New British Musical KISSES ON A POSTCARD Will Feature a Cast of Over 50, Including John Owen Jones and Katy Secombe
This epic 4-hour production was recorded posthumously at Abbey Road Studios with a 15-piece orchestra and a cast of over 50.
By: Stephi Wild Jun. 07, 2022
'Kisses on a Postcard' is a thrilling World War Two musical, an intensely moving portrait of an extraordinary episode in British history, packed with memorable songs, danger and humour.
'Kisses on a Postcard' was written by the late Terence Frisby, author of 'There's A Girl In My Soup', in its day, the longest-running comedy in the history of the West End.
This epic 4-hour production was recorded posthumously at Abbey Road Studios with a 15-piece orchestra and a cast of over 50, led by West End musical theatre stars John Owen Jones ('Les Miserables' & 'Phantom of the Opera') and Katy Secombe ('Les Miserables'), double Olivier award winner Marcia Warren ('The Crown)', Rosie Cavaliero ('Wurzel Gummidge'), Evelyn Hoskins ('Waitress') and including Lance Ellington, one of the amazing vocalists from 'Strictly Come Dancing', and soloist Simon Thomas ('Phantom of the Opera').
Set in 1940, it follows the incredible adventures of two London evacuees, Terry, aged 7, and Jack, 11, as they are sent away alone from their family to safety in remote Cornwall.
Fleeing the Blitz bombing of London, the city boys have to adjust to life in the countryside at the home of a Welsh couple, Auntie Rose & Uncle Jack, and their son, Gwyn. 'Kisses on a Postcard' is the hearttwarming story of how a tiny village, with its conflicts, kindness, pettiness, generosity and gossip, was turned on its head, first by the arrival of so many city children, then by a whole regiment of black American GIs.
Sending them away for their own safety, the young vackies' anxious Mum gives them a secret code to let her know how they are coping - by adding 'Kisses on a Postcard'; one kiss if their new home is terrible and they need rescuing; two kisses if it's OK; and three kisses if it's nice.
Dominic Frisby said: "This is an intensely moving musical about an extraordinary time in British history. Those who were evacuated in 1940 will be in their late 80s and 90s now, if they are still with us at all. In many ways 'Kisses on a Postcard' is a farewell to that generation. But I played it to some friends in the car last month, and during the evacuation scenes they all said, "that's exactly what's happening now in Ukraine." The story remains so pertinent. Dad said he used to get letters from people in Germany who had been evacuated to escape Allied bombs. If you are anything like me, this story will disarm you in the most unexpected ways. I hope you will find yourself laughing and weeping, as I did, at just what wonderful things the kindest of human beings can be."
The cast is led by:
Award-winning West End and Broadway star John Owen Jones (plays Uncle Jack). He was the youngest actor in history to have played Jean Valjean in 'Les Miserables' in the West End- and he starred twice in the role on Broadway. He played the title role in Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Phantom of the Opera' for three and a half years and nearly 1,400 performances, making him the longest -running London
Phantom.
Katy Secombe (Auntie Rose) first played Madame Thénardier in 'Les Miserables' in 2012 opposite Matt Lucas, reprised the role in 2015 as part of the 30th anniversary cast, and continued to star at the Queen's Theatre until 2018. Her other stage roles include 'The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe' and 'Hay Fever' at the Rose Theatre Kingston, 'The Lyons' at the Menier Chocolate Factory, 'Guys and Dolls', 'Twelfth Night', 'A Winter's Tale 'and 'Mother Clapp's Molly House' all at The National Theatre, 'Chicago' on Tour, and 'Pickwick' and 'The Music Man' for Chichester Festival Theatre.
Rosie Cavaliero (Mum) is Mrs. Braithwaite in TV's 'Wurzel Gummidge' and played Amy in 'Cold Feet. In the West End she appeared in 'Abigail's Party', 'The Anniversary' and 'In Flame'.
Two-time Olivier Award winner Marcia Warren (Granny Peters) plays Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in Netflix's 'The Crown'. She won Olivier Awards as Best Actress in a Supporting Role for 'Stepping Out' in the West End and 'Humble Boy' at The National Theatre. She was also nominated for 'In Flame' at the New Ambassadors Theatre.
Evelyn Hoskins (Elsie) played Dawn in 'Waitress' in the West End and starred in the title role of Carrie White in the musical 'Carrie' at Southwark Playhouse. She made her stage debut in he UK premiere of 'Spring Awakening'. She is best known as Shona Wark in the BBC1 drama 'Casualty'.
Ian Virgo (Gwyn) has appeared in the films 'Band of Brothers', 'Black Hawk Down' and 'Rise of the Footsoldier'. In 'EastEnders' he played Wayne Thompson.
