Savoy Curtain Raisers
An Operetta in One Act
Written by
Frank Desprez
Composed by
Eaton Faning
Mock Turtles was performed at the Savoy Theatre on either 15 or 17 November 1881 and ran for over a year until 22 November 1882 as a curtain raiser initially to Patience, and then with Iolanthe. The original cast was as follows: Mr. Wranglebury - Courtice Pounds; Mrs. Wranglebury - Minna Louis/Rose Hervey; Mrs. Boucher - Rosina Brandram; Jane - Sybil Grey.
The MIDI files for Mock Turtles have been created by Dr James Pitt-Payne. The libretto to Mock Turtles was republished by The Gaiety in September 2001. See the Publications section for ordering details.
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Dramatis Personae MRS. WRANGLEBURY……………………Soprano.
The Scene is the drawing room of Mr Wranglebury. The Wranglebury's maid Jane is busy setting out the breakfast table. Mr Wranglebury arrives for breakfast, determined not to quarrel with his wife that morning. Mrs Wranglebury enters with much the same intent as her husband but before long they are both bristling at each other. Doesn't Mrs Wranglebury ring up huge debts at the dressmakers? And doesn't Mr Wranglebury borrow susbstantial amounts from his mother-in-law without ever paying them back? How they both detest each other! No. 1: DUET (Mr. & Mrs. WRANGLEBURY.) (10KB)
Quite unexpectedley, Wranglebury's Mother in law arrives for a visit. She enters full of excitement at arriving in the capital. If she had the good fortune to live in London she is quite sure that she would spend all her time sight-seeing. No. 2: SONG (Mrs. BOUCHER.) (13KB)
Anxious that Mrs Boucher should not learn of their animosity to each other, Mr and Mrs Wranglebury pretend that they are both on the best of terms and living a life of blissful wedlock. It is a role that they play with considerable difficulty, but Mrs Boucher is completely taken in and requests to see them sitting side by side on the sofa, billing and cooing with each other. Mrs Boucher asks her daughter and son-in-law to remind her of the songs they used to sing to each other. WIth gritted teeth, they sing one of her old favourites... No. 3: DUET (Mr. & Mrs. WRANGLEBURY.) (9KB)
Jane shows Mrs Boucher up to her room as Mr and Mrs Wranglebury contemplate their state of marital living and decide that it would not be too difficult after all to live harmoniously with one another. As soon as Mrs Boucher is alone with Jane, she quizzes the maid on what she think of her master and mistress. Jane confides that the two of them are pleasant enough when they are on their own, but as soon as they are together the sparks begin to fly. Mrs Boucher has long suspected that Mr Wranglebury is a brute and that her daughter hides this from her. It is all that her daughter can do to drag her off Mr Wranglebury. Mrs wranglebury explains the situation to her mother: " Mamma, the fact is, we have both been very silly children, and now we have come to our senses. The experiences of a single hour's mutual amiability, the remembrance of past happiness have come to convert us; we are converted." But what gave Mrs Boucher the impression that the husband and wife lived a life of anything other than connubial bliss? Jane is summoned before her emplyers and given immediate dismissal! Mr and Mrs Wranglebury declare that they will spend the rest of their days in blissful wedlock, much to the delight of Mrs Boucher! No. 4: FINALE (Mrs. WRANGLEBURY, Mrs. BOUCHER, & Mr. WRANGLEBURY.) (7KB)
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