David Hines | Musical | Full-length | 7m, 5f (or 5m, 7f) Support : 3m, 2f (plus Chorus)
Short synopsis
Get back to Britain in the 1970’s when ‘The Generation Game’ and ‘The Good Life’ ruled our TV sets, and the Ford Cortina ruled our roads. As their final year at school comes to an end, the class of ’77 wonders what the future will bring … and fifteen years later a school reunion brings them back together. As old scores are settled and old flames are re-ignited, they realise that their golden years are not those gone by, but those up ahead. ‘Class Of 77’ is funny, touching, invigorating, and (for those of us old enough to remember) wonderfully evocative of a youth untroubled by 21st century distractions.
Synopsis
Characters
Reviews
The show is ideally suited to an acting age between 15 and 25 and features a lot of comedy, some drama, a love story and a lot of dance routines.
Class Of 77 is a comedy/drama musical which takes the audience back to the late 1970’s to meet a class of sixth formers (aka Year 11’s) as they prepare to leave school for university and/or life. Fifteen years later at the school reunion many things have changed, not only for the students but in the world in general as well. The world of 1992 is very different to that which existed in 1977 and through the script and music we see just how different.
The school reunion approaches. It’s the first held since they all left in 1977 and the show opens with Michael and Bruce reminiscing about that final school year (‘Was A Time’). We are transported back to that time to see their friends, share their feelings and suffer their failings; meeting a host of characters including Jenny, Michael’s then girlfriend; Linda, the resident hippy; Adam, Brian and Greg who spend every weekend working on their beloved green Ford Cortina (‘Me And My Cortina’), and Sue, Helen and Judy who think about boys a lot, and spend every Thursday night glued to ‘Top Of The Pops’. Not forgetting Kevin, the computer genius and Sven the Swedish exchange student.
As their time at school comes to an end Michael expects Jenny, who is the love of his life, to follow him to London and to share a flat with him as they go to university. Jenny, however, has other ideas (‘Not The One’) and after talking with Linda, a real ‘free spirit’ who is into women’s lib (‘Girls Talk’), she breaks up with Michael and pursues her own path without him. Meanwhile, Linda herself has decided to skip university altogether and travel, something that her boyfriend, Bruce, cannot understand. Bruce and Michael console each other as they try to look to the future (‘Tomorrow’). Kevin, who can foresee a world of technology (‘Brave New World’) has developed something called a ‘personal computer’ but is ridiculed for it, and Sven, despite his tenuous grasp of the English language, can’t really focus on much except for having a good time. At the end-of-year school dance Greg and Sue unexpectedly hit it off (‘A Girl Named Sue’), and the class finally says goodbye to their school life (‘Class Of 77’) and head off into the big wide world.
During the interval, time marches on fifteen years and Act 2 opens with Judy lamenting the passage of time (‘Fifteen Years’) as she waits for the school reunion to start. As the class re-unite we learn that some very different outcomes have occurred for many of the characters. Kevin, of course, is hugely successful, but surprisingly, so is Sven, who has become the Swedish Ambassador (‘We’ve Come A Long Way’). Linda is still a free spirit, whilst Bruce has become the archetypal hardworking husband and father. Some of the girls are divorced already and Adam has had to trade in his Cortina for a Minivan. Michael and Jenny meet for the first time in fifteen years with Michael revealing the hurt and betrayal he has been feeling (‘The Magic In Her Eyes’). By the end of the show though Michael and Jenny get back together (‘Seventeen’) and the whole class comes to understand that they’re all getting older (‘You Can’t Stay Young Forever’) and that the golden years are not those in the past, but are those up ahead (‘Golden Years’).
Fully orchestrated in six parts (expandable to include strings and brass), or with professionally recorded performance backing tracks available, ‘Class Of 77’ is fully equipped to give your actors and audience a fantastic time.
Principals 7m, 5f or 5m, 7f
Michael - bit of a romantic, was passionately in love with Jenny, still carries a torch, now a journalist
Jenny- Michael's long-term girlfriend at school, a nice girl, has now been married and divorced
Bruce- Michael's best friend at school, now married with two kids, an architect, bright, positive
Linda- a free-spirited hippy at school, went out with Bruce, now slightly more worldly, but still fun
Kevin- the archetypal geek at school who never 'fitted-in', now very rich, owns a computer company
Adam- car-crazy lad at school, the trio's leader, now settled down, married with kids, house, car etc
Brian- car-crazy lad at school. always tried too hard to be 'one of the blokes', now realises he is gay
Greg- car-crazy at school, fancied Sue, but was too shy to tell her, eventually married her though
Sue- boy-crazy at school, secretly fancies Greg
Helen- boy-crazy at school, a 'good-time' girl, never marries, tries out all the men at the reunion
Judy- boy-crazy at school, had imperfect life afterwards, divorced, two kids, alone, slightly sad
Sven- Swedish exchange student with poor English, now Swedish Ambassador with perfect English.
In the 5m, 7f version, Kevin and Sven are replaced by ...
