Smike
| Smike | |
|---|---|
libretto cover
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| Music | Roger Holman and Simon May |
| Lyrics | Roger Holman and Simon May |
| Book | Simon May and Clive Barnett |
| Basis | Nicholas Nickleby |
| Productions | BBC TV(1973) |
Smike is a pop musical adaptation of a small part of Charles Dickens' Nicholas Nickleby, that was televised for the BBC in 1973. The musical is based on the character Smike from that novel. The TV production starred Beryl Reid as Mrs Squeers, Andrew Keir as Mr Squeers, Leonard Whiting as Nicholas, and Ian Sharrock as Smike. The original cast also featured DJ Neil Fox, a pupil at Kingston Grammar, as one of the schoolboys. A cast album was released on Pye records, including the songs from that production, but not all of the songs used in the stage version. The complete score was re-recorded in 1983 and released on a double album featuring Jill Gascoine, Oliver Tobias and Mike Holoway.
It was originally devised in 1973 at Kingston Grammar School by two teachers, Simon May, who became a successful television composer, and Clive Barnett. The songwriting partner was Roger Holman.
Songs include "Don't Let Life Get You Down" and "In the Warm Light of a Brand New Day". "We'll Find Our Day" was recorded by Mark Rattray and Emma Robbins, and featured on the album New Vintage: The Best of Simon May. Simon May's 1977 album Summer of My Life included "Don't Let Life Get You Down" and "In the Warm Light of a Brand New Day", with the latter also featured on his album Simon's Way. '"Parents"/"Better Off The Way I Am" was included on May's 2010 compilation album The Simon May Collection.
Act 1 A young boy, Smeeton/Smike, sits alone in a class of empty desks. Soon, the rest of the class files in and the Headmaster reads out the Daily Test. The children, however, voice out their reactions to the test (the Headmaster cannot hear them) rather than writing down their answers. At the end of the test, the children hand in their papers to the drama mistress, Miss Grant ("Daily Test Chant") before expressing how they feel about school ("Doing Things By Numbers"). The Headmaster then introduces the class's new English teacher, Mr. Nicholls, before punishing Smeeton who has forgotten to rule a line at the end of his work. The Headmaster and Miss Grant show Nicholls to the book cupboard, leaving the children alone.
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