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The Highwayman (musical)

The Highwayman is an Australian musical comedy with book, music and lyrics by Edmond Samuels. Set in Bendigo during the Gold Rush in the 1860s, the story concerns the love of an innkeeper's daughter for a highwayman.

The Highway Man
MusicEdmond Samuels
LyricsEdmond Samuels
BookEdmond Samuels
Productions1936 London
1950 Melbourne

At the Silver Swan

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Samuels wrote the play back in 1933.[1]

He travelled to England in 1935 to oversee a production of it in London.[2][3] The work was retited At the Silver Swan and debuted in Glasgow in 1936.[4][5]

The book and lyrics were rewritten in England by Guy Bolton and Clifford Gret.[6]

The musical was the first musical comedy with an Australian setting to debut in London.[7]

Smith's Weekly thought the music dated the show.[8] Other reviews were mixed.[9]

The musical was not considered a notable success.[10] However it did run for three months.[11][12]

"Its Australian theme was unrecognisable by the time producers had finished with it," said Samuels. "They said Aus-tralia wouldn't interest London theatregoers."[13]

Australian production

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Samuels tried to get the play produced in Australia and ended up financing it himself.[14]

The Highwayman premiered at the King's Theatre in Melbourne in November 1950.[15][16] The Age praised its "originality, snap and gusto."[17] The Bulletin said it was "all very bight and catchy."[18] ABC Weekly said "Samuels until a year or so ago was a very successful Sydney chemist but if he had mixed his drugs as recklessly as he mixes his periods in The Highwayman his customers would have been in a serious plight."[19] The show ran for over a hundred performances.[20]

It played a Sydney season at the Palace Theatre from March 1951. The Sydney Morning Herald said "in many ways the show is imitative and (a lesser fault) old-fashioned in style. It lacks the bold strokes of original invention and new discovery that distinguish great showmanship from ephemeral competence in show making."[21]

An album of songs from the musical was released in 1964.

Premise

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Mary Brown is an innkeeper's daughter at Eaglehaw. Mervyn Smith is a bushranger.

Jim Steel is a guards officer.

TV adaptation

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Songs featured in the 1965 TV special Lola and the Highwayman.[22][23]

Radio adaptation

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The musical was also adapted for radio in 1951[24] and 1954.[25] Reviewing the latter, the Daily Telegraph said "when Mr. S. uses words, either in dialogue or lyrics, I find the result extremel. depressing."[26]

In 1956 the ABC would broadcast Samuels' musical Song of the Snowy.[27]

References

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  1. ^ "The LIFE of SYDNEY". The Daily Telegraph. Vol. 3, no. 198. New South Wales, Australia. 4 October 1933. p. 17. Retrieved 20 August 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. ^ "CHEMIST-COMPOSER". The Mercury. Vol. CXLII, no. 20079. Tasmania, Australia. 2 March 1935. p. 9. Retrieved 8 March 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ^ "Sydney Composer's Operetta To Be Produced In London". The Herald. No. 18185. Victoria, Australia. 28 August 1935. p. 5. Retrieved 8 March 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ^ "MUSIC AND DRAMA". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 30608. New South Wales, Australia. 8 February 1936. p. 12. Retrieved 8 March 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ "MUSICAL PLAY". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 30592. New South Wales, Australia. 21 January 1936. p. 8. Retrieved 8 March 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ "SYDNEY MAN WINS WAY TO LONDON SPOTLIGHT". The Daily Telegraph. Vol. 5, no. 302. New South Wales, Australia. 4 February 1936. p. 7. Retrieved 8 March 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ "AUSTRALIAN ZEAL". The Herald. No. 18332. Victoria, Australia. 15 February 1936. p. 8. Retrieved 8 March 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ^ "Aust. Musical Comedy Hard To Recognise". Smith's Weekly. Vol. XVIII, no. 2. New South Wales, Australia. 14 March 1936. p. 19. Retrieved 8 March 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ^ "THE LONDON SCENE". The Herald. No. 18360. Victoria, Australia. 19 March 1936. p. 24. Retrieved 8 March 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ^ "SEEING STARS". Table Talk. No. 3560. Victoria, Australia. 30 July 1936. p. 6. Retrieved 8 March 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. ^ "NORTH EAST CORNER". Northern Star. New South Wales, Australia. 16 July 1946. p. 4. Retrieved 8 March 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. ^ "People". The Sun. No. 2440. New South Wales, Australia. 22 January 1950. p. 19. Retrieved 8 March 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. ^ "Play recalls wild colonial days". The Australian Women's Weekly. Vol. 18, no. 34. Australia, Australia. 27 January 1951. p. 29. Retrieved 8 March 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  14. ^ ""Headache Bar" Man Sells Out". Truth. No. 3129. New South Wales, Australia. 15 January 1950. p. 3. Retrieved 20 August 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. ^ "Theatre Music". The Advocate. Vol. LXXXIII, no. 4974. Victoria, Australia. 23 November 1950. p. 18. Retrieved 15 April 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  16. ^ "THE HIGHWAYMAN". The Australian Women's Weekly. Vol. 18, no. 34. Australia, Australia. 27 January 1951. p. 28. Retrieved 8 March 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  17. ^ "The Highwayman's Lively Premiere". The Age. No. 29817. Victoria, Australia. 20 November 1950. p. 4. Retrieved 15 April 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  18. ^ "SUNDRY SHOWS "The Highwayman."", The Bulletin, 71 (3694), Sydney, N.S.W: John Haynes and J.F. Archibald, 29 November 1950, nla.obj-524946380, retrieved 8 March 2024 – via Trove
  19. ^ "An Australian Musical Play", ABC Weekly, 13 (13), Sydney: ABC, 31 March 1951, nla.obj-1503318311, retrieved 8 March 2024 – via Trove
  20. ^ "Hollywood eyes "Highwayman"". The Argus (Melbourne). No. 32593. Victoria, Australia. 17 February 1951. p. 9. Retrieved 8 March 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  21. ^ "Wide Appeal In "The Highwayman "". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 35325. New South Wales, Australia. 10 March 1951. p. 5. Retrieved 15 April 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  22. ^ "Oo-la-la! It's Lola on TV". TV Times. 20 October 1965. p. 10.
  23. ^ Vagg, Stephen (February 12, 2022). "Forgotten Australian Television Plays: Lola Montez". Filmink.
  24. ^ "An Australian Musical Comedy", ABC Weekly, 13 (12), Sydney: ABC, 24 March 1951, nla.obj-1442907032, retrieved 8 March 2024 – via Trove
  25. ^ "The Highwayman on March 17", ABC Weekly, 16 (11), Sydney: ABC, 13 March 1954, nla.obj-1669422535, retrieved 20 August 2023 – via Trove
  26. ^ "AROUND THE DIAL". The Daily Telegraph. Vol. XVIII, no. 310. New South Wales, Australia. 20 March 1954. p. 20. Retrieved 8 March 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  27. ^ "New Australian Musical Play", ABC Weekly, 18 (49), Sydney: ABC, 8 December 1956, nla.obj-1321748575, retrieved 8 March 2024 – via Trove
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