Photo Flash: First Look at RUMPY PUMPY

British musical "Rumpy Pumpy!" is the remarkable true story of two genteel ladies from the Hampshire Women's Institute who campaign for better conditions for Working Girls

Joining the previously announced Linda Nolan (The Nolans, Mrs Johnstone in Blood Brothers) and Louise Jameson (EastEnders, Doc Martin, The Mousetrap, 60th Anniversary UK tour) are Craig Armstrong, Basienka Blake, Liberty Buckland, Claudia Cadette, James Charlton, Tricia Deighton, Sally Frith, Alex Roots, Scarlet Wilderink.

Rumpy! Pumpy! is based on a true story, with book, music and lyrics by Barbara Jane Mackie.

Rumpy Pumpy!, directed by Simon Greiff (Associate Director on The Rocky Horror Show Live), will play London's Union Theatre from Monday 14 - Saturday 19 November.

The London press night is Tuesday 15 November at 7.30pm.

This week it is previewing at Windsor's Theatre Royal, from Tuesday 1 to Saturday 5 November.

When Jean Johnson and Shirley Landels, two brave ladies from the Hampshire Women's Institute, decide to campaign for the decriminalisation of prostitution and to improve conditions for working girls everywhere, brothel madame, Holly Spencer, gets in touch. She has the perfect brothel these ladies could be looking for! Holly quips: 'You ladies make the tea and we'll bring the crumpets!' As the two con icting worlds collide, comedy and chaos ensue in this very British comedy musical.

Carnaby International are developing the lm of Rumpy Pumpy!.

Travelling to Amsterdam and to the Bunny Farm Brothel in Nevada, Jean and Shirley are universally unimpressed by working conditions. When they nally nd the 'perfect brothel' in New Zealand, stripped of pimps, crime or Madames, they decide to head home and set up their own mobile brothel on the streets of Winchester to change people's hearts and minds.

Writer and composer Barbara Jane Mackie was inspired by the story of their heroic campaign, one which took them around the world and which Jean Johnson is still ghting for to this day.

Mackie says: "I spent time with several brothel Madames, meeting their working girls and hearing their stories. I realised that the story of these girls would intertwine powerfully with the story of the two WI ladies, as all of these women wanted the same thing: the decriminalisation of prostitution. Rumpy Pumpy! is my way of wrapping up a complex subject and creating something fun and frothy with a gritty edge."

Director: Simon Greiff
Musical Director: Paul Smith Musical Arranger: Steve Parker Casting: Benjamin Newsome

A Tea & Crumpets Production:
Producer: Barbara Jane Mackie.
Executive Producers: Terry Loveday, Michael Loveday and Tony Steyger.

Barbara Jane Mackie

Rumpy Pumpy! is Barbara's rst musical. Barbara's screenplay, Cowboy Girls, a Western set in the 1880's, gained support from Anthony Minghella and her rst screen- play Mimi brought her to the attention of Working Title Films. Producing many documentaries for the BBC and Channel

4, Barbara, as Script Editor at BBC Birmingham Drama, developed the lm Bad Company, the medical police drama series Danger eld andDalziel & Pascoe the much-loved detective series. She produced the lm Seed for BBC 2. She began her career in the Fringe Theatre working with comedians Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson. Barbara is currently creating her second musical, Cowboy Girls, which will open 2017 at an Off West End Theatre. She is also writing the lm, Roaring Girl, about the cancer campaigner Jayne Sullivan.

Barbara's novel Eat the View is out on Amazon.

www.barbarajanemackie.co.uk www.rumpypumpythemusical.co.uk

Photo Credit: Scott Rylande

To post a comment, you must register and login.