A Slice of Saturday Night
Encyclopedia
A Slice of Saturday Night is a musical
with book, lyrics and music by The Heather Brothers: Lea, Neil, Charles and John. The songs are a nostalgic pastiche
of 1960s music, and the story tells a tale of teenage dreams and young love set around 1964 in a nightclub called Club-a-Go-Go.
The Heather Brothers were born in London and grew up in Zimbabwe
, where they started the rock group The Chequers, touring Zimbabwe and South Africa. When they returned to England they were signed, along with Tammy Jones, by Mrs. Wallich of Delyse Records to form a folk group, The Three People, and released a number of singles through EMI. After touring Germany they split and the brothers formed the progressive rock band 'The Quiet World', recruiting arranger Philip Henderson and guitarist Steve Hackett (who went on to join Genesis). After releasing a number of singles for PYE and The Road album on PYE's progressive label, Dawn, they broke up the band and moved into contemporary music. Along with Phil they formed a new orchestra using last year students from the Royal College and Royal Academy of Music, recording the orchestral album, Etheral Conception and the choral works 'Rebirth' and 'Seascape' for Starday King. They were then signed by Elvis Presley's publisher, Freddy Bienstock as contract songwriters to his publishing house Carlin Music. Soon after the brothers began writing musicals. A Slice of Saturday Night is their most successful musical and was followed by Lust, which played at the Haymarket Theatre
. Other musicals include The Comeback, Love Bites, Sin $ Salvation and Camp Horror, the thrillers Blood Money and Seriously Twisted and the comedy Oz And The Pom.
The Heather Brothers have also written and directed two films, The Big Finish and Seriously Twisted.
, Roy Smiles
, Grania Smith, Sarah Clarke, Jannette Eddisford, Mitch Johnston & Binky Baker. It was performed at the King's Head Theatre, Islington in August 1989 and then made its West End
debut at London’s Arts Theatre
on September 27, 1989. The musical was directed by Marc Urquhart and starred Binky Baker as Eric, David Easter
as Garry and Terry, Lisa Hollander as Bridget, Mitch Munroe as Sharon, Georgia Mitchell as Sue, James Powell as Rick, Roy Smiles
as Eddie and Debi Thomson as Penny and Shirl.
Following national and foreign tours, the musical returned to the West End at the Strand Theatre
in the Autumn of 1993 for a twelve week run, starring pop star Sonia as Sue and Dennis Waterman
as Eric. The musical has enjoyed over 300 productions world-wide since then, including an off-Broadway
production under the name Café a Go Go and has been translated into nine languages.
A new shortened version of A Slice Of Saturday Night has been chosen by Cunard as their signature show on the Queen Elizabeth cruise ship. With a cast of 29 it will be the largest production Cunard has ever staged.
London Revival to be staged Upstairs at the Gatehouse
16 December 2010 - 30 January 2011. Produced by in-house company Ovation.
This has become a popular show to be performed in schools and colleges - often as part of a BTEC programme. It is interesting to note that when performed in schools, some songs are omitted due to the lyrical content, which may be felt somewhat unsuitable for under 16s to perform.
Act 1
Act 2
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
with book, lyrics and music by The Heather Brothers: Lea, Neil, Charles and John. The songs are a nostalgic pastiche
Pastiche
A pastiche is a literary or other artistic genre or technique that is a "hodge-podge" or imitation. The word is also a linguistic term used to describe an early stage in the development of a pidgin language.-Hodge-podge:...
of 1960s music, and the story tells a tale of teenage dreams and young love set around 1964 in a nightclub called Club-a-Go-Go.
The Heather Brothers were born in London and grew up in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
, where they started the rock group The Chequers, touring Zimbabwe and South Africa. When they returned to England they were signed, along with Tammy Jones, by Mrs. Wallich of Delyse Records to form a folk group, The Three People, and released a number of singles through EMI. After touring Germany they split and the brothers formed the progressive rock band 'The Quiet World', recruiting arranger Philip Henderson and guitarist Steve Hackett (who went on to join Genesis). After releasing a number of singles for PYE and The Road album on PYE's progressive label, Dawn, they broke up the band and moved into contemporary music. Along with Phil they formed a new orchestra using last year students from the Royal College and Royal Academy of Music, recording the orchestral album, Etheral Conception and the choral works 'Rebirth' and 'Seascape' for Starday King. They were then signed by Elvis Presley's publisher, Freddy Bienstock as contract songwriters to his publishing house Carlin Music. Soon after the brothers began writing musicals. A Slice of Saturday Night is their most successful musical and was followed by Lust, which played at the Haymarket Theatre
Haymarket Theatre
The Theatre Royal Haymarket is a West End theatre in the Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use...
. Other musicals include The Comeback, Love Bites, Sin $ Salvation and Camp Horror, the thrillers Blood Money and Seriously Twisted and the comedy Oz And The Pom.
The Heather Brothers have also written and directed two films, The Big Finish and Seriously Twisted.
Productions
A Slice of Saturday Night was first produced in April 1989 by the Brighton Actors Theatre at the Nightingale pub in Brighton, England with Simon Lovat, Billy LomasBilly Lomas
William "Billy" Lomas was an English former footballer.He played for Heywood United, Burnley, Bury, Manchester City, York City, Clapton Orient and Tranmere Rovers.-Notes:...
, Roy Smiles
Roy Smiles
Roy Smiles is an English playwright and singer-songwriter from West London, also occasional actor.-Career:Roy Smiles is the author of twenty three produced stage plays...
