''Balalaika'' is a musical play in three acts with book and lyrics by

Eric Maschwitz Albert Eric Maschwitz Order of the British Empire, OBE (10 June 1901 – 27 October 1969), sometimes credited as Holt Marvell, was an English entertainer, writer, editor, broadcaster and broadcasting executive. Life and work Born in Edgbaston, ...

, music by

George Posford George Posford, born Benjamin George Ashwell (23 March 1906 – 24 April 1976), was an English composer and conductor. Early life Benjamin George Ashwell was born in 1906 in Folkestone, Kent. He was educated at Downside School in Somerset an ...

and Bernard Grun. It opened in London at the

Adelphi Theatre The Adelphi Theatre is a West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster, central London. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receiv ...

on 22 December 1936, starring

Muriel Angelus Muriel Angelus ( Findlay; 10 March 1912 – 26 June 2004) was an English stage, musical theatre, and film actress. Early life The daughter of a chemist, young Muriel was educated at the Ursuline Convent in London. At age 12, she acted in a ...

, Roger Treville, Clifford Mollison and

Betty Warren Babette Hilda Hogan (31 October 1907 – 15 December 1990), known professionally as Betty Warren, was a British people, British actress active from the 1930s to the 1950s. She was best known for her comedy roles in ''Champagne Charlie (1944 film ...

, and ran for 569 performances. A love story between a young nobleman and a ballerina set mostly in Russia during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and the

Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution, social change in Russian Empire, Russia, starting in 1917. This period saw Russia Dissolution of the Russian Empire, abolish its mona ...

, it begins and ends in 1924 at a

Montmartre Montmartre ( , , ) is a large hill in Paris's northern 18th arrondissement of Paris, 18th arrondissement. It is high and gives its name to the surrounding district, part of the Rive Droite, Right Bank. Montmartre is primarily known for its a ...

night-club called the "Balalaika", telling the lovers' story through a series of flashbacks. Itself a revised version of an earlier London musical play called ''The Great Hussar'', which opened at the Adelphi Theatre on 19 October 1933, ''Balalaika'' formed the basis for the 1939 MGM movie of the same name starring Nelson Eddy and Ilona Massey.

References

West End musicals British plays adapted into films 1936 musicals Musicals set in Russia Musicals set in Paris Musicals set in the 1910s Musicals set in the 1920s {{musical-theat-stub