Nan asks who is going to look after them and Charles, echoing the bland sentiments of the Salvation Army woman, says that "Jesus will". He asks Cathy if she has been talking to any strangers and warns her to be careful. The Man, realising that Raymond has gone to tell the adults about him, says that he will be going later that evening. December in the late 1950s in a Lancashire village.

Research Playwrights, Librettists, Composers and Lyricists. Parents and children arrive at the Church and are greeted by the Vicar. In the school play-ground, Raymond, the village bully, on being told by the children that they have seen Jesus, captures and bullies Jackie Greenwood into saying three times that he has not seen Him. They resolutely refuse to move and link arms. She throws some cigarettes and matches through the hole and says that she will stay with him. Dad wants to know what the children are doing there, but on seeing the bible thinks that Cathy has been reading to them. Charles enters — he has come to see Spider, his kitten. Policemen and the children's fathers are all rushing about in the darkness trying to find some light. For the big production numbers, which are set in a variety of simultaneous locations, use a lot of cues, bouncing at the appropriate moments from one area to another to define the street, the church, the Sunday school stage etcetera. (HYMN - Reprise). As fantasy and reality collide, Swallow is torn between the two and begins to discover who she is and where she is going… Andrew Lloyd Webber’s emotive score combines hauntingly beautiful love songs and explosive rock music with lyrics by acclaimed rock’n‘roll songwriter Jim Steinman. In the farmhouse, Dad is talking to Auntie, his sister; since the death of his wife she has looked after him and the children. Meanwhile, the town is on the lookout for the runaway convict, urged by their Sheriff to stay vigilant. It also featured members of the cast as actor-musicians. Suddenly there is a noise outside — it is Mr. Bostock with Charles. Synthesizer), This page was last edited on 11 October 2020, at 02:14. Out of the darkness and howling wind, a voice sings "Behold! At the farmhouse Cathy, Nan and Charles burst in on Dad and Raymond. Unknown to the children The Man is probably an escaped convict, but Swallow seizes on the idea that he is Jesus and the rumor quickly spreads amongst the children of the town.
She goes to a large mound of hay and buries the kittens' basket in it. A US tour began in late 2007, and a second UK tour opened in 2010. Outside the barn, Cathy, the eldest, makes the other two promise not to tell anyone of the kittens' existence. At no time in the play is the audience told, one way or the other, if The Man is the convict or Christ. He tells her that The Man cannot be Jesus as He would never have let the kitten die; Cathy comforts Charles and tells him that it is Jesus — she just knows (SPIDER). At that moment there is a loud banging on the door — it is Raymond. Based on the book of the same title by Mary Hayley Bell, and later produced as a movie in the hands of Richard Attenborough, Whistle Down the Wind is set in a small, deeply religious town in Louisiana of the 1950s. The Man is getting better, but is still in pain from his injury. Charles tries unsuccessfully to give one to his friend, Jackie Greenwood, and to a Salvation Army woman. For the 1996 musical, see, Please help to establish notability by citing, Learn how and when to remove these template messages, Learn how and when to remove this template message, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Whistle_Down_the_Wind_(1989_musical)&oldid=982903272, Articles with topics of unclear notability from March 2011, All articles with topics of unclear notability, Articles with multiple maintenance issues, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, (I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE WAITING TO HEAR), Cathy Bostock - Eldest sister of Nan & Charles, Charles Bostock - Younger brother of Cathy & Nan, Raymond - Village bully, son of the Policeman, Village Children, Mothers, Fathers, Policemen (Note: The final scene requires a large chorus of children in addition to the "Disciples" listed above - the original NYMT production used 30), Keyboards (Electric Piano db. It was directed by the Union's artistic director Sasha Regan and designed by Nik Corrall. Cathy tells him not to be daft as Jesus can not look after them because he is dead. The phone rings — it is the Police Inspector, whom Raymond has also told — and Cathy, on impulse, darts out of the door to warn The Man of his imminent arrest. Shocked, Cathy asks who he is and he, also shocked, utters "Jesus Christ!"

Cathy, thinking of Charles' kitten, asks the Vicar why it is that Jesus lets some things die before their time. The children realise that this is The Man's goodbye and that he is now finally free. Suddenly a policeman notices that smoke is pouring out of the barn's roof and raises the alarm (THE FIRE). FOLLOW HIM!). Cathy rushes in, shaken from her experience. Cathy, Nan and Charles, Mr. Bostock's children, watch him from a hiding place and, as Eddie exits, they rescue the kittens. The Man is moved by the love and faith that the children have for him. He asks for cigarettes, somewhat to Cathy's surprise, and says that he must be going soon. For the day of the Lord will come."

The musical premiered in 1996 at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C., and was revived in the West End in 1998. Providing the "Disciples" are not too holy, knowing or artificial they will be convincing. The children are sent off to Sunday School. On finding it dead he runs outside, distraught, followed by Cathy. We use cookies to personalize and enhance your experience on this site. This article is about the 1989 musical. Sign up today to unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. It ran from 28 November to 21 December 2019. The musical was originally produced by National Youth Music Theatre and has since had a few more productions with the same company. At the barn door there is gathered a group of other children — Charles has obviously not been able to keep the secret. The Man should be an attractive actor with both charm and menace — he must be believable as both a murderer and Jesus Christ. He drops the sack into a canal. A stone cross war memorial will suggest the village; a table, chairs and perhaps a dresser on an open stage "closed-down" with lighting is more than enough for the kitchen. The production was designed by Justin Williams. The original production used a three-sided truck, one side of which was on hinges and could be opened. Different from its previous all adult production, this 2019 revival featured an ensemble of children from the Union Theatre's Youth Theatre. The other children, after shyly saying hello, ask him to tell a story.

The villagers are still alarmed about the convict and Dad lectures Cathy once more about not speaking to strangers (OPENING SEQUENCE). Whistle Down The Wind is based on the novel by Mary Hayley Bell and the film produced by Richard Attenborough and directed by Bryan Forbes. The score contrasts the relentless influence of the modern world with the traditional values of the old days – something which the community at the heart of Whistle Down The Wind yearns to return to. He has heard them talking to The Man, and, when they refuse to let him in, tells them that "they will be sorry" and dashes off. The musical revolves around the time and place where the word teenager was invented. Whistle Down the Wind is a musical based on the 1959 novel by Mary Hayley Bell, adapted by Richard Taylor and Russell Labey, with music and lyrics by Richard Taylor. Suddenly a man bolts upright from out of the hay and stares wide-eyed at Cathy. Cathy freezes in horror. Over dinner Cathy sings of what she has discovered, wondering why Jesus has picked on her (CATHY'S PRAYER).
A New Musical Comedy - Stay-at-Home Version. I'm convinced that is the way to make this great story hold its magic. The other children ask Cathy if they can go and see The Man and, using the distraction caused by DAD'S PARTY PIECE (Ione On A Moor), they quietly slip out. However, as nobody wants them, they eventually decide to keep all three in a barn on the farm.