''The Matchgirls'' is a musical by
Bill Owen and
Tony Russell
Anthony "Tony" Russell (born 13 January 1961) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Collingwood Football Club, Collingwood in the Victorian Football League (1897–1989), Victorian Football League (VFL). He is also the most pro ...
about the
London matchgirls strike of 1888
The matchgirls' strike of 1888 was an industrial action by the women and teenage girls working at the Bryant & May match factory in Bow, London.
Background Match making
In the late nineteenth century, matches were made using sticks of popl ...
. It premiered at the
Globe Theatre
The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, on land owned by Thomas Brend and inherited by his son, Nicholas Brend, and ...
, London, on 1 March 1966, directed and choreographed by
Gillian Lynne
Dame Gillian Barbara Lynne (née Pyrke; 20 February 1926 – 1 July 2018) was an English ballerina, dancer, choreographer, actress, and theatre-television director, noted for her theatre choreography associated with two of the longest-runnin ...
.
Overview
The musical focuses on the lifestyle of the match cutters at the
Bryant and May
Bryant & May was a British company created in the mid-19th century specifically to make matches. Their original Bryant & May Factory was located in Bow, London. They later opened other match factories in the United Kingdom and Australia, suc ...
factory in
Bow, London
Bow () is an area of East London within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is primarily a built-up and mostly residential area and is east of Charing Cross.
It was in the traditional county of Middlesex but became part of the County o ...
, with strong references to the condition Phossy Jaw and the political climate of the era. With much of the action set in the incongruously named, but fictional, 'Hope Court', the musical portrays Bryant and May as callous and uncaring employers, with factory foreman 'Mr Mynel' representing the threatening and imposing regime in which the girls were forced to work.
A cast recording was made, but there has never been a major London production. The musical was published by Samuel French Ltd in 1979.
Synopsis
The central character of the musical is 'Kate', a tenement girl and factory worker, who writes to '
Annie Besant
Annie Besant ( Wood; 1 October 1847 – 20 September 1933) was a British socialist, theosophist, freemason, women's rights activist, educationist, writer, orator, political party member and philanthropist.
Regarded as a champion of human ...
' to ask for help in seeking reform at the factory. The story follows Kate and Annie's attempts to rally the girls, leading Kate to become a reckless strike-leader and a key player in the creation and recognition of the union. There is also a sub plot in which Kate's involvement in the strike puts strain on her relationship with docker 'Joe'.
Despite the subject matter of the musical, a strong emphasis is placed on the positive mentality and natural ebullience of the so-called 'cockney sparrows', this leading to a number of cheerful and entertaining vocal numbers and dance routines.
The Matchgirls
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Musical numbers
* "Phosphorus"
* "Look at That Hat"
* "Look Around"
* "Me"
* "Men"
* "La Di Dah" (only in later versions)
* "Something About You"
* "Mind You Bert"
* "My Dear Lady"
* "We're Gonna Show 'Em"
* "Cockney Sparrers"
* "Life of Mine"
* "Hopping Dance: I Long to See the Day" (not in some later versions)
* "Comes a Time"
* "Amendment to a Motion"
* "Waiting"
* "Life of Mine Reprise (Finale)"
References and notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Matchgirls, The
1965 musicals
British musicals
West End musicals
Musicals inspired by real-life events