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Performance dates: 26-31 March 2001 Venue: The Haymarket Theatre, Basingstoke Principals: Arthur Kipps Mark Foster Sid Pornick Simon Brickell Buggins Martin Palmer Pearce Tim Price Flo Bates Sarah Wood Victoria Karen Watson Kate Caroline Price Emma Joanna Feasey Mr Shalford Nick Williams Carshot Kevin Phillips Mrs Botting Alberta Little Mrs Walsingham Shelagh Goddard Ann Pornick Stephanie Webb Chitterlow Keith Shergold Helen Walsingham Natasha Currie Young Walsingham Andy Tungate Production team: Director: Sue Sampson Asst. Director: Caroline Price Musical Director: Anne Bell Stage Director: Paul Young Click here for full cast and crew details

Background

The novellist H.G. Wells (1866-1946) wrote of the distant future in "The War of the Worlds" and "The Time Machine". His more romantic novels had the theme of the emancipation of women as in "Ann Veronica" and "The History of Mr. Polly". His novel "Kipps" was published in 1905 and he lived to see it filmed with Phyllis Calvert and Michael Redgrave as Ann Pornick and Arthur Kipps.

"Kipps" was turned into a musical play - "Half A Sixpence", which became a huge success both here and in America in the early 1960's.

Synopsis

Arthur Kipps, an orphan now aged twenty, is an apprentice shop man in Mr Shalford's Drapery Emporium, one of the most fashionable shops in late Victorian Folkestone. Ann Pornick, Sid's sister, is Kipps' childhood sweetheart, but they don't have much opportunity to spend time together. To Make up for this, Kipps gives Ann a token of his love - half a sixpence, so that Ann can be reminded of him when they are apart. One day, whilst in the shop, Kipps literally bumps into an excitable actor called Chitterlow, who informs him that Kipps is about to inherit a large legacy.

With all this money, Kipps tries to better himself, and leaves Ann for Helen Walsingham, of a local family who think they are a cut above the rest. Helen, who does love Kipps, is also determined to improve him. Helen's brother, at the same time, begins to take over Kipps' financial affairs.

Some time later, Kipps meets Ann again when she is employed as a servant at the home of Mrs Botting, a friend of Helen's mother. On seeing Ann treated badly by her employer, Kipps soon realises that the people he is surrounded by have attitudes and values very different to his own. Knowing that it is Ann he really loves, he stops his engagement to Helen and returns to Ann, who he marries.

Kipps is still rather careless with his money, and decides to have a large house built. Unfortunately, Helen's brother has continued to speculate with Kipps' money with disastrous results. He has to sell the house, and just has enough left to rent a bookshop with accommodation for himself and Ann.

A year later, they have started a family, and are relatively content with their new, modest, lifestyle. Until, that is, Chitterlow returns unexpectedly one day with some surprising news...