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A CONCORD THEATRICALS TITLE
Full-Length Musical, Dark Comedy / 5w, 7m
Book by Carl Grose Lyrics by Carl Grose, Tom Morris, Tim Phillips and Marc Teitler Music by Tim Phillips and Marc Teitler
Based on the novel The Man Who Laughs by Victor Hugo
The Grinning Man is a fairy-tale love story streaked with pitch-black humour, lashings of Gothic horror and swashbuckling adventure. It opened at Bristol Old Vic in 2016 to great acclaim and in 2017 transferred to the West End’s Trafalgar Studios, where it achieved cult status and rave reviews.
A strange new act has arrived at Trafalgar Fair’s freakshow.
Who is Grinpayne and how did he get his hideous smile?
With the help of an old puppeteer, his pet wolf and a blind girl, Grinpayne’s tale is told. When word spreads across the capital, everything changes. Desperate to know the terrible secrets of his mysterious past, Grinpayne leaves his true love behind and embarks on a journey into an even crueller world – the aristocracy.
GRINPAYNE – the grinning man DEA – a blind girl URSUS – an old man MOJO – his wolf (a puppet) ANGELICA – a princess, then a queen JOSIANA – a duchess and Angelica’s half sister DAVID DIRRY-MOIR – a lord and Angelica’s half brother BARKILPHEDRO – a servant clown KING CLARENCE – a tyrant monarch (mostly dead throughout) OSRIC – the freak-wrangler of Trafalgar Fair QUAKE – an inspector of nuisances KUPSAK – an archbishop A HANGED MAN/HAZLITT TRELAW – a rebel lord MOTHER/LADY ELIZA TRELAW – Trelaw’s wife A WOMAN IN THE SNOW HER BABY(a puppet) SPIKE – a court assistant / part-time torturer HANS
OTHERS: PEOPLE OF THE FAIR FREAKS SAILORS PASSENGERS LORDS
A Possible Guide to Doubling/Puppeteering from the Authors: In our production, the performers playing GRINPAYNE and DEA puppeteered their smaller puppet selves. Two puppeteers did MOJO, who, as performers, also doubled as THE WOMAN IN THE SNOW/CHORUS and KUPSAK/CHORUS. The performer playing MOTHER/ELIZA TRELAW also doubled as QUAKE and the performer playing HAZLITT TRELAW/HANGED MAN doubled as OSRIC. The performer playing URSUS also doubled as KING CLARENCE in an earlier iteration of the show, which worked well. If you’ve got a larger company, you will be able to allocate the roles more widely, but bear in mind, performers will have less to do.
In the West End production of The Grinning Man, the Violin 1, Violin 2, Cello and Accordion parts were played by offstage actor-musicians. The Violin 1 and Cello parts are likely substantial enough to include individually as part of your orchestra, however it may be sensible to combine the Accordion and Violin 2 parts which do not play simultaneously, so that a single player covers both of those parts. Alternatively, you can cast actor-musicians as per the original casting.
Once upon a time, in the city of Lonnnndonnnn.
"...a wonderfully weird, macabre musical." - The Guardian
"This fanciful musical adaptation of The Man Who Laughs... mixes the comical, the grim and the shimmeringly romantic in its own way." - The Times
"Blackly comic brilliance" - The Telegraph
"...luridly compelling fairy story." - The Independent
"A gloriusly enjoyable show... perfect for your inner child." - The Express
"A gothic, dark world of magic and mayhem... storytelling with plenty of dark magic thrown in." - WhatsOnStage
Matt Lucas and Hannah Waddingham sing 'I Have Never Seen A Face Like This' from The Grinning Man
The Grinning Man | 'Beauty and the Beast' - Audrey Brisson
'Stars in The Sky' from The Grinning Man
Harry Enfield sings 'Laughter is The Best Medicine' from The Grinning Man
The Grinning Man | Louis Maskell sings 'Labyrinth' | Bristol Old Vic At Home
The Grinning Man | 'Born Broken' - Audrey Brisson
Louise Dearman sings 'Born Broken' from The Grinning Man
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Act I
