Bad Girls: The Musical
 | This article may require copy editing for contractions, "you", tone, linking, length. (November 2021) |
| Bad Girls | |
|---|---|
| The Musical | |
 Bad Girls Original Poster | |
| Music | Kath Gotts |
| Lyrics | Kath Gotts |
| Book | Maureen Chadwick Ann McManus |
| Basis | ITV1 television series Bad Girls |
| Productions | 2006 Leeds 2007 West End |
Bad Girls: The Musical is a musical based on a book written by Maureen Chadwick and Ann McManus with music and lyrics by Kath Gotts.[1] It is based on the popular ITV1 prison drama series Bad Girls, also based on the book by Chadwick and McManus.[1]
Productions
The original production was developed and directed by Maggie Norris. Auditions were at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds in June 2006. The West End production began previews at the Garrick Theatre on the August 16, 2007, and it officially opened on September 12, 2007. However, it closed two months later with the final performance staged on November 17, 2007. The rights to produce the musical are now available through Josef Weinberger Ltd. An Original Cast Recording CD of the musical is available and a DVD recording of the London production was released in February 2009. It is also available to view on demand through Vimeo.com. Nicole Faraday, who played the role of Shell Dockley in both productions, won the prestigious TMA Award for Best Supporting Role in a Musical in 2006. She was a nominee again for the role of Shell, at the Whatsonstage.com Awards 2007/8.
Professional revivals have been staged at The Union Theatre, London (March 9 – April 2 2016) and Upstairs At The Gatehouse, London (February 13 – March 3, 2019), then later again, starring Nicole Faraday in the role of Shell Dockley. In addition, there have been 200 amateur productions in the UK and worldwide, licensed through Music Theatre International.
Synopsis
- Act 1
New inmate Rachel Hicks arrives in prison terrified. The brusque manner of jaded Senior Officer, Sylvia "BodyBag" Hollamby does not help. The new Wing Governor, Helen Stewart, tries to be a more reassuring presence as she takes Rachel through to G-Wing. We meet the women of Larkhall in "I SHOULDN'T BE HERE" and Rachel is introduced to life inside the prison. Principal Officer Jim Fenner – who believes he's been unfairly passed over for the position of Wing Governor – is dismayed to see Helen making yet another appearance in the wing. He and Sylvia both wish she would stay in her office and stop meddling with how they run things in the prison.
Fenner is quick to take Rachel under his wing. He obtained a cell for her – nice and private. Rachel is upset about having her baby taken away, but Fenner reassures her that he could help sort things out for her on the outside. He can see Rachel is special and decides to keep a close eye on her.
Shell Dockley and her sidekick Denny Blood are quick to pay a friendly visit to Rachel as well. Shell wants to give Rachel the lowdown on how things work in prison. And if she's not carrying any drugs, then obviously she'll be buying, won't she? Shell is in charge – and wherever Rachel goes she'll always be watching over her like a "GUARDIAN ANGEL".
Rachel rushes to tell Fenner about Shell bullying her, but he ticks her off for blabbing about their “special relationship”. Helen observes Fenner talking to Rachel and is suspicious. She tells Fenner and Sylvia that she wants to put lifer, Nikki Wade, on to the Enhanced regime as encouragement to win her appeal, which has just been granted. Fenner and Sylvia think it's outrageous to be giving privileges to a known troublemaker like Wade. Fenner even suggests that Helen may be too personally involved. Helen puts her foot down. It's time to stop living in the past and carry out her orders.
Fenner looks on the bright side. If Helen insists on sticking her neck out for Nikki, then it won't take much to really land her in it. If Wade kicks off, which won't be hard for them to arrange, then Helen will be in a right mess. They congratulate themselves on their Prison Officer skills in "JAILCRAFT", during which we see Fenner in the male staff toilets tipping off the Number One Governing Governor about Helen's lack of discernment and inexperience dealing with the inmates.
