Olivia!

Act One

Scene One - Mrs Murdstone's Orphanage For Girls

After the riveting opening number "Orphans", the cruel, tyrannical Mrs Murdstone introduces Olivia, a new orphan, who has been expelled from a local convent for misbehaviour (just girlish naughtiness). The girls fill her in about the horrible conditions, work (endless sewing) and food (cue the song "Slop!") Dicken, the handyman and slop-maker, not the brightest knife in the drawer, appears and dishes out the slop. Olivia revolts, goes up to Dicken & Mrs M, and asks for less slop, less work. Shock, horror! Mrs M threatens her with 'The Hole', a damp, underground cell, but Olivia runs off and manages to escape, to the orphans' cheers and Mrs M's wrath. The scene ends with a reprise of the song "Orphans".

Scene Two - A Country Lane

Olivia reflects on the cruelty of the adults she's met so far, and wonders if she'll find happiness anywhere as she sings the song "Happiness Somewhere". Dicken appears, having been sent by Mrs M to catch Olivia, but he proves to be quite nice. He says he would never return her to 'that hell-hole', and wishes her luck on her journey to London.

Scene Three - Covent Garden, London

The scene opens with a big chorus number: "London". Five flower-sellers are seated on the Covent Garden steps, among whom are Eliza Doolittle and Annie, a rather posh-speaking lady who has lost her memory of everything up to about ten years ago. Eliza sings "I Want To Be A Lady" and tells the other girls about a dream she had in which she was taught how to be a lady by a professor. Who should overhear her conversation but George Bernard Shaw, who thinks her dream might make a good play, and takes her to tea at the Ritz. The other girls have a chat, then, as business is slack before the opera, go to tea themselves at a cafe.

Fagin & The Artful Dodger enter, wondering how to earn a living and reminiscing in the song "Good Times" about the old days (before Oliver Twist undid them). Eliza & GB Shaw return from tea, and Olivia enters, new in London. Fagin & Dodger persuade her to ask GB Shaw for directions. As she does so, Dodger lifts GBS's wallet, and he and Dodger flee.

GBS is all for having Olivia arrested, until Eliza intervenes and calms him down. GBS then reveals it was a false wallet that only held two opera tickets, to which he couldn't go anyway. He leaves, having given both Eliza & Olivia a pound in apology for distrusting Olivia. Eliza takes Olivia under her wing, says she can stay with her that night, and in the morning she'll take her to meet Mrs Dilber, a benevolent old biddy who runs a school for girls. Feeling her luck may have changed, Olivia sings the song "Suddenly". They leave, and Fagin & Dodger enter. Dodger persuades Fagin that they should use GBS's tickets, and they sing "Let's Go To The Opera". During this song, which is the Act 1 Finale, the opera crowd enter and go in for the 'show'. Four hours later, they stagger out. Fagin has lost the will to live, but Dodger is enthusiastically galvanised, and decides he is going to be a singer. This big chorus number ends - inevitably - with the fat lady singing!

Act Two

Scene One - Mrs Dilber's Poor School for Girls

Mrs Dilber introduces today's lesson to the girls, through the opening Chorus number "That's Life!" Eliza, an old friend of Mrs D, introduces Olivia to her & the girls, then leaves. Olivia gets on splendidly. The routine is lessons in the morning, earning one's keep after that, in whatever way is suitable for each girl's talent. Asked what her particular talent is, Olivia replies she's only really good at singing, which is true. Asked to give an example, Olivia sings a little tune, "If There's A Star", which she's known all her life, but of which she only knows a few words. Mrs D decides her place will be in a charity-collecting group for the charity which begins at home! Then one of the girls, Dervla comes in, with laundry from Sweeney Todd the barber. Dervla being Irish, Olivia gets everyone to dance "The Irish Washerwoman" jig before Dervla opens Sweeney's bundle. Not only is it bloodstained, but a severed finger falls out! Olivia persuades Mrs D, who has a dodgy past and is at first reluctant, to take it to the police. Mrs D gives them all a holiday before the ensemble reprise the song "That's Life!"

Scene Two - Covent Garden

The flower sellers are chatting. Annie is late, as she fell downstairs and bumped her head. This brings back a memory of lying in a field with smoke and noise. The bump has jogged her amnesia, and Eliza takes her to see a friend of hers, who can help find out who she is.

Olivia and two girls enter. The two girls rattle their charity tins to little effect, so Olivia shows them how to do it, drawing a crowd as she leads the big chorus number "The Charity Rag". Ebenezer Scrooge enters, and she even gets him to contribute! This leads to a reprise of "The Charity Rag".

Scene Three - Sherlock Holmes's Study

Eliza introduces Annie to Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson, and asks them to find out her identity. Holmes, bored and case-less at the moment, is delighted to take the task on. Annie, left alone, sings "Who Am I?"

Scene Four - The Savoy Theatre

[Purportedly a new Gilbert & Sullivan piece entitled "Trial by Judge".]

During the Song "Here Comes The Judge", the Judge (Fagin) enters and asks The Criminal (Dodger) to state his case. He (Dodger) sings "The Criminal's Song", a typical G & S quick patter song. The Judge is not inclined to clemency, unless someone can put forward mitigating evidence. The Daughter (Olivia) steps forward and, aided by the Chorus' appeal, sings "The Convict's Child". This tear-jerker reduces the whole court to tears, and the Judge releases the Criminal. After the Judge has left, the Criminal thanks the Daughter, pays her five pounds, and asks her what her name is! The ensemble briefly reprise "The Criminal's Song" to end the scene.

Scene Five - Covent Garden

Annie is having more flashbacks. Holmes and Watson arrive, and disclose that Annie was a victim in a train crash ten years ago, and are about to reveal more when Dodger, Fagin & Olivia appear, to applause, as new theatre stars. Olivia is asked to sing, and starts "If There's A Star", the 2nd line of which Annie takes over. It transpires that they are mother and daughter! Both then sing a reprise of "If There's A Star", creating the most emotional moment of the show.

Holmes and Watson enter, and tell Eliza that they know a Professor Higgins, who can make her dream come true. Mrs D and the girls then appear. Mrs D's dodgy record on police files has been expunged as a result of her exposing Sweeney Todd. Dicken enters, with news that the evil Mrs Murdstone has been deposed, and the place shut down. Finally, Ebenezer Scrooge amazingly offers drinks all round(!) and the whole company sing the Finale "Olivia" to bring the curtain down on this wonderful show.

Suggested Cast List For 60 Actors

In the following list, the number shows how many spoken lines each role has. An asterisk (*) before the character's name indicates that this character ALSO has solo or featured sung lines or a dance.

Non Speaking Roles:

• Chorus of 8 Orphans (Act One) who also play Poor Schoolgirls (Act Two)
• Chorus of 8 Londoners/Opera-goers
• 8 people to form Fagin's Ghost Gang, who also play Chorus in "Trial by Judge"
• The Fat Lady (who sings solo).

(Chorus groups can be augmented further, as far as numbers allow)

Suggested Cast List For 40 Actors

In the following list, the number shows how many spoken lines each role has. An asterisk (*) before the character's name indicates that this character ALSO has solo or featured sung lines or a dance.

Non Speaking Roles:

• Chorus of 4 Orphans (Act One) who also play Poor Schoolgirls (Act Two)
• Chorus of 6 Londoners/Opera-goers
• 6 people to form Fagin's Ghost Gang, who also play Chorus in "Trial by Judge"
• The Fat Lady (who sings solo).