1. “Hans (Pre Show)” – Orchestra 2. “Laughter Is The Best Medicine” – Barkilphedro, Company 3. “Grinpayne’s Theme/Dea’s Theme Underscore” – Orchestra 4. “Merciless Eagle Underscore” – Orchestra 5. “Show Us Your Face/Storm” – Passengers, Sailors, Grinpayne 6. “The Mother’s Song” – Boy, Mother 7. “Dea’s Theme Underscore” – Orchestra 8. “Hymn Of The Hanged” – Hanged Man 9. “Cry Of Pain” – Boy, Hanged Man 10. “Howling Wolf/Grinpayne Underscore” – Orchestra 11. “Cry Of Pain/Vow Reprise” – Boy 12. “Stars In The Sky” – Ursus 13. “Puppet Transition” – Orchestra 14. “Blind To Nothing” – Young Dea 15. “Beauty And The Beast” – Young Dea, Young Grinpayne, Dea, Grinpayne 16. “Weep O Weep” – Company 17. “Something’s Going To Change” – Dea, Grinpayne 18. “Hans Underscore” – Orchestra 19. “Only A Clown Underscore” – Orchestra 20/21. “Dirry Entrance” – Orchestra 22. “Never Seen A Face Like This” – Dirry-Moir, Josiana 23. “Post Face Underscore” – Orchestra 24. “Born Broken” – Dea, Ursus, Grinpayne 25. “I Am The Freak Show” – Grinpayne 26. “Roll Up” – Dirry-Moir, Josiana, Ensemble 27. “You’re Smiling: 1” – People of the Fair 28. “Josiana’s Letter” – Josiana, Grinpayne 29. “You’re Smiling: 2” – People of the Fair 30. “A Scar is Born!” – People of the Fair, Grinpayne, Osric, Dirry-Moir
Act II
31. “Labyrinth” – Grinpayne 32. “Torturous Music 1” – Orchestra 33. “Music Of The Past/Death To Trelaw Underscore” – Orchestra 34/35. “The Gift Of Life/The Mother’s Song Reprise” – Barkilphedro, Lady Trelaw 36. “Torturous Music 2” – Orchestra 37. “Brand New World Of Feeling” – Grinpayne 38. “Josiana’s Reply” – Josiana 39. “Torturous Music 3” – Orchestra 40. “Garter Music 1” – Orchestra 41. “Angelica In The Tower Underscore” – Queen Angelica, Dirry-Moir, Quake 42. “Nearly A Lord Underscore” – Orchestra 43. “Garter Music 2” – Orchestra 44. “The Smiling Song” – Company 45. “Walking In The Palace Underscore” – Barkilphedro 46. “Crimson Tide Underscore” – Orchestra 47. “Straighten Up” – Orchestra 48. “Two Sides Of A Single Clown Underscore” – Orchestra 49. “Mob Instrumental Underscore” – Orchestra 50. “Bad Feeling Underscore” – Orchestra 51. “Dea Discovers Drugs Underscore” – Orchestra 52. “A New Beginning” – Dea, Ursus 53. “To Hell With The Fair” – Orchestra 54. “Royal Corridors/Singing Portraits Underscore” – Orchestra 55. “Finale: Part A (Cracked Hearts)” – Dea, Grinpayne, Barkilphedro, Josiana, Queen Angelica, Trelaw 56. “Finale: Part B (Revenge)” – Grinpayne, Lady Trelaw 57. “Finale: Part C (Dea)” – Dea 58. “Finale: Part D (Grinpayne)” – Grinpayne, Dea 59. “Finale: Part E (Change Has Come)” – Company 60. “Stars In The Sky (End Reprise)” – Company 61. “Curtain Call” – Company
Keyboard 1-Conductor Reed/Keyboard 2 (Bass Clarinet, Clarinet & Flute) Dulcimer/Harp (Dulcimer, Harp, Cimbalom & Hurdy-Gurdy) Double Bass Percussion (Drum Kit, Tam Tam, Vibraphone, Snake Rattle, Wood Block, Metallic Hit, Cowbell, Tambourine, Snail Spring, Bag of Teeth, Gong, Triangle, Shaker, Glockenspiel, Tubular Bells, Clam Shell, Jangle Shards, Flexatone, Rattle) Accordion/Violin 2* (Six numbers only) Violin 1* (Twelve numbers only) Cello* (Eighteen numbers only) *N.B. In the original production of THE GRINNING MAN, the Violin 1, Violin 2, Cello and Accordion parts were played by off-stage actor-musicians. The Violin 1 and Cello parts are likely substantial enough to include individually as part of your orchestra, however we have combined the Accordion and Violin 2 parts which do not play simultaneously so that a single player covers both of those parts. Alternatively, you can cast actor-musicians as per the original casting.
25 Keyboard 1-Conductor 1 Reed/Keyboard 2 1 Dulcimer/Harp 1 Accordion/Violin 2 1 Violin 1 1 Cello 1 Double Bass 1 Percussion
25 Keyboard 1-Conductor
Multiple Authors
Henry Krieger, Bill Russell
by Multiple Authors