Nikki is told to pack up her bags as she is moving cells. Shell - who's been set up by Sylvia to overhear this - is outraged that Nikki is getting special treatment. As predicted, she can't resist starting a fight with Nikki. When the officers come to intervene, Nikki gets the blame. Fenner sends her down to the segregation block. Nikki is used to feeling that she has been treated unjustly. She remembers what brought her to prison in the first place – the night when she stabbed an off-duty police officer who was trying to rape her then girlfriend, and her whole life was changed in "ONE MOMENT".
Helen is determined not to be thwarted and goes to speak to Nikki in the segregation block. She tells her that she is overruling Fenner and putting her on the Enhanced regim. She wants Nikki to fight for her freedom, not just for herself but for all the other women. Nikki is taken aback by Helen's faith in her, but goes along with it.
Helen has some bad news for the two Julies – prostitutes who've styled themselves alike and taken the same name. There's a problem with the arrangements Julie Saunders has made for her son David over the school holidays, and he had to be taken into foster care. Julie is devastated. Julie Johnston is unsurprised - life is always going wrong for them and nothing ever changes when you're living a "LIFE OF GRIME".
Back on the wing, there's a new arrival - Yvonne Atkins - and Shell's Top Dog position is under threat. Denny tries her usual routine of fronting up to the "new girl", but is quickly cut down to size. Yvonne – because of her gangland husband's scary reputation – has managed to avoid the indignities of a proper search. After intimidating Sylvia, she reveals a coat lining stuffed with booze and cigarettes. Everyone's invited to have a drink and a good time. She spots Rachel looking lost on her own, and tells her that everyone is invited to join the party, which is strictly "A LIST".
After the party, everyone is a bit giddy – even Nikki. When Helen comes to see how she is settling into her new enhanced cell, Nikki risks flirting with her and telling her how gorgeous she is. Helen is flustered and quickly leaves. When Justin asks her to go for a drink, she is grateful for the diversion. Fenner and Sylvia look on with amusement, confident that she won't be lasting much longer in the job.
Sylvia leaves Fenner to hand over to the night shift and Fenner starts his nightly prowl of the landings, helping himself to what he thinks of as the perks of the job when you have "THE KEY". He lets himself into Shell's cell. Meanwhile, Helen and Justin are relaxing off duty, Helen was confident that with Nikki going for her appeal, Fenner will finally be shown who's the boss. After his usual quickie with Shell, Jim pays a visit to Rachel. She is scared but grateful to see him. He reassures her that she'll be safe now he's here. But Rachel didn't realise that this was how she was going to have to thank him. Fenner forces his way into her cell.
The next morning at unlock there is no sign of Rachel. She appears to have barricaded herself into her cell. When there's no answer, Fenner and Justin have to break down the door. They discover that Rachel has hanged herself. Everyone is shocked. Fenner manages to ensure that he alone goes into the cell to cut the body down and check for a suicide note. There is growing anger amongst the other women, especially when they hear the callous way in which Syliva refers to the incident on her walkie-talkie. They erupt into protest in "THAT’S THE WAY IT IS". Helen arrives on the wing and tries to take control of the situation by appealing to speak to Nikki on behalf of the women, but the request backfires, with Helen and Nikki forced to their opposite sides of the bars. Tempers are rising and Fenner deliberately stokes the situation. By the time the Governing Governor arrives on the scene, the situation tips into an all-out riot.
- Act 2
The women have been on lock own for several days following the riot. Alone in her cell Crystal Gordon listens to the women's shouts of protests, voicing her grief the way she knows best, in a gospel song – "FREEDOM ROAD".
In the POs' office, Sylvia is anxiously waiting to hear the latest news from Fenner. Justin is appalled by both of them and continues to stand up for Helen. Fenner enters - smug and self-satisfied. The Number One has as good as told him that the Wing Governor job is his – just as soon as Stewart can be sent packing. He imagines how life is going to be once he is in charge and "THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT" again, with his chorus line of fantasy glamour prison officers celebrating the new regime.
