Midland Players - The Sunshine Boys

CREW
Director	Susan Oxley
Stage Manager	Claire Boulter
Assistant Stage Managers	Chris Binn, David Binns, Lindsey Monteith, Owen York
Production Manager	Peter Oxley
Production Assistant	Judy Colby
Wardrobe	Judy Colby
Lighting	Phil George, Becca Turner
Sound	John Rush
Set Construction	Members & Friends
Front of House Manager	Emma Blackburn, Simon Warner, Val Kelsey, Members & Friends
Tickets & Box Office	Peter Oxley, Jill Wright
Programme & Flyer	Claire Boulter, Phil George, Susan Oxley
Photography	Peter Colby, Phil George

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THE FLYER

Nobody could time a joke the way we could time a joke. One person, that's what we were.

We were the best'.

Two old vaudeville stars Al and Willie meet again in their dotage with no loss of their brilliant one-liners in this sharp and clever but affectionate comedy.

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FROM THE PROGRAMME

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Marvin Neil Simon was born on the 4 July 1927 in the Bronx, New York to Irving (a travelling salesman) and Mamie Simon. He attended New York University and the University of Denver. His military service was spent in the US Army Air Forces where he was the sports editor for Rev-Meter from 1945-6. He is married and has three children. As a young man, with his brother Danny, he wrote sketches for Phil Silvers and Jerry Lewis and scripts for radio and television. Later he began writing plays for the New York theatres. He is considered to be one of the most popular playwrights in the history of the American theatre.

ABOUT THE PLAY

Simon wrote The Sunshine Boys in 1972 and believes it to be his best work. The New York Jewish theme is, surprisingly, very popular with European audiences. However, it is also about the universal problems of old age; failing health, loss of power and the unwillingness to admit when time has won the battle. Two old vaudeville stand-up comedians meet again after many years of estrangement. Like any long relationship old resentments surface, old grudges rankle; but the deep respect they have for each other shines through. They are the embodiment of the legendary – they are Chaplin, Bob Hope, Laurel and Hardy, they are The Sunshine Boys.

ABOUT VAUDEVILLE

The origins of the name vaudeville are much argued over. Some say it is a corruption of ‘voix de ville’, French slang for “songs of the town”, others that it came from ‘vaux de Vire’ a fifteen century French term for satiric songs, yet others that it comes from a red windmill in the Vire valley. Whatever its origin vaudeville as a type of theatre is a purely American tradition. Most variety shows of the time were too coarse for working class families to attend. These ‘clean’ variety shows were very successful and soon spread throughout the United States. Keith and Albee theatres carried backstage warnings, which were ignored only by the foolhardy

“Don’t say ‘slob’ or son of a gun’ or ‘hully gee’ (Holy Jesus) …if you are guilty of uttering anything sacrilegious or even suggestive you will be immediately closed and will never again be allowed in a theatre where Mr Keith is in authority”.

It is from this time that ‘blue material’ evolved. Acts were assessed and if a blue envelope was given to a performer the ‘blue material’ was ordered to be cut. Successful acts toured for forty or more weeks a year doing ‘one nighters’ – a gruelling schedule, with some theatres demanding three or four performances a day. Over the 50-plus years of its existence over 25,000 performers worked in vaudeville. the most celebrated vaudeville house was New York’s Victoria on Broadway built by Oscar Hammerstein I.