Mr. Cinders
| Company type | Musical theatre production |
|---|---|
| Industry | Theatre, Musical theatre |
| Founded | 1928 |
| Founder | Clifford Grey, Greatrex Newman, Vivian Ellis, Richard Myers |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | Musical theatre show |
Mr Cinders is a 1928 musical featuring compositions by Vivian Ellis and Richard Myers, with a libretto crafted by Clifford Grey and Greatrex Newman. This production offers a twist on the classic Cinderella narrative, presenting a confident female "Prince Charming" in a contemporary (1928) setting, while Mr Cinders takes on the role of the servant.
History
The debut of Mr Cinders took place under the management of Julian Wylie at the Opera House Theatre, Blackpool on 25 September 1928, running for two weeks. Following this, it toured key cities across the UK such as Liverpool, Manchester, and Glasgow until 26 January 1929. The London premiere occurred at the Adelphi Theatre through J. C. Williamson Ltd. on 11 February 1929, before transferring to the Hippodrome, London on 15 July 1929. The show concluded its run on 29 March 1930 after a total of 529 performances.
Roles and original cast
- Jim Lancaster – Bobby Howes
- Jill Kemp – Binnie Hale
- Lumley Lancaster – David Hutcheson / Jack Melford
- Minerva Kemp – Eileen Redcott / Reita Nugent
- Guy Lancaster – Basil Howes
- Phyllis Patterson – Betty Ann Davies / Lorna Hubbard
- Sir George Lancaster – Jack Heller / Sebastian Smith
- Lady Lancaster – Ruth Maitland
- Lucy Smith – Rene Mallory
- Henry Kemp – Charles Cautley
- Smith the Butler – Harry Pringle / Thorp Devereux
- P.C. Merks – A. G. Poulton / Paddy Dupres
- Donna Lucia D'Esmeralda – Edith Savile
- Hodgins – Phil Lester
Synopsis
Jim is the adopted son of Sir George and Lady Agatha Lancaster and serves as a menial at their estate, Merton Chase. Lady Agatha, characterized by her overbearing and elitist nature, aims to marry off her two effete sons to affluent women to recover their diminished wealth. Although Guy is in love with Phyllis Patterson, Lady Agatha disapproves due to Phyllis’s lack of fortune.
Jim remains hopeful, guided by his motto to Spread a Little Happiness. Jill, an American heiress living next door at The Towers with her wealthy father Henry Kemp and cousin Minerva, disguises herself as a servant to avoid arrest by a police officer accusing her of assault. Meanwhile, Minerva impersonates Jill, charming all the men at Merton Chase.
When Guy is mistakenly credited with rescuing Henry from drowning—a heroic act actually performed by Jim—everyone receives an invitation to a costume ball at The Towers; however, Jim is excluded. With Jill’s assistance, Jim infiltrates the ball disguised as the Earl of Ditcham. Lumley exposes Jim as a fraud; suspicion falls on Jim when Jill’s necklace is discovered in his possession. Jill helps him flee and captures Smith the butler—the real culprit—leaving him to be arrested.
Afterward, a hat left behind by the hero who caught the thief leads to Jim being awarded £1,000. He uncovers that "Sarah" is actually Jill, and they agree to marry. Lumley and Guy reveal their engagements to Minerva and Phyllis respectively, bringing the story to a joyful conclusion.
Musical numbers
Key musical pieces in the original 1929 production included:
- True to Two – Lumley
- I'm a One Man Girl – Jill, Jim
- On with the Dance – Minerva (Lumley's girlfriend)
- Spread a Little Happiness – Jill
- She's My Lovely – Kemp
- Ev'ry Little Moment – Minerva, Lumley
- I've Got You, You've Got Me – Jill, Jim
- The Swan – (instrumental)
Gänzl and Lamb also reference additional songs such as "The Seventeenth Century Rag," "Please, Mr Cinders," "On the Amazon," and "A Honeymoon for Four." Several numbers were cut during the pre-London tour including "Paradise Bound" and "Where's Jim?".
The 1983 revival included: 1. Tennis - Lady Lancaster, Guy, Lumley & Ensemble 2. Blue Blood - Lady Lancaster, Guy, Lumley & Ensemble 3. True To Two - Lumley, Enid, & Cynthia 4. I Want The World To Know - Guy & Phyllis 5. One-Man Girl - Jim & Jill 6. On With the Dance - Minerva, Lumley, Guy & Ensemble 7. Dying Swan - Instrumental 8. At The Ball - Jim, Guy, Lumley 9. Spread A Little Happiness - Jim 10. Spread A Little Happiness (Reprise) - Jill 11. The 18th Century Drag - Minerva 12. On The Amazon - Jim 13. 18th Century Drag (Reprise) - Jim, Sir George & Ensemble 14. Please, Mr. Cinders - Jill 15. She's My Lovely - Jim 16. Every Little Moment - Minerva & Lumley 17. I've Got You - Jim & Jill 18. Honeymoon For Four - Guy, Phyllis, Lumley & Minerva 19. Spread a Little Happiness (Finale) - Full Cast (minus Lady Lancaster)
Revivals
In July 1930, an Australian rendition premiered at Her Majesty's Theatre in Sydney. Subsequently, a German-language adaptation named Jim und Jill was presented at Vienna's Bürgertheater in February 1931.
The production saw a London revival in 1982 under the guidance of Ellis and Newman, debuting at the King's Head Theatre on 31 December before moving to the Fortune Theatre in April 1983. The cast featured Denis Lawson as Jim Lancaster; Julia Josephs (later replaced by Christina Matthews) portraying Jill; Diana Martin as Minerva; Graham Hoadly as Lumley; and Philip Bird (with Steven Pacey succeeding him) as Guy. A significant change in this revival was the reassignment of "Spread a Little Happiness" from Jill to Jim. Additionally, "She's My Lovely," originally from Ellis's Hide and Seek, was incorporated, and "Please, Mr Cinders" was newly composed for the West End transfer.
Two separate cast recordings were released: one from the King's Head production accompanied by two pianos (February 1983), and another from the Fortune Theatre version featuring full orchestral backing (July 1983), with the latter later issued on CD.
The American debut took place in April 1986 at the Forum Theatre in Metuchen, New Jersey. Further revivals included a 1988 staging at the Goodspeed Opera House and a Canadian production at the Shaw Festival in 1996.
Film version
The musical was adapted into a film in 1934 at British International Pictures' Elstree Studios. The cast included Clifford Mollison, Zelma O'Neal, Henry Mollison, and the Western Brothers.
Sources
External links
- Mr. Cinders at The Guide to Musical Theatre