Back to reality and the Number One informs Helen that after a suicide and a riot her only option is to resign, but Helen is determined not to go quietly. She plans to take her case to tribunal and do anything she can to stop Fenner getting her job.
The women are finally let out for meal time on the wing. Accusations are flying, but Fenner silences them all. From now on, it's back to basics. The Julies make a stand and announce they are going on strike until Fenner is sacked. Unperturbed, Fenner gives their servery jobs to Shell and Denny and cancels the Julies' visiting rights. Shell and Denny are delighted with their new power. The women wait to take their lead from Yvonne, who announces she'd rather be dead than fed by Shell. They all go on hunger strike. Justin is dismayed and asks Nikki to try to stop this, but she's not interested in helping.
Helen has arranged for Julie S to have the contact number of her son's foster home, so that she can call him. She doesn't know what to say – he thinks his mum is a top international travel agent! Julie J insists that lying is best – just tell him she's abroad. But when Julie S speaks to her son David, she finds that he already knows the truth. She tries to explain things to him in "SORRY".
Fenner meets up with the Number One in the male staff toilets. There's a bad news - Helen is refusing to fall on her sword. The Number One is clear that a head needs to roll and whatever happens it is not going to be his. So if Fenner wanted to save his neck, other influences will have to be brought to bear. Fenner curses his luck as Sylvia bursts in, eager for good news. But it's going to take one more mistake to clinch Helen's downfall – such as a load of Class-A drugs turning up on the wing...?
Nikki is called to see Helen in her office. Both women are in a confrontational mood. Nikki assumes that Helen is settling for a comfortable desk job elsewhere. Helen is still angry at Nikki for starting a riot. But when Helen breaks down, Nikki reminds her that they're on the same side against Fenner and moves to comfort her. Justin bursts in and there's an awkward stand-off between the three. When he reveals that he is visiting Helen's flat later on to help work on her tribunal case, Nikki sarcastically suggests that she'll come too. When Helen is at home and Nikki back in her cell they both struggle with their feelings for each other - "EVERY NIGHT".
Justin arrives at Helen's flat to find her in a despondent mood. He tries to rally her by telling her how much he looks up to her. When he moves in for a kiss, Helen is aghast. He realises that he has overstepped the mark but she reassures him that the problem lies with her, not with him. When he pushes for an explanation she confesses that it is Nikki who has got under her skin.
Next morning the hunger strike is taking its toll. Yvonne decides to work on the weakest link and try to win Denny over to their side. She reaches out as a mother to a daughter – and though Denny resists, it's clear there's a chink in her armour beginning to show. But hunger isn't the only deprivation they're suffering. As Yvonne watches the handsome young hunk Justin, she confesses to the Julies that he is all she can think of most nights. Here they are in prison "ALL BANGED UP" without the bang!
Justin takes Nikki to one side. He hints at Helen's feelings for her and says that if she wants to find out for sure, then they have to try to save her job. Fenner and Sylvia will be trying every trick in the book to get rid of Helen now. Sure enough Sylvia enters and announces there has been a tip-off, that a large stash of drugs is hidden on the wing. She heads straight for the servery where Shell and Denny are working and pulls out the sugar jar, which is full of cocaine. Shell is the obvious culprit and Sylvia tells Justin to send her down the block, while Sylvia reports to Fenner. Shell protests that she has been set up. Nikki agrees, but it's Fenner who's done the dirty on her. Justin declares that he's not taking his orders from Bodybag and all the women are amazed. It's obvious to everyone else that Fenner is behind this and it's time for Shell to realise this. If Fenner is out to get her, then she needs to get him first. Shell is persuaded to join their plan to bring him down and be their secret weapon – "THE BADDEST AND THE BEST". Yvonne calls Charlie and requests a state of the art wireless minicam – he immediately obliges and sends one over the wall.
