Based on Oliver Goldsmith’s play She Stoops to Conquer, The Kissing-Dance is a tale of match-making, mischief and misunderstanding, dished out with a good helping of disguise and deceit…
Book and lyrics by Charles Hart; music by Howard Goodall
Commissioned and first performed by the National Youth Music Theatre 1999
The sage shall play the knave tonight, The maid shall misbehave tonight
And all the world, it’s said, Will turn upon its head …..
It is All Fools’ Eve, a night when in the realms of love, the world can be turned upside-down and the lord of Misrule can take control. In the great hall at Nonesuch, home to the Hardcastle family (old campaigner Mr Dick Hardcastle, his formidable wife, Dorothy, their pretty and sharp-witted daughter Kate, her equally clever cousin, Constance Neville and the mischievous Tony Lumpkin, Dorothy’s son by her first marriage), the servants are preparing to receive two important guests: an old friend of Mr Hardcastle’s from his military days, Sir James Marlow, and travelling separately, his eligible son Charles. Both fathers are hoping that Charles will offer his hand in marriage to Kate and unite the two families forever. But unbeknown to them, Charles suffers from the mysterious affliction of “the Englishman’s Malady”. While gallivanting amongst working-class girls “who wait at tables”, he is a notorious womaniser, but when confronted with girls “of his own station”, he is plagued by an unaccountable reserve and modesty which turn him into a tongue-tied idiot. Charles has a problem: he is on his way to meet his intended, Miss Kate Hardcastle, but knows that the presence of polite female company will render him painfully shy and speechless. He is nonetheless riding to Nonesuch with his great friend George Hastings (who also happens to be courting Kate’s cousin Constance) and all goes well until they lose their way and stop at the “Fur and Feathers” to ask for directions…..
The Kissing-Dance - another of Howard’s collaborations with Charles Hart (lyricist) - was completed in 1998. The musical was premiered by the National Youth Music Theatre at the Brighton Festival that year, and went on to play in Kendal and at the Edinburgh Festival. Its London debut was at the Lyric, Hammersmith, in February 1999. Over the Christmas & New Year period of 1999/2000 The Kissing-Dance was the first full-length production to grace the stage of the new Linbury Studio Theatre at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
A Kissing-Dance Miscellany
Compil’d by Mr Charles Hart, Artium Baccalaureus
"It is a sad reflection, but a true one, that I knew almost as much at eighteen as I do now" (1763 - Samuel Johnson - who was 54)
"Marriage has many pains, but celibacy has no pleasures." (1759)
"Remember that all tricks are either knavish or childish." (1779) Boswell, The Life of Samuel Johnson, 1791
'The Bill of Fare': "We had for dinner a Calf’s Head, boiled Fowl & Tongue, a Saddle of Mutton rosted on the Side Table, and a fine Swan rosted with Currant Jelly Sauce for the first Course. The Second Course a couple of Wild Fowl called Dun Fowls, Larks, Blanmange, Tarts, etc, etc and a good Desert of Fruit after amongst which was a Damson Cheese. I never eat a bit of Swan before, and I think it good eating with sweet sauce."
James Woodforde, The Diary of a Country Parson, 1780
An Apology … ….the opera will not be one of the shortest to have appeared on our stage…. We hope sufficient excuse will be found in …the multiplicity of the musical numbers that had to be made in order not to leave the actors too long unemployed …
Lorenzo da Ponte, 1786
The Squire "… Well - now all’s ended - and my comrades gone, Pray what becomes of “mother’s nonly son”? A hopeful blade! - in town I’ll fix my station, And try to make a bluster in the nation. As for my cousin Neville, I renounce her, Off - in a crack - I’ll carry big Bet Bouncer."
Joseph Craddock, Epilogue to She Stoops to Conquer, 1773 (“to be spoken in the character of Tony Lumpkin”)
The Final Word "…. The stage but echos back the public voice. The drama’s laws the drama’s patrons give, For we that live to please, must please to live."
Samuel Johnson, 1747
Project Gutenberg online text of Oliver Goldsmith's She Stoops to Conquer
What the critics said...
"The National Youth Music Theatre’s exuberant adaptation of She Stoops to Conquer has wowed Covent Garden over Christmas." The Times
"The show works well for a number of reasons. One is that She Stoops… has a quirky Englishness that perfectly suits Howard Goodall’s composing talent. While his contemporaries pitch for the mid-Atlantic market, Goodall melodically evokes the English choral tradition… The whole show has a freshness and vitality that reminds you of the long-gone days when musicals were fun rather than an assault course on the senses." The Guardian
THE SPECTATOR 8 JANUARY 2000 Sheridan Morley:
Young Talent
Just as we were yet again about to write off the British stage musical along with the century in which it was born, three impressive new ones come along in the closing weeks of the millennium: Spend, Spend, Spend and Honk, the Ugly Duckling are (as I have recently noted here) both good news, but the best turned up at the gorgeous new Linbury Studio in the basement of the new Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, only in the very last days of 1999. The Kissing-Dance is a musical of She Stoops to Conquer, Oliver Goldsmith’s 1773 romp about would-be sophisticated city folk mistaking the country house of a wealthy patron for the local inn. The conversion is not exactly original (30 or more years ago Ned Sherrin and Caryl Brahms put together a wild-western rewrite of it called Liberty Ranch), but this time the writers have remained true to the original period and style and come up with a sparkling little classic. This is not altogether surprising since the composer is Howard Goodall of The Hired Man, and the lyricist is Charles Hart, who wrote the words for the best of all the Lloyd Webber musicals, Aspects of Love.
