradually, and at last Miranda and Lawrence
arc left alone. After a romantic duet they leave, and all is quiet for a
moment, when from the French windows Antonio enters. Lawrence returns,
looking for Miranda’s handkerchief, and is stunned to find Antonio.
Insisting that he has done enough damage already, he demands to know why
Antonio has returned. Antonio explains the real reason why he did not marry
Miranda and says that he did not wish to leave Lawrence with the impression
that gipsy love was always selfish and callous. Lawrence much moved, shakes
his hand, and with a mocking gesture of farewell Antonio leaves, watched by
Lawrence. Unnoticed. Miranda enters and follows his gaze, recognising the
distant figure of Antonio; she asks in some alarm why he had returned.
Lawrence promises that one day he will tell her all.
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In the News…
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In its “The Critics” Column on 28 March 1973, the
Livepool Post reviews the first night of GIPSY LOVE, as staged by Martins Operatic Society…
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Image and Text © Reach PLC and Find my Past created courtesy of
THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. Image and Text reproduced
with kind permission of The British Newspaper Archive
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In recent years, Martins Operatic
Society has been making a feature of reviving operettas. At the Neptune Theatre, Liverpool, this
week, it is presenting Franz Lehar’s
Gipsy Love, which contains some of the Hungarian composer’s most
attractive melodies.
The location for this new version
has been changed from the traditional Ruritania to England but loses little
of the Romany flavour and deals with the romance between a gipsy and the
daughter of one of the landed gentry.
John Bowen played and sang well
as the romantic hero, and Pat Barrow as the girl who ran away with him,
gave an equally convincing performance. Audrey Rogers and Tom Monk, with
Naomi Hoyland and Pamela Rooke, shone in several good numbers, and John
Wilde was a tower of strength in the comedy line, supported by Ken Jones
Eric Williams and Ian Wilson.
The rousing chorus numbers were
another good feature, also the lively dance sequences by girls from the
Wallasey School of Ballet. Although the orchestra, directed by Derek
Sadler, on occasions was too loud for some of the singers, the whole
production by Kenneth Jones proved very entertaining.
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The
ambition of Martins Operatic Society’s production of GIPSY LOVE stretches to an
orchestra a chorus AND the assistance of a local ballet school, and as in
many of their previous shows, the principals on stage are outnumbered by
the rest of the team by more than two to one. The Official programme boasts of the
society’s continued success with this exhortation to everyone reading to
join in the fun next year:
{Martins
Operatic Society has the reputation of being the happiest society on
Merseyside. We hope this happy atmosphere shows in our productions, but in
order to continue to keep up the high standard we need more members!
Employees of Barclays Bank and their families are always welcome! If you’ve
enjoyed the Show, think how much more you’d enjoy being in one! ‘Phone
Terry Mudd tomorrow at Skelmersdale 23104 - or ask any member - and help
make next year’s Show the best ever!}
(Please
note that some fifty years or so on, we doubt very much that by phoning
Skelmerdale 23104 you are likely to be able to contact Terry Mudd!)
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With special thanks to Mike Ellis and the late, great Beryl Creer.
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 M
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