Jodie- a tomboy keen on physical fitness, becomes rich owning a chain of workout gyms for women
Olga- Swedish exchange student with poor English, now Swedish Ambassador with perfect English
Support 3m, 2f plus chorus
Mr Franklin - friendly science teacher liked by his students, patiently waiting to retire, tweed jacket etc
Leonie - a girl at school
Fiona - a girl at school
Chris - a boy at school (backing singer only)
Mark - a boy at school (backing singer only)
Chorus of students (1977) and ex-students (1992)
"We had a great time performing this wonderful show ..."
]". .. full of memories from the 70's ..."
"... a blast for the students to perform ..." - Vicki Crawford, Head of Arts, Blue Mountain College
This item is ONLY available from us to customers in UK and Europe.
If you are located anywhere else, please click here.
Two versions available ...for either 7m, 5f principals or 5m, 7f principals
If you require any additional information regarding this script, please don’t hesitate to contact us here.
Songs
1) Overture # - Orchestra
2) Was A Time - Michael & Chorus (inc Principals)
3) Girls Talk - Jenny & Linda (backing vocals : Judy, Sue & Helen)
4) Brave New World - Kevin & Chorus
5) Me And My Cortina - *Adam, Brian & Greg (backing vocals : Mark, Chris & Bruce)
6) Tomorrow - Bruce & Michael
7) Not The One - Jenny
8) A Girl Named Sue - Greg & Sue
9) Class Of 77 - Company
~~ Interval ~~
10) 15 Years - Judy
11) We've Come A Long Way - Kevin, Sven & Company
12) The Magic In Her Eyes - Michael
13) You Can't Stay Young Forever - Bruce, Linda & Company
14) Seventeen - Michael & Jenny
15) Golden Years - Company*
Cortina in the UK version, but 'Torana' in the Australian original
Information for Production Administrators
Here's a list of all the supporting material available and some other information you might need. Pricing for the production materials is supplied automatically with a Perusal Set. Royalty pricing can only be provided as a formal quotation.
Available now (see below)
Preview Script/Libretto
You can download straightaway a shortened copy of the script/libretto to read and get a relatively good picture of whether you would like to proceed to the next step. The Preview E-Script is made available to you as a pdf file sized for A4 paper and contains just over half of the script.libretto.
Perusal Set
These are available for customers in European Union countries only to borrow free of charge (but you have to pay the postage to return the set to us). The set contains ...
Printed Libretto
Printed Piano/Vocal Score
Sampler Audio CD
Available after Perusal
Libretti/Vocal Scores
Available to purchase in this form ...
Rehearsal Master Set on a Data CD (Cast). This contains the script and piano vocal score for your cast and crew provided as A4 pdf files. No problem about possible loss of deposit, as they are yours to print out and mark up as required. The price includes a multiple copying licence allowing you to copy the Data CD itself (enabling you to give or sell copies to your cast for them to make up their own rehearsal books) or to make multiple prints of the pdf's on the Data CD for your production company to organise and provide to your cast or crew. Please Note : Both cast size versions (7m, 5f and 5m, 7f) are provided on the Data CD.
Please note that we do not sell individual printed copies of libretti, nor do we hire sets of printed rehearsal libretti or scores.
Available after Rights Obtained
Backing Tracks
For use in support of your rehearsal pianist, or for use during performances.
Orchestrations
These are available for a 6 piece band or an 11 piece band/orchestra as below, for hire to production companies only, who hold a valid, unexpired, licence to perform.
Standard Arrangement
MD / Conductor, plus ...
Keyboard (Piano)
Keyboard (Synth)
Electric Guitar
Acoustic Guitar
Electric Bass Guitar
Drums / Percussion
Enhanced ArrangementAll of the above (except Synth), plus
Flute
Cello
Clarinet
Alto Sax
Violin 1
Viola
We have secured the rights to video productions of this title from the Author, and we manage them on his behalf. Once a 'Licence To Perform' has been granted, and then on payment of a fee, we will be able to issue a 'Licence To Record'. There are some strings attached to this, but these are far outweighed by the benefits.
Record one or more live performances and mix down to a single video
Give or sell copies to your cast and crew
Sell copies to your audiences (take advance bookings on the night)
Frequently asked questions
Can we try before we buy?
Of course! All our plays and pantomimes have a free Preview Script available for download as an A4 pdf file that contains 60-75% of the full script. If you like what you read in that then you can buy an inexpensive e-script of the entire play (generally costing under half the price of a traditional printed script) which is licensed to you for your personal use. Purchasing a script copying licence allows you to make a just sufficient quantity of copies to support rehearsals and performances.
All our musicals are included in our perusal service. Under this, representatives of producing organisations can request a USB Stick of Perusal Material which comprise the script/libretto and piano/vocal score as pdf files; a Cast (or Studio) Recording as mp3 files and (where available) an mp4 file video of either the premiere production or of a subsequent production.
Some titles have the facility to read the entire script online on our website.
Do we need a Licence To Perform?
The simple answer is, yes.
Under the international laws of copyright, you must be in possession of a valid, unexpired, licence before performing any piece of theatre unless the owner or managers of the copyright has waived their rights. (See 'Copyright Questions' below).
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