This Year of Grace!

This revue was first presented by Charles B. Cochran at the Palace, Manchester on 28 February 1928, where it ran until March 17 as Charles B. Cochran's 1928 Revue a pattern of titling that both Cochran and André Charlot - the world's leading revue impressarios - had adopted since the advent of revue as a form of entertainment. The show was a tremendous hit and transferred to the London Pavilion on 22 March 1928 as This Year of Grace. Noël wrote the book, lyrics and music with additional contributions by Tilly Losch and Max Rivers. It was staged by Frank Collins with an orchestra directed by Ernst Irving with pianist, Leslie Hutchinson.

Jessie Matthews, Sonnie Hale, Adrienne Brune and Maisie Gay headed a talented, star-studded cast who sped through 24 items containing sketches, songs and dances. St John Ervine of the Observer said, "...if any person comes to me and say that there has ever, anywhere in the world, been a better revue than this, i shall publicly tweak his nose."

Programme

Part 1:

1. A Tube Station 2. "Mary Make Believe" 3. The Theatre Guide 4. "Mad About You"
5. "The 'Bus Rush" 6. "Lorelei" 7. "Lilac Time" 8. Jack Stanford 9. "Ignorance Is Bliss"
10. "A Room With A View" 11. Griffiths Bros. and Miss Lutie presetn their famous Performing Horse. "POGO" 12. "Teach Me To Dance Like Grandma" Finale

Part 2:

13. The Lido Beach 14. The English Lido Beach 15. Ballet "The Legend of the Lily of the Valley" 16. "World Weary" 17. "Rules of Three" 18. "What Liove Means To Girls Like Me"
19. "Dance Little Lady" 20. "Chauve Souris" 21. "Gothis" 22. "Try To Learn To Love"
23. "Love, Life And Laughter" (Paris 1890) 24. A Spanish Fantasy Finale

The book of This Year of Grace! was published in full in Heinemann's Second Play Parade in 1939, fortunate since it has not been reproduced since - although the majority of sketches are included in Hutchinson's Collected Sketches and Lyrics. The vocal score was published by William Chappell (now Warner Chappell) who also published a book of the lyrics and separate sheet music for a majority of the numbers.

Musical Numbers

Waiting in a Queue (Sonnie Hale)
Dance Little Lady (Sonnie Hale)
Try to Learn to Love (Jessie Matthews and Sonnie Hale)
I'm Mad About You (Sheila Graham and William Cavanagh)
A Room With a View (Jessie Matthews, Sonnie Hale and Adrienne Brune)
The Lido Beach (Opening chorus Act II) including Little Women - a Musical sequence.
The English Lido Beach (Opening chorus Act II scene 2) including Mother's Complaint and Brittania Rules the Waves
Ballet: The Legend of the Lily of the Valley
Chauve Souris (aka "Ish Con Broshka...")
It Doesn't Matter How Old You Are (Maisie Gay)
Mary Make-Believe (Jessie Matthews)
Teach Me to Dance Like Grandma (Jessie Matthews)
Lorelei (Sonnie Hale and Adrienne Brune)

Songs in the Manchester show (under the title Charles B Cochran's 1928 Revue) that were cut when it moved to London.

After Dinnner Music (including: A Little Slut of Six, The Roses Have Made Me Remember, The Girl I am Leaving in England Today)
Jewels and Perfumes (Maisie Gay)
Caballero- later in the theatre run it was called 'A Spanish Fantasy' (Adrienne Brune)

Cast

The original cast were:

Jessie Matthews (photograph on right)
Sonnie Hale