''Yes, Uncle!'' is a

musical comedy Musical theatre is a form of theatre, theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, ...

with a book by

Austen Hurgon Austen Hurgon (1867 – 24 June 1942) was an actor, singer, theatre director and librettist for several successful Edwardian musical comedies of the 1900s and 1910s. Early life Born as Richard Cornelius Horgan in London in 1867 to Irish pare ...

and

George Arthurs George Arthurs (13 April 1875 – 14 March 1944) was an English songwriter, playwright, composer, author and screenwriter who contributed lyrics to several successful Edwardian musical comedy, musical comedies such as ''The Belle of Mayfair ...

, music by Nat D. Ayer and lyrics by Clifford Grey. The story is based on the farce ''Le truc du Brésilien'' by

Nicolas Nancey Nicolas Nancey, real name Nicolas Zouros, (1874 – 13 October 1925) was a French dramatist and screenwriter. Once referred to as a successor of Eugène Labiche and Georges Feydeau, he wrote fifteen plays in the vaudeville as well as bouleva ...

and Paul Armont, and the musical takes its title from the catch-phrase used by Bobby Summers and Mabel Mannering, addressing Uncle Brabazon Hollybone. It was produced by

George Grossmith, Jr. George Grossmith Jr. (11 May 1874 – 6 June 1935) was an English actor, theatre producer and Actor-manager, manager, director, playwright and songwriter, best remembered for his work in and with Edwardian musical comedies. Grossmith was also a ...

and Edward Laurillard and opened at the

Prince of Wales Theatre The Prince of Wales Theatre is a West End theatre in Coventry Street, near Leicester Square in London. It was established in 1884 and rebuilt in 1937, and extensively refurbished in 2004 by Sir Cameron Mackintosh, its current owner. The theatre ...

in London on 16 December 1917 and ran for a very successful 626 performances. The piece starred Fred Leslie as G.B. Stark, Margaret Bannerman as Joan and Leslie Henson as Bobby Summers. Later, Madge Elliott and

Cyril Ritchard Cyril Joseph Trimnell-Ritchard (1 December 1898 – 18 December 1977), known professionally as Cyril Ritchard, was an Australian stage, screen and television actor, and director. He is best remembered today for his performance as Captain Hook i ...

starred in the musical. ''Yes, Uncle!'' was one of a number of very successful musical hits of the London stage during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

(the others include the

revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatre, theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketch comedy, sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural pre ...

The Bing Boys Are Here ''The Bing Boys Are Here'', styled "A Picture of London Life, in a Prologue and Six Panels," is the first of a series of revues which played at the Alhambra Theatre, London during the last two years of World War I. The series included ''The Bing B ...

'' (also with music and lyrics by Ayer and Grey), the musical ''

The Maid of the Mountains ''The Maid of the Mountains'', called in its original score a musical play, is an operetta or "Edwardian" musical comedy in three acts. The music was by Harold Fraser-Simson, with additional music by James W. Tate, lyrics by Harry Graham a ...

'', '' Chu Chin Chow'', a mixture of

comic opera Comic opera, sometimes known as light opera, is a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending and often including spoken dialogue. Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a ne ...

and

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment, generally combining gender-crossing actors and topical humour with a story more or less based on a well-known fairy tale, fable or ...

, ''

The Happy Day ''The Happy Day'' is a musical comedy in two acts by Seymour Hicks, with music by Sidney Jones and Paul Rubens, and lyrics by Adrian Ross and Rubens. It was produced by George Edwardes's company (by the estate's executor, Robert Evett) and was ...

'' (1916), ''

Theodore & Co ''Theodore & Co'' is an English musical comedy in two acts with a book by H. M. Harwood and George Grossmith Jr. based on the French comedy ''Théodore et Cie'' by Paul Armont and Nicolas Nancey, with music by Ivor Novello and Jerome Kern and ...

'' (1916) and '' The Boy'' (1917). Audiences wanted light and uplifting entertainment during the war, and these shows delivered it."Chu Chin Chow"
Victoria and Albert Museum, accessed 22 October 2011

Principal characters and original cast

*Mabel Mannering – Julia James *Joan – Margaret Bannerman *Bobby Summers – Leslie Henson *G.B. Stark – Fred Leslie *Gustave – Victor Gouriet *Nichette – Lily St. John *Lolita – Alexia Bassian *Diablo – Robert Nainby *Uncle Brabazon Hollybone – Davy Burnaby *Gapour – Henri Leoni

Synopsis

In Paris, Bobby Summers and Mabel Mannering frequently address their Uncle Brab with the catchphrase, "Yes, uncle!". Bobby is trying to help his friend, the artist George Stark, to disentangle his amatory affairs, and for that purpose, Bobby is temporarily impersonating George, with Mabel pretending to be Mrs. Stark. The couple have a quarrel about whether to attend the Four Arts Ball, and Bobby goes on his own, disguised as a French count, in which guise he successfully deceives both Mabel and an old flame, Lolita. Lolita successfully makes a play for rich Uncle Brab.

References

External links

List of longest running plays in London and New York
1917 musicals West End musicals Musicals by Clifford Grey Musicals set in Paris Adaptations of works by Nicolas Nancey Musicals based on plays {{musical-theat-stub