The Musical
ACT ONE
Scene 1 - The London Coliseum - Year 2000
Song 1. Camille Maria Montpell .................................... Camille, Viscount & Company
Scene 2 - Jimmy Elliston - Music Hall Part 1
Scene 3 - The London Coliseum - Next Day
Song 2. Who Is This Man? ................................................ Nick, David, Clare & Henry
Scene 4 - Matcham’s Home - 1920
Song 3. How Did You Meet Grandmama? .......... ... Children, Frank/Maria (60’s) & (20's)
Song 4. Boy I Love Is Up In The Gallery (G.Ware) ......... ..............…………… Maria (20’s)
Scene 5 - Jethro Robinson’s Architects - 1875
Scene 6 - Shaftesbury Avenue - 1875
Song 5. Breathless Beauty .......................................... ............ Maria & Frank (20’s)
Scene 7 - Jethro T. Robinson’s Home - 1876
Scene 8 - Jethro T. Robinson’s Home - 1877
Song 6. A Man You Can Depend ................................... ............ Maria & Frank (20’s)
Scene 9 - Jimmy Elliston - Music Hall Part 2
Scene 10 - Elephant & Castle Theatre - 1877
Song 7. - Is This The Time? ......................................... ...... Frank (20’s) & Company
Scene 11 - Matcham & Co Architects - 1883
Scene 12 - Theatre Royal, Blackburn - 1885
Song 8. Let’s All Go To The Music Hall (Butler & Tilsley) .......... Small Touring Company
Scene 13 - Matcham’s Home/Theatre Royal, Exeter - 1887
Song 9. Theatre On Fire ..................................................................... Full Company
ACT TWO
Scene 12 - The Moulin Rouge, Paris - 1890
Song 10. The Can-Can Can .............................................................. MC & Company
Scene 13 - Kings Cross Station, London 1894
Song 11. A Love For An Absent Man ...................................................... Maria (40’s)
Scene 14 - English Channel Steamership 1897
Song 12. Designs From Life ..................................... Frank (40’s), Elliston & Company
Scene 15 - Matcham’s Home - New Year’s Eve - 1899
Song 13. Santa Claus ..................................................... Charlotte, Eveline & Elliston
Song 14. The Boy I Love (G Ware) ......................................................... Maria (40’s)
Song 15. Burlington Bertie (H B Norris) .................................................. Maria (40’s)
Scene 16 - Gaiety Theatre, Isle of Man - 1900
Scene 17 - London Coliseum 1900 - 2004
Song 16. The London Coliseum .........................Stoll, Frank (40’s), Nick, David & Clare
Scene 18 - Matcham’s Home Southend - 1920
Song 17. The Thrill Of Life ........................................................ Frank & Maria (60’s)
Song 18. The Boy I love ....................................................................... Maria (60’s)
The Bows
Song 19. Medley: Who Is This Man?, Theatre On Fire, Designs From Life ........................................... Full Company
The Musical
Synopsis
The Theatre Architect (Musical)
Act 1
The show opens at the English National Opera’s - London Coliseum in the year 2000, where we see the finale of an opera - ‘Camille’, after which speeches are made explaining that the Coliseum is closing for much need renovation. The following morning modern day architects are seen on the bare Coliseum stage, where they ponder the question - ‘Who Is This Man’ - Frank Matcham. The action then goes back to 1920 where we see Matcham with his Grandchildren, who ask - “How Did You Meet Grandmama?’, where we get to hear of Matcham’s early life. We then see his first day working for Jethro T. Robinson, where he is reunited with Robinson’s daughter Maria. They soon start courting and we hear the courtship song ‘Breathless Beauty’. Shortly after their marriage, we hear of the premature death of Maria’s father, where she sings the reflective song ‘A Man I Can Depend’. Soon Frank is thrust into running the theatre architects practice. aged at just 24, where he ponders the question - ‘Is This The Time?’. After a few years Frank launches his own business - Matcham & Co and embarks on changing the way all future Theatres are designed and built. We then see the introduction of his longterm theatre entrepreneurial friend James Elliston. Act 1 concludes with the tragic fire of the Theatre Royal, Exeter, Devon.
Act 2
Opens with a high energy number ‘The Can-can can”, at The Moulin Rouge, Paris, where we hear of Frank and James Elliston traveling Europe together and enjoying life. After which we see Maria waving Frank off to work from Kings Cross Station, where she sings the song - ‘A Love For An Absent Man’. We then see Frank and James returning once again from Europe on a steamer ship, where Frank sings ‘Designs From Life’ telling how he finds his inspiration for building his theatre’s. Next we see Frank with his family and friends bringing in the new year 1900, where his children entertain their guests with a song - Santa Claus. This is followed by a trip to the Isle of Man, where Frank shows Maria around his latest theatre masterpiece. After which we return to the London Coliseum to see how it was original created, along side the modern day architects completing the renovation. In the final scene we see Frank in retirement, where there is a reflective look back at some of his successes and Maria and Frank sing the duet - The Thrill Of Life’.
Characters
(In Order of Appearance)
Camille Maria Montpell .................. Female lead in ‘Camille’ an ENO Opera
Viscount ......................................... Male lead in ‘Camille’ an ENO Opera
Speech Makers .................. Representatives of ENO and London Coliseum
Nick Thompson ................................. RHWL Architects Arts Team Leader
David Wright .......................... Member of the RHWL Architects Arts Team
Clare Ferraby ............................................. RHWL Decoration supervisor
Henry Montague .............................. Final Principal - Matcham & Co,1953
Maria Matcham .................. Frank’s wife (60’s). Jethro Robinson daughter
Frank Matcham .......................................... Central character, in his 60s
Granddaughter ......................... Frank & Maria Matcham’s Granddaughter
Grandchild ......................... Frank & Maria Matcham’s Grandson/daughter
Young Maria Matcham ....................... Playing age from early (20s to 40s)
Young Frank Matcham ....................... Playing age from early (20s to 40s)
Jethro T Robinson .................... Successful London based theatre architect
Lord Chamberlain .................. Responsible - theatre safety and censorship
Francis G M Chancellor .............. Matcham & Co partner Qualified architect
Robert A Briggs ........................ Matcham & Co partner Architect engineer
Felix De Jong ............................................ Expert in Fibrous Plasterwork
James Ellison ......................Theatre entrepreneur. Matcham’s close friend
Mrs Duvall ............................... Co-owner of the Theatre Royal Blackburn
Eveline Matcham .................................................. Frank’s 1st daughter
Constance Amy Matcham ...................................... Frank’s 2nd daughter
MC .................................................. Moulin Rouge Comedy Entertainer
John Brown ................. Palace and Derby Company Chairman, Isle of Man
Oswald Stoll ............................ Managing Director of Moss Empire Group
Young Henry Montague ................ Apprentice quantity surveyor, aged 16
Theatre Performers ........................................................ The Company
Book a table
Reserving a table beforehand means less waiting. Groups of 8 or more must reserve ahead of time.