SHARE MY LETTUCE
Nixa NPL 18011, 1957
[Later reissued by American Entertainment Industries as LP (AEI 1106, 1979) and CD (AEI CD 016, 1996), but now out of print]
LP rip (96 kbps mono) by Dick Baker, September 2010
A NIXA ORIGINAL CAST RECORDING
MICHAEL CODRON in association with EDWARD KASSNER presents
SHARE MY LETTUCE
A DIVERSION WITH MUSIC
SIDE ONE
Colours - The Company
Sez we - Philip Gilbert, Roderick Cook, Kenneth Williams
Lute song - Heather Linson, Kenneth Williams
Voices of evening - Roderick Cook, John Prescott, Kenneth Mason, Kenneth Williams
Accelerando (Instrumental-Dance Sequence)
Trapped - Kenneth Williams, Roderick Cook
Love's cocktail - Philip Gilbert, Maggie Smith
Wallflower waltz - The Company
Behind Bars - Philip Gilbert, Roderick Cook
Bubble man - Philip Gilbert, Maggie Smith, Kenneth Williams and the Company
SIDE TWO
Interval Music
Menu - Maggie Smith, Philip Gilbert, Kenneth Williams, Heather Linson, Barbara Evans
Harriet - Barbara Evans
Michael and Susan - Philip Gilbert, Kenneth Williams, Maggie Smith, Roderick Cook, Barbara Evans, Kenneth Mason, John Prescott
One train he'll come - Maggie Smith
Dancing partners - John Prescott, Barbara Evans (Dance sequence)
Clocks in love - Heather Linson, Kenneth Mason
Party games - Maggie Smith and the Company
Colour Calls - the Company
YOUTH ATTRACTS YOUTH--and youth always leads the way. Michael Codron, a young manager with bright ideas, realised the possibilities of the Cambridge University show "Share My Lettuce" and against all the advice of his elders promptly made the necessary plans to translate this gay little revue from amateur to professional stage. That he succeeded beyond even his own wildest hopes is now common knowledge. The first night audience at The Lyric, Hammersmith could not have had an average age of more than thirty years. The elders represented by the dramatic critics found themselves sitting next to young men and young women whose enjoyment knew no bounds. It was an enjoyment which had been made possible by the director, youthful Eleanor Fazan, who did such splendid work on Grab Me a Gondola, and by Kenneth Williams, Maggie Smith, Philip Gilbert, Barbara Evans, Kenneth Mason, Heather Linson, Roderick Cook and a white rabbit. He likes his lettuce and wants you to share it with him. Like all young rabbits he has some of the faults of youth but none of the failings of old age.
--G. Fearon
Written by Bamber Gascoigne
Composed by Keith Statham and Patrick Gowers
Designed by Disley Jones
Directed by Eleanor Fazan
Musical Director Anthony Bowles
Directed for Recording by Michael Barclay
THE ARTISTES
Barbara Evans in Pink
John Prescott in Maroon
Roderick Cook in Grey
Heather Linson in Violet
Kenneth Mason in Brown
Philip Gilbert in Blue
Maggie Smith in Orange
Kenneth Williams in Lettuce Green
THE MUSICIANS
Anthony Bowles - Piano and Dulcitone
All Newman - Clarinet
John Gunn - Bass
Tony Carr - Drums
Kenneth Williams: Since his successful London debut as the Dauphin in Shaw's "St. Joan" at the Arts Theatre, he has been seen as Elijah in Orson Welles' "Moby Dick", the twelve-year-old schoolboy-editor in "The Buccaneer" by Sandy Wilson and as Maxime in "Hotel Paradiso" with Alec Guinness. Called up in 1944 and appeared in several revues in Malaya, Burma and Hong Kong with the Combined Services Entertainment Force. Demobbed 1948 and played with various repertory companies at Worthing, Bromley, Guildford and Birmingham before his first London appearance. Has also appeared in Hancock's Half Hour series on radio.
22-year-old Maggie Smith, London-born daughter of an Oxford bacteriologist, joined the Oxford Playhouse as a student of sixteen and there appeared in an undergraduate revue, which later came to the Watergate Theatre. Two more revues followed at the Edinburgh Festival, and while in another at the Watergate she was engaged by the American producer Leonard Sillmah for his New York production of "New Faces of 1956", where the New York critics hailed her as a ‘commendable discovery'. She stayed in the States for about a year, where she also did television plays and on her return to England was selected for the lead in the American comedy Boy Meets Girl on television.
26-year-old Philip Gilbert, born in Vancouver, was last seen in the stage version of Doctor in the House at London's Victoria Palace. Named as the best British Columbia actor in the finals of Canada's Dominion Drama Festival in 1950, he came to England and joined the High Wycombe Repertory Company, where he played a succession of character parts. Since then he has established himself as a stage and film actor of considerable talent and his recent pictures include "Man of the Moment", "Simon and Laura", "Reach for the Sky" and "Rock You Sinners".
Cover designed by Reg Clark
Recording Engineer Raymond Prickett
Assistant Engineer on Dubbing Sessions Bryan Ross–Myring
Nixa Records wish to thank Jack Hanson and Philip Waddilove for their assistance in the production of this recording.
Replies
I have to do a happy dance now.
Thanks
Dwight