A Brand New and Original Farcical Operetta by Fraser Charlton

Songs based on those by Gilbert & Sullivan

Bertie Smith, impersonating a Scottish doctor and a Welsh poet, woos two women, unaware that they are step-sisters. When both of his characters are invited to tea simultaneously he hatches a cunning plan to fool them with his friends Fred, a doctor, and David, a poet...

A fast-moving one act musical farce, this is an ideal curtain-raiser, as it has no chorus and requires very little in the way of a set.

Download the full script of The Philanderer (MS Word format).

SYNOPSIS

Dramatis Personae

  • Bertie Smith (a Philanderer) - HIGH BARITONE
  • Belinda Box (a Respectable young lady) - MEZZO-SOPRANO
  • Catherine Cox (a Passionate young lady) - SOPRANO
  • David Dox (a Poet) - TENOR
  • Frederic Fox (a Physician) - BARITONE
  • Nora Knox (a Housemaid) - CONTRALTO
TIME - Early 20th Century
  • Scene One - Belinda's apartments
  • Scene Two- Bertie's apartments
  • Scene Three - Belinda's apartments
Belinda Box and Catherine Cox, step sisters who have just inherited a considerable fortune, are in love with, respectively, Dr. Finlay Livingstone (a physician) and Dylan Swinburne (a poet). However, both men are, in reality, Bertie Smith, a notorious philanderer and fortune seeker. The curious actions of their lovers prompts the suspicious sisters to invite both gentlemen to tea simultaneously. Bertie and his best friends Fred (a physician) and David (a poet) manage to contrive a cunning plan to fool the ladies. Unfortunately, they had not counted on the interference of Nora Know, Belinda's housemaid and an old flame of Bertie's...

1 Act. Duration 45 mins (full version) 30 mins (short version)
Principals: 6 - 1 Soprano, 1 Mezzo, 1 Contralto, 1 Tenor, 1 Baritone, 1 Bass. No Chorus.

ORDER OF MUSIC

1. SONG - "When maiden loves" (The Yeomen of the Guard) - BELINDA
2. SONG - "Oh, a doctor's a job" (The Yeomen of the Guard) - BERTIE
3. DUET - "Catherine, tell me how are you, dear?" (The Gondoliers) - CATHERINE & BELINDA
4. SONG - "Oh, Catherine, my beloved one" (Utopia Limited) - BERTIE
5. TRIO - "You say your doctor's love is true" (The Pirates of Penzance) - CATHERINE, BELINDA & NORA
6. TRIO - "There was last spring" (Iolanthe) FRED, DAVID & BERTIE
7. TRIO - "With wily brain" (Utopia Limited) FRED, DAVID & BERTIE
8. SONG - "I'm a simple little child" (The Zoo) - NORA
9. QUINTET - "When a wooer goes a -wooing" (The Yeomen of the Guard) - CATHERINE, DAVID, BELINDA, BERTIE & FRED
10. FINALE - BALLAD - "So Bertie Smith has quite forsaken all his wicked courses"

PRODUCTIONS

  • 26th-27th June 1990 (2 performances), NUGSS, Newcastle upon Tyne.
  • 3rd May 1995 (1 performance), NUGSS, Newcastle upon Tyne.
  • 18th November 1995 (1 performance), NUGSS, Newcastle upon Tyne.
  • 15th-17th May & 5th-7th June 2003 (6 performances), Worcester Gilbert & Sullivan Society, Bromyard and Droitwich.
  • 24th, 27th & 28th November 2009 (3 performances), Gosforth Musical Society, Newcastle upon Tyne.

POSTERS AND PROGRAMMES

Information about producing 'The Philanderer'

If you are interested in producing this show, please contact fraser.charlton@ncl.ac.uk: I have piano-vocal scores and production videos available for all of my shows. I don't charge any royalties for performances - simply a copy of all promotional material, a video/DVD of your production and any reviews you get!