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It is England, the year 1828 in the Fleet, a debtor's prison, Mr. Samuel Pickwick and his 'Gentleman's Gentleman' Sam Weller are reminiscing on the adventures that led to their imprisonment.
It was Christmas Eve 1827 in the courtyard of Mrs. Bardell's inn the "George and Vulture", and Pickwick greets his old friend Wardle and his family, daughters Emily and Isabella and their maiden aunt Rachel. He introduces them to his fellow members of the Pickwick Club, the poetic Snodgrass, the sporting Winkle and Tupman, the romantic.

Enter the wily Jingle who, before long, has tricked the innocent Tupman into paying for his ticket to the ball that night. Here, discovering that Rachel is an heiress, Jingle sets about courting her, thereby spoiling Tupman's chances and landing Winkle in a pretty pickle!

The next morning Pickwick returns to his rooms to discover the ebullient Sam striking up a 'friendship' with the new maid Mary. After some thought he decides to hire Sam as his Gentleman's Gentleman. Unfortunately, when he seeks Sam's release as Boot Black, Mrs. Bardell mistakes the request for a proposal of marriage and Pickwick finds himself in a compromising position!

Winkle, having slept through the ball, is surprised to receive a challenge to a duel. When the affair is happily resolved the Pickwickians and the Wardle family go skating; there they discover Rachel has succumbed to Jingle's flattery and run off with him, and Pickwick is presented with a writ for Breach of Promise. They follow the runaways to Eatanswill where Pickwick succeeds in buying Jingle off. Pickwick's next call is to the offices of Dodson and Fogg where he learns some hard truths about the law. In the Court room, Sgt. Buzfuz so ably states Mrs. Bardell's case that Pickwick is found guilty with damages; after refusing to pay he finds himself in the fleet ... where we came in.

Based on The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens

The musical opened on 3 June 1963 at the Palace Theatre, Manchester prior to the West End premiere on 4 July 1963 at the Saville Theatre and closed on 27 February 1965 following 694 performances.[1] Peter Coe directed, choreography was by Leo Kharibian, scenic design was by Sean Kenny and costumes were by Roger Furse.

The Broadway premiere, produced by David Merrick, was at the 46th Street Theatre on 4 October 1965. It closed on 18 November after 56 performances. The New York production was directed by Peter Coe, choreographed by Lynne, and featured Harry Secombe as Pickwick, Charlotte Rae as Mrs. Bardell, Roy Castle as Sam Weller, Nancy Haywood as Isabella, Michael Logan as Mr. Wardle, and Peter Bull as Sgt. Buzfuz.

The cast for the first production in Manchester and London featured Harry Secombe as Pickwick, Jessie Evans as Mrs. Bardell and Teddy Green as Sam Weller. The Pickwickians Tracy Tupman, Augustus Snodgrass and Nathaniel Winkle were played by Gerald James, Julian Orchard and Oscar Quitak respectively. Anton Rodgers was notable as Mr. Jingle, and Robin Wentworth played Tony Weller. Rachel, Isabella and Emily were played by Hilda Braid, Vivienne St.George and Jane Sconce respectively with Sam Weller's 'Girl' Mary performed superbly by Dilys Watling. The remaining cast and Company were equally impressive.[citation needed]

One of the better known songs from the score is "If I Ruled The World".

ACT 1
Outside the Fleet Prison
1. "Business is Booming" - Hot Toddy Seller, Cold Drinks Seller and Turnkey
Inside the Fleet Prison
2."Debtors Lament" - Chorus
3."Talk" - Sam Weller and Chorus
The Court-yard of the George and Vulture 4. "That's What I'd Like For Christmas" - Pickwick and Chorus
5. "The Pickwickians" - Pickwick, Snodgrass, Tupman and Winkle
6."A Bit of a Character" - Jingle, Snodgrass, Tupman and Winkle
The Ballroom of the George and Vulture
7. "Quadrille" - The Company
8."There's Something About You" - Jingle, Rachel, Tupman, Snodgrass, Emily, Isabella and Chorus
Pickwicks Chambers at the George and Vulture
9. "Learn a Little Something" - Sam Weller and Mary
10."You've Never Met a Feller Like Me" - Sam Weller and Pickwick
11."Look into Your Heart" - Pickwick and Mrs. Bardell
A Field near a River
12. "Winter Waltz" - Chorus

ACT 2
The Town Square at Eatanswill
13. "A Hell of an Election" - Chorus
14."Very" - Jingle
15."If I Ruled The World" - Pickwick and The Company
16."The Trouble with Women" - Tony Weller and Sam Weller
The Offices of Dodson and Fogg, Solicitors
17. "The Letter of The Law" - Dodson and Fogg, Pickwick, Sam, The Pickwickians, The Clerks.
The Courtroom
18. "British Justice" - Pickwick and The Company
Inside the Fleet Prison
19. "Do as you Would be Done By" - Jingle, Pickwick, Sam, Mrs. Bardell and Chorus
20."The Pickwickians" (reprise) - The Company
21."If I Ruled The World" (reprise) - Pickwick
Finale - Full Company

Aucun dossier informatif complémentaire concernant Pickwick

Aucun dossier informatif complémentaire concernant Pickwick