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Hire Band A
First Draft July 1979

This is a musical that simply has it all. It brings lots of entertainment and education to people almost simultaneously.

The story of Once The Cut is about the working canal narrow boat people who are living in the last thirty or so years of their regular work and it describes the run down of the carrying until such a time when the very last long distance ‘pair’ of boats makes its way down the Grand Union Canal

The story spans the period of time between 1935 and 1970 and the character George Armitage was a young man in his early thirties at the start of the story which is set at the time of the great depression in the nineteen thirties George narrates throughout as well as participate in the action of which there is plenty.

The show has a considerable variety of different characters and various events in their lives are depicted such as courtship with Johnny and Grace, a pub sing song, a wedding, a lock side fight, and a funeral.

George describes the way the canal changes throughout his period and there are about twenty tuneful and musical songs that help enhance the storyline with plenty of life and colour. Songs like ‘Just Come And Listen’ – ‘Got A Good Road To Birnigum ‘ ‘Some Day’ ‘An Anachronism’ - ‘Trainees Songs’ ‘Carrying Carrying Boatmen’- ‘Praise’ ‘I Knew A Man From Runcorn’ – ‘Thornby’s Song’- ‘Ernie’s Left The Boats’ –‘Once The Cut’ and more

The story finishes with George remembering the great life he had had and reminded the company assembled that once - once the cut was great

There are nearly forty different characters and the scenery can be very simple with scenes such as lock sides and inside the pub, and near to some boats. All scenes are simple in planning. The music is scored for voice, clarinet and piano. And is easy to play mostly, costumes can be simple and the boatmen’s lingo in the dialogue can be adapted if the director doesn’t want it.

The show has had half a dozen awards in its long history. As a youth theatre production the show won a runners up award in the Barclays finals in Oct 1994 as well as the award for the best actress who happened to be playing Rita Green, a canal boatwomen. As well as this it has been compared favourably with ‘Ramblin’ Rose’ and professional actors performed the show at the National Waterways Festival in 1999 at Worcester If you want something different that has intense variety, humour, fun and quality, as well as an insight into a dying race of English working people look no further than this show and get in touch. It will present a real challenge to the director and one that will have the reward of having a top production. It is suitable whether your group is near a canal or not

scripts online and music available