The Musical

The Scenes and Musical Numbers

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 ....... 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 ......... Small Touring Company

Scene 13 - Matcham’s Home/Theatre Royal, Exeter - 1887

Song 9. Theatre On Fire ............................. Full Company

ACT TWO

Scene 14 - The Moulin Rouge, Paris - 1890

Song 10. The Can-Can Can ........................ MC & Company

Scene 15 - Kings Cross Station, London 1894

Scene 16 - Jimmy Elliston - Music Hall Part 3

Song 11. A Love For An Absent Man............. Maria (40’s)

Scene 17 - English Channel Steamership 1897

Song 12. Designs From Life ........................ (40’s), Elliston & Company

Scene 18 - Matcham’s Home - New Year’s Eve - 1899

Song 13. Santa Claus ................................ Charlotte, Eveline & Elliston

Song 14. The Boy I Love Is Up In The Gallery Maria (40’s)

Scene 19 - Gaiety Theatre, Isle of Man - 1900

Scene 20 - London Coliseum 1900 - 2004

Song 17. The London Coliseum ................ Stoll, Frank (40’s), Nick, David & Clare

Scene 21 - Matcham’s Home Southend - 1920

Song 18. The Thrill Of Life ................................................. Frank & Maria (60’s)

Song 19. Boy I love Is Up In The Gallery ...... Maria (60’s)

The Bows

Song 20. Medley: Who Is This Man?, Theatre On Fire, Designs From Life ......................... Full Company

The Synopsis

The Theatre Architect (Musical)

ACT ONE

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 London Coliseum is closing for much needed 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 in his 60's with his Grandchildren, who ask - “How Did You Meet Grandmama?’, where we get to hear of Matcham’s early life. We then see Frank Matcham in his 20's on his first day working for Jethro T. Robinson, where he is reunited with Robinson’s daughter Maria. Frank and Maria start courting and we hear a love song ‘Breathless Beauty’. Shortly after their marriage, we hear of the premature death of Maria’s father, where she sings a reflective song ‘A Man I Can Depend’. Soon Frank is thrust into running the theatre architects business, aged at just 24, where he ponders the question - ‘Is This The Time?’. After a few years Frank launches his own company - Matcham & Co and embarks on changing the way all future Theatres are designed and built. We then see the introduction of his theatre entrepreneurial friend James Elliston. Act 1 concludes with the devastating fire of the Theatre Royal, Exeter in 1887.

ACT TWO

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's travels through 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 his theatre building. Next we see Frank with his family and friends bringing in the New Year 1900, where his children entertain their guests with a song - 'What does Santa do on New Year's Eve'. This is followed by a trip to the Isle of Man, where Frank shows Maria around his latest theatre masterpiece The Gaiety Theatre and Opera House. After which we return to the 'London Coliseum' to hear how it was original created, along side the modern day architects completing the renovation. 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 a beautiful duet together - 'The Thrill Of Life’.

The 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 ................................. Modern Architects Arts Team Leader

David Wright .................................... Modern Architects Arts Team

Clare Ferraby.................................... 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 friend

Mrs Duvall ....................................... Co-owner of the Theatre Royal Blackburn

Eveline Matcham............................... Frank’s eldest daughter

Constance Amy Matcham.................... Frank’s youngest 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

The Characters

Shared Roles - Suggested for Smaller Production Company's

Viscount / Oswald Stoll

Camille / Moulin Rouge MC

Speech Maker / Felix De Jong / Young Henry Montague

Speech Maker / Mrs Robinson

Jimmy Elliston / James Elliston

David Wright / Francis G M Chancellor / John Aubrey

Nick Thompson / Robert A Briggs / William Bracher

Claire Ferraby / Mrs Duvall

Henry Montague / The Lord Chamberlain

Frank Matcham in his 60’s

Maria Matcham in her 60’s

Frank Matcham in his 20’s - 40’s

Maria Matcham in her 20’s - 40’s

Granddaughter / Eveline Matcham

Grandson or Granddaughter / Constance Matcham

Jethro T Robinson / John Brown

ACT 1. Read Through With Friends (Guide Only)

ACT 2. Read Through With Friends (Guide Only)