Shell waits for Fenner down the block, with the hidden camera trained on the bed and linked through to the main security system. Justin tells her that he'll be flicking the switch to override in time to catch Fenner inflagrante as the Number One looks on. Shell's stoked up and ready for action. But when Fenner appears indifferent to her she realises that she's got to work fast to seduce him into her honey trap, and uses country and western "FIRST LADY" to do the trick. Finally, with Jim down to his underpants, handcuffed to the bed and with Shell astride him, the camera reveals all to the Number One. Alarms are sounded, police are called and suddenly the electrics cut out. Shell can't resist taking the plan one step further than was intended, and sets fire to the cell, leaving Jim begging for mercy. Once again, she asserts that if you're going to be bad, you might as well be "THE BADDEST AND THE BEST" (REPRISE).
Next day, the Number One announces that Fenner will be brought to justice, once he's out of the hospital. He hands over to Helen and the women are delighted. But they've got another reason to celebrate today as well. It's Denny's 21st birthday and Yvonne has arranged for a fireworks display. The women are given permission to go outside and watch for a few minutes. Helen calls Nikki back. She's sure that Nikki's appeal will be successful now Fenner is not around to sabotage it. At last, Helen is able to show her true feelings for Nikki and they share a kiss. But Helen holds back – she'll wait for Nikki when she's free, which won't be long now. Finally Nikki can see a future and affirms that "THIS IS MY LIFE".
Out in the prison yard all the women are sharing the joy of the fireworks and daring to be hopeful about their own lives as well. They're not giving up on their hopes and dreams. Suddenly they are overwhelmed by the sound of a helicopter above them. It seems that Yvonne's fireworks were more than just a birthday gift. A ladder descends as Yvonne announces that her cab has arrived. She climbs on and offers a ride to Denny. She's off to do her time in Spain and taking Denny with her. Denny is finally going "home".
Characters
The characters in the musical are the same as those in Series 1 of the television show, including Helen Stewart, Nikki Wade, Shell Dockley, Denny Blood, Crystal Gordon, the two Julies and Yvonne Atkins. The musical's characters also include Noreen Biggs, who did not appear in the TV series until Series 4 and Justin Mattison, who was created for the musical. Justin is effectively the musical's version of Dominic McAllister, who appeared in Series 1 and Series 2, having much in common with this character: he is a young prison officer who is shown to care about the women's welfare; he questions Jim Fenner's methods; the two Julies and Yvonne Atkins are attracted to him and flirt with him; he has a crush on Helen Stewart; and he indicates to Nikki Wade that Helen is interested in her.
Cast
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Four former cast members of Bad Girls feature in the West End musical, with Helen Fraser as Sylvia "Bodybag" Hollamby and Maria Charles as Noreen Biggs reprising their original roles from the television series. Nicole Faraday, who plays Shell Dockley in the musical, played Snowball Merriman in Series 4 and 5 of Bad Girls and Laura Rogers, who plays the part of Wing Governor Helen Stewart played the role of drug addict inmate, Sheena Williams in Series 7.
Song list
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This is the final song list for the production at the Garrick Theatre which differs slightly to the audition at the West Yorkshire Playhouse. For example, the song P-P-P-Please that featured in the Leeds run was cut from the West End Production. The second number, An Angel Like You, in Leeds, was rewritten as Guardian Angel for the West End.
A cast album from the West End was recorded for First Night Records and released in 2008.[2]
DVD release
Bad Girls: The Musical was released on Region 4 DVD in Australia on January 12, 2009. It was later released in the United Kingdom on Region 2 DVD on February 9, 2009. The DVD is now available to view on demand through Vimeo.com.
| Bad Girls: The Musical | ||||
| Set Details | Special Features | |||
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| Release Dates | ||||
| United Kingdom | Australia | United States | ||
| February 9, 2009 | January 12, 2009 | |||
See also
Notes
- ^ a b "REVIEW: Bad Girls, Union Theatre ✭✭✭✭". British Theatre. 2016-03-13. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
- ^ "First Night Records Online Store".