1993 – Blitz!

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SHOW SYNOPSIS The music and lyrics of “Blitz!”, by Lionel Bart combine to recapture London’s East End in World War II. Underground shelters with lights winking at distant detonations, anti-aircraft beams sweeping the savaged sky, sirens, smoke and splintering glass, all twang half-forgotten strings in the hearts of Londoners who lived through it, and present a vivid picture to the generation young enough to have escaped it.

The story is projected through the personality of a Jewish Momma, Mrs. Blitztein who rules her pickled herring stall, her family, and her crumbling fortunes with salty hand and tongue. Her pitch, in Petticoat Lane, adjoins Alfred Locke’s fruit stall and her hostility to Hitler only narrowly surpasses the unrelenting war she wages on Alfred.

We first meet them during an air-raid in the Bank Underground Station when the spicily original and cleverly realised “Tell Him-Tell Her” employs Carol (Mrs. Blitztein’s youngest daughter) and Georgie (Alfred’s son) as “go-betweens” conveying the insults their parents scorn to deliver personally.

Inevitably Carol falls in love with Georgie. Mrs. Blitztein’s matriarchal heart is further outraged when her eldest son Harry returns on leave with a Goy ‘pick-up’. Momma and Elsie (Harry’s ex-girlfriend) join forces against this extra enemy invasion but Momma refuses to be daunted because “that’s what Hitler wants” and leads the neighbours into the stirring “Be What You Wanna Be”. The Act ends with Carol blinded in an air-raid and Harry deserting from the Army. Mrs. Blitztein stumbles away to rally her personal defences.

Act Two opens with Carol singing “Far Away” (one of the show’s most haunting numbers) and the return of the Evacuees affords a welcome reprise of “We’re Going To The Country”. Georgie returns embittered from the front giving Momma (who overhears his “Who Wants To Settle down?”) a few bad moments until she finally steers him towards what he really wants – CaroL

There is a slap-up kosher wedding to which Alfred and his morose ally, Ernie, bring their own fish and chips, thereby equating their loyalty to Georgie with their disapproval of Georgie’s mother-in-law. The marriage party disperses leaving Mrs. Blitztein taking stock of life’s uneasy balance sheet. An unexploded bomb shatters the cafe.

Alfred returns and with the aid of the firemen, the stretcher bearer and the wardens, claws Mrs. Blitztein from the wreckage. Her eyes open weakly on to Alfred’s anxious, irritated face – “You took long enough to get here didn’t you?” she gasps – the crowd relaxes – it’s all right! – “She’s at it again!!”

PRODUCTION TEAM
Director Paul Mair
Vocal Director Jane Murphy
Musical Director David Stayt
Choreography Sharynn Noonan & Peta Gleeson
Producer Andrew Giles
Rehearsal Pianist Anita Hoekstra
Set Design Bill Irvine (Dandenong Light Opera Company
Set Adaptation Saina Gray & Andrew Giles
Set Construction Frank Noonan, John Goodwin, Terry White, Barrie Johnson
Pyrotechnics Barrie Johnson
Stage Crew Barrie Johnson, Andrew Giles, Carolyn Johnson, Cindy Morgan, Don Haugh, Sturt Burch, Kerryn Amery & Heather Martin-Trigg
Calls Laurel Langdon
Properties Linda Theis, Penny McLeod, Heather Nolan & Nick Thies
Lighting John Gunn
Follow Spot Eva Shorland & Elaine Walther
Audio & Sound effects Elaine Walther
Costume Co-ordinator Bernie Noonan
Wardrobe Assistants Virginia Amor, Norma Koehne, Joan Mcintyre & Mieke Van Zelst
Transport Scotty Fleming
Ticket Secretary Laurel Langdon
Front Of House Leah McCosh, Jane Shorland, Sarah Howard, Anna Howard & Olivia McLeod
Make-up Claire Drylie, Sharynn Noonan, Kathryn McKenzie & Peta Gleeson
Program Diana Gray & Andrew Giles
Publicity Michelle Allen
Program Cover Ross Gray
Photography Diana Gray & Andrew Giles
CAST
Principals
Mrs Blitztein Ami Theis
Mr Locke Michael Murphy
Carol Jessica Howard
Georgie Lauchlin Franklin
Harry Sam Koehne
Mr Nearmiss James Moorfield
Elsie Deanne Slattery
Mr Josephs Tim Burch
Mrs Josephs Suellen Murphy
Joyce Matthews Tenielle Hawker
Tommy Blackwell Jarrod Hawker
Siddy Blitzein Neil Brockway
Peg Tania Moloney
Buddyboy Sean Pinto
Bird Linden Jackson
Mrs Sen Kathryn Ewing
Mr Sen Matthew Trenery
Mrs Smith/Mrs Higgins Liz O’Brien
Mrs Murphy Michelle Allen
School Teacher Natalie Ryan
Rachel Blitztein Fleur Lowe
Cissy Blitztein Emma O’Brien
Mrs O’Hara Cherie Amor
Mr O’Hara Matthew O’Brien
Charlie/A.R.P. Warden Brendan Ellis
Policeman/Civil Defence Matthew O’Brien
Flight Lieutentant Matthew Weekes
Voice of Vera Lynn Colleen Watts
Cast
Children
Neil Brockway Nicole Spence
Lauren Wright Danielle Funnell
Karen Williams Melissa Grigg
Jarrod Hawker Biance Spence
Libby Brough Rebecca Linton
Anna Williams Rebecca Ryan
Chorus
Steven Allwood Lauren McKenzie
Cherie Amor Susan Maxwell
Jan Burleigh Alicia Oshlack
Kim Gray Nicole O’Keefe
Amy Gray Colin O’Meara
Katie Hill Damir Ockerby
Minke Hoekstra Ann Phoebe
Julia Hingston Jessica Ratcliff
Rachel Hollingsworth Jane Risby
Michelle Jansen Jane Risby
Stuart Johnson Bridie Williams
Barbara Lee Andrea Laxton
Sahr Lucas
ORCHESTRA
Conductor David Stayt
Piano Anita Hoekstra
Violins Nick Thies, Neil Howlett & Christopher Philpot
Cello Frank Clewer
Basson Melanie Theis
Flute Robyn Phillips
Clarinets Sarah Carrucan & Tameka Day
Trumpets Andrew Philpot & John Carrucan
Trombone Sarah Fairbank
Saxophones David Clift & Gemma Gray
Percussion Peter O’Keefe & Karen Sawyer