''The Magic Basket'' is a musical play written in 1940 for children by

Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal A ...

composer Alfred Wheeler. The score includes dialogue and fourteen tunes. Action occurs on a single magical moon-scape set. There are twelve speaking parts and additional chorus.

Synopsis

The plot involves a group of children whisked to a magical land in the moon, where they help the

Sandman The Sandman is a mythical character in European folklore who puts people to sleep and encourages and inspires beautiful dreams by sprinkling magical sand onto their eyes. Representation in traditional folklore The Sandman is a traditional charact ...

to recover his bag of sleep-dust from the

Goblin A goblin is a small, grotesque, monstrous creature that appears in the folklore of multiple European cultures. First attested in stories from the Middle Ages, they are ascribed conflicting abilities, temperaments, and appearances depending on ...

. The children are transported in a basket, hence the title.

Musical Numbers

* Oh isn't it fun to live in the moon? * Whatever can we do * I sweep the sky * My basket brave and I * Derry derry down Oh! * Galloping, galloping up in the sky * The sandman * Tippetty tippetty toe * Goblins bold are we * If you will be a meddlesome Matty * The deed is done * Bong! goes the gong * One song before we part * Lullaby

Performances

* 1940

Lauriston Girls' School (Holiness, Wisdom, Strength) , established = 1901 , type = Independent, single-sex, day school , denomination = Non-denominational , slogan = A school for life , principal ...

, Melbourne (premiere) * 1940 Wyalong, New South Wales * 1940

Mount Barker, South Australia Mount Barker is a city in South Australia. Located approximately 33 kilometres (21 miles) from the Adelaide city centre, it is home to 16,629 residents. It is the seat of the District Council of Mount Barker, the largest town in the Adelaide Hi ...

* 1943 Cloncurry, Queensland * 1943 Adelaide, South Australia * 1944 Benalla, Victoria * 1945 Port Pirie, South Australia * 1945 Newcastle, New South Wales * 1946 Adelaide * 1946 Newcastle, New South Wales * 1946 North Lismore, New South Wales * 1946 Newcastle, New South Wales * 1947 Broken Hill * 1947 Wagga Wagga, New South Wales * 1947 Lismore, New South Wales * 1947 Shepparton, Victoria * 1947 Grafton, New South Wales * 1948 Mackay * 1949 Wyalong, New South Wales * 1949 Southport, Queensland * 1949 Scone, New South Wales * 1950

Nanson, Western Australia Nanson is a small town in the Mid West region of Western Australia, between the city of Geraldton and the town of Northampton. The town is situated on the banks of the Chapman River in the Chapman Valley. At the 2006 census, Nanson had a popula ...

* 1950 Hay, New South Wales * 1950 Maddington, Western Australia * 1951 Launceston, Tasmania * 1951 Sunshine, Victoria * 1951 Burnie, Tasmania * 1952 Maryborough, Queensland * 1952 Braidwood, New South Wales * 1952 Adelaide, South Australia * 1952 Grafton, New South Wales * 1953 Southbrook, Queensland * 1954 Kygole, New South Wales * 1954 Broken Hill, South Australia * 1954 Townsville, Queensland * 1954 Lithgow, New South Wales * 1955 Parramatta District Primary Schools, starring Bob Winley as Mr Moonshine and Elaine Marriott as The Queen * 1957 Penrith, New South Wales

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Magic Basket Australian musicals 1940 musicals 20th-century Australian literature Australian children's literature Musicals set in outer space Works set on fictional moons