, Grania Smith, Sarah Clarke, Jannette Eddisford, Mitch Johnston & Binky Baker. It was performed at the King's Head Theatre, Islington in August 1989 and then made its West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
debut at London’s Arts Theatre
Arts Theatre
The Arts Theatre is a theatre in Great Newport Street, in Westminster, Central London. It now operates as the West End's smallest commercial receiving house.-History:...
on September 27, 1989. The musical was directed by Marc Urquhart and starred Binky Baker as Eric, David Easter
David Easter
David Easter is an English actor.He is best known for his role as Pete Callan in the television soap opera Family Affairs from 1997 to 2005. He had previously been a regular cast member on Brookside, playing Pat Hancock from 1984 to 1987...
as Garry and Terry, Lisa Hollander as Bridget, Mitch Munroe as Sharon, Georgia Mitchell as Sue, James Powell as Rick, Roy Smiles
Roy Smiles
Roy Smiles is an English playwright and singer-songwriter from West London, also occasional actor.-Career:Roy Smiles is the author of twenty three produced stage plays...
as Eddie and Debi Thomson as Penny and Shirl.
Following national and foreign tours, the musical returned to the West End at the Strand Theatre
Novello Theatre
The Novello Theatre is a West End theatre on Aldwych, in the City of Westminster.-History:The theatre was built as one of a pair with the Aldwych Theatre on either side of the Waldorf Hotel, both being designed by W. G. R. Sprague. The theatre opened as the Waldorf Theatre on 22 May 1905, and was...
in the Autumn of 1993 for a twelve week run, starring pop star Sonia as Sue and Dennis Waterman
Dennis Waterman
Dennis Waterman is a British actor and singer, best known for his tough-guy roles in television series including The Sweeney, Minder and New Tricks.-Early life:...
as Eric. The musical has enjoyed over 300 productions world-wide since then, including an off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
production under the name Café a Go Go and has been translated into nine languages.
A new shortened version of A Slice Of Saturday Night has been chosen by Cunard as their signature show on the Queen Elizabeth cruise ship. With a cast of 29 it will be the largest production Cunard has ever staged.
London Revival to be staged Upstairs at the Gatehouse
Upstairs at The Gatehouse
Upstairs at The Gatehouse is a pub theatre in Highgate in the London Borough of Camden.The venue is a refurbished 1895 auditorium, upstairs from the Gatehouse pub, that has served over the years as a music hall, cinema, Masonic lodge, and a jazz and folk music club that once hosted a performance by...
16 December 2010 - 30 January 2011. Produced by in-house company Ovation.
This has become a popular show to be performed in schools and colleges - often as part of a BTEC programme. It is interesting to note that when performed in schools, some songs are omitted due to the lyrical content, which may be felt somewhat unsuitable for under 16s to perform.
Synopsis
Seven teenagers dance and eye each other and flirt on a Saturday night at popular Club A Go Go in a town in the British provinces. Sue is going out with Gary, but he flirts with Penny and the other girls at every opportunity. Sharon and Rick like each other but are too shy to tell each other. Eddie is challenged by the boys to persuade "frigid" Bridget to "touch his whatsit" by closing time, over the course of the night he tries everything, with very little success. The owner of the club, aging rocker Eric "Rubber-legs" De Vere, watches and lends an ear to the young people as they navigate the rituals of teenage fashion, music, sexual moves and relationships.Songs
Many of the songs in the production are in fact pastiches of popular songs from the era - some are instantly recognisable by the introduction, but then divert from the original memorable number into something very different. Styles and production arrangements are very close to the originals - and one song has a memorable first chord, leading the audience to 'know' what comes next, but of course it does not. The list of numbers below has in brackets the original song that influenced the song in the show. There is no mention of these similarities on the cast album, or in the libretto.Act 1
- A Slice Of Saturday Night - Company
- Club A-Go-Go - Eric
- Waiting - Bridget, Sue, Sharon and Penny
- Saturday Chat - Company
- Seventeen - Rick, Sharon and Eric
- Don’t Touch Me - Eddie, Eric, Gary and Rick
- Gang Bang Mania- Bertha
- Don’t Touch Me (Reprise) - Bridget
- Twiggy - Sue
- Cliff - Eric and Company
- Love On Our Side - Terry & Shirl
- What Do I Do now? - Sharon & Rick
- What Do You Do? - Company
- If You Want To Have Fun - Eric & Company
- The Long Walk Back - Rick
- Romance/Wham Bam - Company
- The Boy Of My Dreams - Bridget & Eddie
- It Wouldn’t Be Saturday Night Without A Fight - Eric and Company
Act 2
- Eric’s Hokey Cokey - Eric and Company
- I Fancy You - Rick and Sharon
- Sentimental Eyes - Sharon and Rick
- Heartbreaker - Sue, Bridget, Penny, Sharon and Gary
- Eric’s Gonna Keep Doin’ - Eric, Gary and Rick
- Oh So Bad - Eddie and Gary
- Please Don’t Tell Me - Company
- You’re Oh So... - Sue, Bridget, Sharon, Penny and Gary
- Lies - Eric, Gary, Eddie and Rick
- Baby I Love You - Gary, Sue, Birds and Blokes
- PE - Gary
- Who'd Be Seventeen - Eric
- Last Saturday Night - Rick and Sharon
- A Slice Of Saturday Night/Club A Go-Go (Reprise) - Company