James Clyde (Rev Buckroyd) is best known for his work in 'Anonymous', 'Croupier', 'Boudica' and the CBBC series 'Leonardo' as Piero de' Medici.
Peter Temple (Mr Yarnscombe) played Peter Sellers in the West End production of 'Ying Tong-A Walk With The Goons'.
Introducing Brandon McGuiness as Terry and Frankie Joel-Celoni as Jack.
Other cast members and singers include, in alphabetical order: Sherry Baines, Henrietta Bess, Louise Cookman, Lynsday Danvers, Rupert Degas, Ginny Fiol, Valerie Gogan, Paul Jones, Jonathan Kydd, Helen Langford, Trevor Lock, Aideen McQueen, Cathy Murphy, Matt Price, Danny Ward, Mary Woodvine.
Simon Thomas (Raoul in 'Phantom of the Opera' in the West End, Rapunzel's Prince in 'Into the Woods' at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre) sings the solo in 'Come All Ye Jolly Tinnerboys'.
American GIs: Lance Ellington, Cordell Mosteller, Micah Touchet and Dennis Caldwell.
The kids: Safin Sheikh, Alex Braglevicz, Harlyn Price-Lewis, Rudyard Braggist, Izabella Bucknell, Lola Byrne, Lola Frisby Williams, Ferdie Frisby Williams, Arthur Hastings, Molly Hedges, Poppy Jestico, Henry Littell, Edward Planche, Sofia Rega.
Creative team:
Written by Terence Frisby
Adapted, directed and produced by Dominic Frisby
Music by Martin Wheatley, Gordon Clyde and others
Lyrics by Dominic Frisby, Gordon Clyde and others
Arranged and conducted by Martin Wheatley, except for 'Got Any Gum, Chum?' and 'GI Bride', which were conducted by Lola Frisby Williams
Childrens' casting and co-direction by Jeremy James Taylor
'Kisses on a Postcard' is the autobiographical story of playwright Terence Frisby's childhood as an evacuee in WW2. His most famous play, 'There's a Girl in My Soup', opened in 1966 and ran for over 6 years to become the then longest-running comedy in the history of the West End. It was a worldwide hit including runs on Broadway and Paris (starring Gérard Depardieu). His script for the 1970 film, which starred Peter Sellers and Goldie Hawn, won the Writers' Guild of Great Britain Award for the Best British Comedy Screenplay. His sitcom 'Lucky Feller', starring David Jason as one of two working-class brothers living in a council flat in south-east London was one ITV's most successful sitcoms of the 1970s, and, another of his sitcoms, 'That's Love', would become one of ITV's most successful sitcoms of the 1980s. 'Kisses' is based on his award-winning BBC radio play 'Just Remember Two Things: It's Not Fair and Don't Be Late', which was broadcast 10 times.
'Kisses on a Postcard' - a 30-year journey
April 16, 1988: 1st BBC Radio broadcast of 'Just Remember Two Things: It's Not Fair And Don't Be Late,' a series of reminiscences about Terence Frisby's experiences as a vacky in WWII. It received the biggest audience response that anyone in the BBC Radio Drama Department could remember and is broadcast 10 times, creating a record. It wins the Giles Cooper Award for Best Radio Play and is mentioned critically in the same breath as 'Under Milk Wood' and 'Cider With Rosie'.
It was then optioned to be a film (including by among others director Ken Loach), but it gets stuck in development hell for 15 years, and the film is never made.
2003: A stage musical version is produced at the Queen's Theatre Barnstaple. Half the cast are
amateurs. At this point it is called:' Just Remember Two Things'. Music by Gordon Clyde. Directed by Jeremy James Taylor, OBE, of National Youth Music Theatre. A failed attempt is made to raise £3million needed to bring it to the West End.
2010: Bloomsbury publishes 'Kisses on a Postcard', the book version of the same story.
2012: There is another stage production in Barnstaple. The musical is now called 'Kisses on a Postcard'. Charles Spencer, #1 Theatre Critic of 'The Daily Telegraph' describes it as "outstanding", but West End producers don't come, despite his urging.
April 20, 2020: Terence Frisby dies.
2020-21: Dominic Frisby, his son, adapts the show for audio. He writes new songs together with Martin Wheatley, whose father was also evacuated from London to Cornwall.
June-July 2021: The show is recorded at Abbey Road Studios and elsewhere.
June 2022: 'Kisses on a Postcard' is released on all audio platforms.
Listen in full here: https://kissesonapostcard.
Part 1 is freely available as a podcast:
iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/
Android: https://kisses.substack.com/
Website, with everything you need to know: https://kissesonapostcard.com/
Comments
Videos