''Sporting Love'' is a musical written by Stanley Lupino with music by

Billy Mayerl William Joseph Mayerl (31 May 1902 – 25 March 1959) was an English pianist and composer who built a career in music hall and musical theatre and became an acknowledged master of light music. Best known for his syncopated novelty piano solos, ...

, lyrics by

Desmond Carter Herbert Desmond Carter (15 June 1895 – 3 February 1939) was a British lyricist who worked with George and Ira Gershwin, Ivor Novello, and others, and also wrote one of the first English language versions of the notorious "suicide song", "G ...

and Frank Eyton. Produced by Lupino, it opened at the

Gaiety Theatre, London The Gaiety Theatre was a West End theatre in London, located on Aldwych at the eastern end of the Strand. The theatre was first established as the Strand Musick Hall in 1864 on the former site of the Lyceum Theatre. In 1868, it became known a ...

on 31 March 1934 and ran for 302 performances, closing on 26 January the following year. In 1936 it was adapted as a film '' Sporting Love'' starring Lupino, featuring some of the original stage cast.''Sporting Love'' (1936)
bfi.org.uk

Plot

Brothers Percy and Peter Brace scheme to avoid imminent bankruptcy by gambling on the horses. They would also dearly love to marry to marry sisters Mabel and Maude, if only the girls' hostile father Gerald could be brought round. The brothers hit on a mad cap scheme to inherit money from a rich aunt, but farcical mix-ups ensure things do not go according to plan.

Stage cast

*Peter Brace -

Laddie Cliff Laddie Cliff (3 September 1891–8 December 1937) was a British dancer, choreographer, actor, producer, writer, and director of comedy, musical theatre and film. He was noted for his versatility. His many London West End theatre appearances and ...

*Percy Brace - Stanley Lupino *Gerald Dane - Arthur Rigby Jr. *Maud Dane - Marjorie Browne *Mabel Dane - Vera Bryer *Nelly Grey - Jenny Dean *Prologue/Andy Dene - James Croome *Claude Barrington -

Arty Ash Arty Ash, real name Arthur Richard Dodge (14 April 1895 – 6 February 1954) was a British actor. He is well known for appearing with Leslie Sarony in ''Clonk!'' (1928), a short comedy film made in the Phonofilm sound-on-film process. Ash was bo ...

*Stable Lad - Guy Vaughan *Groom - Ewart Watt *Trainer/Bert Bray - Peter Miller *Jack Lester - Basil Howes *Freddy Croome - Harry Milton *Norman Drew/Henry Bernard - William Lorimer *Wilfred Wimple - Wyn Weaver *Lord Dimsdale - Henry Carlisle *Maid - Irene North *June Westley -

Gilly Flower Gilly Flower (26 August 1908 – 17 February 2001) was an English actress and model, best remembered as the elderly Miss Abitha Tibbs in the BBC sitcom ''Fawlty Towers''. Flower played Miss Tibbs in all twelve episodes of the show, which was ...

*Fanny Maydew - Eileen Munro

References

1934 musicals West End musicals British musicals British plays adapted into films {{musical-theat-stub