Cavalcade (musical)

Cavalcade
Music	Noel Coward Others
Lyrics	Noel Coward Others
Book	Noel Coward
Productions	1931 West End 1933 Film

Cavalcade is a musical spectacle written and composed by Noel Coward. It opened at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in the London West End on 13 October 1931, running for 405 performances. A film of it, with the same title, was produced in 1933. The TV series of the 1970s, Upstairs, Downstairs, was based on Cavalcade.

Production

The plot followed the experiences of British family living in London, and was set against the major events of the period 1900-1930. The popular songs of at the time of each event were interwoven into the score. The large stage of the Drury Lane Theatre with its hydraulics and moving components made it exciting to watch. Events highlighted included; The Relief of Mafeking; the death of Queen Victoria; the sinking of the Titanic; and World War I.

The Cast of 200 included

• Mary Clare
• Edward Sinclair
• John Mills
• Irene Brown
• Binnie Barnes
• Una O'Connor
• Arthur McCrae
• Moyra Nugent

Noel Cowards Music

• "Twentieth Century Blues"
• "Love of my Dreams"
• "The Mirabelle Waltz"

Other composers' songs used

• "Soldiers of the Queen"
• "Goodbye Dolly Grey"
• "If you were the only Girl in the World"
• "Take Me Back to Dear Old Blighty"
• "Keep the Home Fires Burning"

References

• Oxford Companion to Popular Music by Peter Gammond - ISBN 0-19-280004-3
• Guinness Who's Who of stage Musicals editor Colin Larkin - ISBN 0-85112-756-8