What is perhaps more surprising is the standard of singing, acting and dancing achieved by the founding director of the National Youth Music Theatre, Jeremy James Taylor, and his choreographer, Wendy Cook, at a time when they are in urgent need of a new sponsor, this production could not be a better advertisement for the talents of their company, and though the score (like the plot) takes a little time to come into its own, the second half is one which can stand comparison with the very best of all post-war British musicals. Covent Garden could not have found a better musical with which to open its immensely practical and hugely welcome new studio space and, if the cast were not all due back at their various colleges in a week or two, The Kissing-Dance could have survived well into the new year; I hope we shall get it back when they next find the time out of school.
WESTMORLAND GAZETTE, KENDAL 14TH AUGUST 1998:
What an absolute corker!
As I came away from the National Youth Music Theatre’s performance of The Kissing Dance at Kendal’s Brewery Arts Centre, I wondered: ‘How on earth can I find the words to do justice to this stunning production?’ The answer is, I probably can’t. The best I can do is to say that if you were there, you will know what I mean. If you weren’t, why weren’t you? You missed an absolute corker. For three hours I sat watching the future stars of British musical theatre sing, dance and perform their hearts out in a wonderful, nostalgic, naughty and vibrant new musical adaptation of She Stoops to Conquer. This show honoured the courtly love flavour of Oliver Goldsmith’s classic comedy, but tinged it with moments of 20th century sophistication where the youthful cast gave knowing winks to the audience. The shows authors are librettist Charles Hart, who penned the lyrics for Phantom of the Opera and Aspects of Love and composer Howard Goodall, the tuneful brains behind Blackadder, Mr Bean, The Vicar of Dibley and The Hired Man. And their pedigree shows.
Goodall’s infectious tunes which included light opera and modern musical theatre numbers - were complemented by dazzling word play from Hart. I’ve been saving the best for last - the youthful cast. It was staggering to think these performers are still in their teens. Their sheer exuberance was delightful and prompted the sell-out audience to continue clapping long after they had left the stage. I’m convinced I saw future West End stars last week at The Brewery. Sheridan Smith the multi-talented 17 year-old who played Mrs Hardcastle had the audience eating out of her hand, and won deserved applause after nearly every scene she appeared in thanks to her wonderful talent for comedy. Also excellent were Ian Virgo as Tony Lumpkin, Akiya Henry as Constance Neville, Neil Clench the 19 year-old who made a convincing middle-aged Dick Hardcastle and Alexander Hassell who played the romantic lead, Charles Marlow.
In the programme, Andrew Lloyd Webber says the NYMT is the best youth music theatre in the world. This production - which has now gone on to the Edinburgh Festival - is the best advert for that accolade there could be.
THE SCOTSMAN 12TH AUGUST 1998 Tom Service:
Youth troupe conquers in pedigree production
Any musical with book and lyrics by Charles Hart (Phantom of the Opera, Watching) and music by Howard Goodall (Blackadder, Red Dwarf), has a reputation and pedigree even before it has gone on stage. Their combined experience is used to vivacious effect in National Youth Music Theatre’s production of The Kissing Dance. It is a tribute to the young actors’ professionalism that the show as a whole is pacy and fluid and they all deserve glowing plaudits for their unflagging commitment. The plot is an affair of love and mistaken identity, based on Goldsmith’s play She Stoops to Conquer, and it is perhaps too thin to be spread over two-and-a-half hours. But the direction and acting is constantly alive to the potential for parody in the script and music, in moments of operatic pilfering from The Magic Flute and tongue-in-cheek sentimentality.
The individual performances need no special allowances because of the actors’ youth. Even so, Sheridan Smith, in a gift of a part - the Hyacinth Bucket-meets-Royal figure that is Mrs Hardcastle - shines out, relishing every opportunity to ham up and generally be the centre of attention. But the freshness and energy that the whole cast brings to the show make The Kissing-Dance a frolicking success. "Just as one was ready, yet again, to write off the British stage musical, three impressive new ones came along in the closing weeks of the old year… but the best turned up at the gorgeous new Linbury Studio in the very last days of 1999… Covent Garden could not have found a better musical with which to open their immensely practical new studio space..." International Herald Tribune
"Just as Goldsmith’s play introduced parodies of contemporary writing, so Goodall’s music can knowingly echo other composers, tipping his hat to Sondheim in the opening number… This is a delightful evening of music theatre and a credit to its creators, young and old." The Times
Songs: The Kissing-Dance, All in a Garden Green, The Decent Thing, Moonraking, All Fools' Eve, Miss Hardcastle's Wedding, Two Gentlemen of London, The Catch Club, Nonesuch, Liberty Hall, Courting the Lady, The Poacher's Stick, Beating the Knave.
Characters: Mrs Hardcastle, Tony Lumpkin, Sir James Marlow, Charles Marlow, George Hastings, Kate Hardcastle, Constance Neville, Mr Hardcastle, Diggory, Stingo, Thomas of Brundish, Roger, Pimple, Pansy, Perkin, Bridget, Mrs Bouncer, Bet Bouncer.
The action takes place in and around Nonesuch, an old country house deep in the English countryside, in the late 1700s.
Original Cast: Akiya Henry, Sheridan Smith, Neil Clench, Gina Beck, Emma Trow, Sophie Smith, Paul Street, Ian Virgo, Spencer Noll, Stacey Kitson, Emma Jacobs, Helen Crossley, Alexander Hassell, Michael Jibson, Simon Thomas, Neil McDermott, Declan Bennett, Gary Tushaw, Kristofer Smith, Jess Brooks, James Hoare; Designed by Peter Rice, Choreographed by Wendy Cook, directed by Jeremy James Taylor & Russell Labey, musical director Alex L'Estrange (assistant MD Philip Cornwell).