Information about the show

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THE VACKEES Music by Carl Davis. Book & lyrics by Hiawyn Oram.
The Story
Kate, a tough East End evacuee and her friends are being evacuated to the country to escape bomb-blasted London. They are being billeted to Darchett a small village in Somerset, south England. The Darchett children - led by Bet Brown - feel very threatened by the arrival of new cockney kids. They think they are going to turn the town to ruins and take over the school playground.
Kate’s Mother back in London is very distressed to see Kate go off to be evacuated but understands it is for her own good although she can't go with her. Kate is billeted to the house of Lucia Braithwaite (Aunt Luce) a formidable woman who's discipline tries to turns Kate into a respectable, clean and well mannered and behaved little girl. It fails. She forms a close friendship with Ellen, Aunt Luce’s niece who lives with her - and Carol, (Kate's best friend) becomes friends with Grace - Aunt Luce's fourteen year old maid.
Also in Darchett are Lady Holdmore, a wealthy landowner and Mr. Jack - a world-weary man of the Darchett woods. Mr. Duncan Constance, Kip's teacher - billeted to Darchett with his school children falls in love with Darchett school mistress - called Miss Laura Maybee.
Kate and her friends disobey Aunt Luce's strict instructions and take Ellen to the movies where they fall into the dream world of Pictures and Glamour and meet with the stars Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. Eventually the London and Darchett gangs fight it out ending with Kate being knocked unconscious - to be saved and revived by a crashed German Pilot.
Finally it is revealed that all the Darchett children have been bullying the London kids and are severely scolded for this. Grace gets a promotion to work at Lady Holdmore's and Ellen is allowed to travel back to London with Kate. Carol and the others stay back in Darchett for a little while longer. On getting back, Kate hardly recognizes any of the war-torn London. On seeing her street blown up she assumes her mother is dead until she emerges from the soot, rubble and smoke to welcome her home.

Kate (an East End girl evacuee - 12/13 years old - main singing and acting part with cockney accent)
Ellen (Somerset villager - 11/12 girl part - main singing and acting part with Somerset accent)
Grace (14 year old maid at Aunt Luce’s - Somerset accent)
Bet Brown (12/13 years old - main acting part with songs - Somerset accent)

Duncan Constance (A London schoolteacher - older boy playing man in early 30’s - main act/sing part)
Laura Maybee (Village schoolmistress with Somerset accent older girl playing woman in late twenties - main act/sing part)

Kip’s Mother, (Cockney accent)
Aunt Luce (the women with whom Kip is Billeted - Somerset accent)         
Mrs Crabtree (Aunt Luce’s housekeeper)
Lady Holdmore (A Somerset landowner with a posh voice)
(these are all parts for older girls playing old or middle-aged women)

Mr Jack (Tramp type living in the woods - Somerset accent) (Can be played by an older girl)
WI chair-woman (Somerset accent)
Billeting Officer (Somerset accent)
German Pilot (German accent)(NEEDS TO BE A BOY)

London Evacuees (parts for up to a dozen young boys and girls with cockney accents)
Darchett Gang (parts for up to a dozen young boys and girls with Somerset accents)
Chorus (a group of London women, a group of Somerset women)
(these are  a mixture of speaking and non- speaking, singing parts with the following cameo roles available : 2 BBC radio announcers, Land Girls, Seaside Landlady, Dancing couple)
Additional female male parts are (Health and Education Official, her Stenographer, Gangsters)

Dancing roles : ‘Ginger’ the movie star and Starlets of the silver screen , 2 ‘Fred Astairs - alll tap dancing roles

Orchestra of : flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, 2 percussionists, piano, violin, cello, double bass.
Total cast of around 55 performers!

THE VACKEES - REHEARSAL SCHEDULE