''Fresh Airs'' was a revue produced by
Laurier Lister
George Laurier Lister, OBE (22 April 1907 – 30 September 1986) was an English theatre writer, actor, director and producer, best known for a series of revues presented in London in the late 1940s and 1950s. He was later associated with Laurence ...
that opened in
Brighton
Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London.
Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...
in 1955. It was the last in his series of "Airs" revues before
Flanders & Swann started performing for themselves in ''
At the Drop of a Hat''.
Cast
*
Max Adrian
Max Adrian (born Guy Thornton Bor; 1 November 1903 – 19 January 1973) was an Irish stage, film and television actor and singer. He was a founding member of both the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre.
In addition to his succ ...
*
Moyra Fraser
Moyra Fraser (3 December 1923 – 13 December 2009) was an Australian-born English actress and ballet dancer, who is best known for playing Penny in the long-running sitcom '' As Time Goes By''.
Early life
Moyra Fraser was born in Sydney, Aust ...
*
Rose Hill Rose Hill may refer to:
People
* Rose Hill (actress) (1914–2003), British actress
* Rose Hill (athlete) (born 1956), British wheelchair athlete
Film
* ''Rose Hill'' (film), a 1997 movie
Places Australia
* Rose Hill, New South Wales
* Rose ...
* Bernard Hunter
* Pat Lancaster
*
Julian Orchard
Julian Dean Chavasse Orchard (3 March 1930, in Wheatley, Oxfordshire – 21 June 1979, in Westminster, London) was an English comedy actor. He appeared in four ''Carry On'' films: '' Don't Lose Your Head'' (1966), '' Follow That Camel'' (196 ...
Songs
All the songs mentioned here were written by Flanders & Swann unless stated otherwise.
* Overture: More Strings to Our Bow Opening number. Tries to forestall any unfavourable comparisons with the previous revue, ''
Airs on a Shoestring ''Airs on a Shoestring'' was a British musical revue, first staged at the Royal Court Theatre in London on 22 April 1953.
Described as "an intimate revue", the show was devised and directed by Laurier Lister. Cast members included Max Adrian, Madel ...
''.
* The Lord Chamberlain's Regulations Part of the collection 'Programme Notes'. Three settings to the
Lord Chamberlain's requirements, later used by F & S as encores for their 'Hat' shows.
* Miss Fraser's Dresses Part of the collection 'Programme Notes'. Credits detailing Moyra Fraser's wardrobe.
* Bi-Party Line Refers to the lack of choice between the Labour and Conservative parties.
* Rain on the Plage Written to go with a very expensive backdrop depicting the South of France. Later recorded for 'And Then We Wrote...'.
* Interim Report A re-worked version of 'The Wom Pom' to reference nuclear power.
* Capital Charge
* The Album A 'charm' number. The music and words were written by Michael Flanders and was sung by Pat Lancaster.
* Rockall A topical song referring to Britain's claim to the uninhabited isle of
Rockall
Rockall () is a high, uninhabitable granite islet in the North Atlantic Ocean. It is west of Soay, St Kilda, Scotland; northwest of Tory Island, Ireland; and south of Iceland.
The nearest permanently inhabited place is North Uist, east in ...
in 1955.
Bottom Five
Five numbers allegedly from the bottom five of the Hit Parade, mocking the popular songs of the day. Two of the songs, 'You' and 'The 100 Song' made it into 'At the Drop of a Hat', though the former was censored and the latter cut from the recordings due to space on the discs, though it was later released in the 'Exitary' section of the 'Bestiary of Flanders and Swann'. 'Jaguar' was re-written in animal version and released on the 'Bestiary'.
* You (Satellite Moon) Sung by Bernard Hunter
* Anyone Will Do Sung by Moyra Fraser
* Death Wish Sung by Max Adrian. J. R. R. Tolkien's favourite Flanders and Swann song.
[Flanders & Swann: A Guide to the Songs]
* Jaguar (car version) Originally about the model of car. Sung by Julian Orchard and Patricia Lancaster.
* The 100 Song Sung by Rose Hill.
References
{{reflist
Revues
1955 musicals