Young Vic
Annie Get Your Gun
By Irving Berlin
Contents
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Irving Berlin
The Works of Irving Berlin
Synopsis
Cast and Creative Team
Annie Get Your Gun – A History
Characters
Historical Context
The American Dream
Native Americans
Musical Theatre of the 1940s
Drama Games based around Annie Get Your Gun
Interview with Richard Jones, Director
Interview with David Lan, Artistic Director of the Young Vic
Interview with James McKeon, Musical Director
Interview with David Ricardo-Pearce, Actor (Understudy Frank Butler)
Interview with Matt Turner, Actor (Ensemble)
Rehearsal Diary by Oliver Mears and Rikki Henry, Assistant Directors
Bibliography
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If you have any questions or comments about this Resource Pack please contact us:
The Young Vic, 66 The Cut, London, SE1 8LZ
T: 020 7922 2800 F: 020 7922 2802 e: info@youngvic.org
Compiled by: Adam Penford
Young Vic 2009
First performed at the Young Vic on Saturday 3rd October 2009
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Annie Get Your Gun
By Irving Berlin
1. IRVING BERLIN (1888 – 1989)
Irving Berlin was one of the great American songwriters. His canon includes 19 stage musicals (of which Annie Get
Your Gun is the most famous), 18 film musicals and over 1,500 songs. He was nominated for seven Oscars over his
career. Jerome Kern [Award-winning composer of Showboat] once said “Irving Berlin has no place in American
music – he is American music.”
Berlin was born Israel Isidore Baline in Belarus, Russia in 1888. His Father worked as a cantor [singing instructor]
in the local synagogue. Following the death of Tsar Alexander II in 1881, rumours abounded that the Jewish
minority population were to blame and anti-Semitic violence spread throughout the country. These sporadic
pogroms [riots] drove many Jews to seek asylum in America and in 1893 Berlin’s family joined them.
The family of 11 settled on the Lower East Side of New York alongside thousands of other immigrants. Conditions
were bleak and they lived in a basement flat without windows or hot water. Berlin’s father died when he was only 8
years old and Irving was forced to abandon schooling to take a job as a newspaper boy. He later said that it was
whilst selling papers outside restaurants that he overheard the latest dance hits being played inside and began to sing
them to attract sales. Around this time, frustrated with the little amount he was contributing to the family, he moved
out to live on the streets. There he befriended other youngsters and they formed a group, busking in bars and
restaurants. At 18 he found a job as a singing waiter at a café and amused customers by improvising rude lyrics to
popular songs. Staying in the café after closing time he taught himself to play the piano by picking out simple
melodies. He took the name of Irving Berlin as it was easier for his customers to remember.
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Annie Get Your Gun
By Irving Berlin
In 1909, aged 21, Berlin was given the role of staff lyricist at the Ted Snyder Company, producing songs at an
astonishing rate. His break came in 1911 when he penned the tune of ‘Alexander’s Ragtime Band’. Success wasn’t
instant however: Berlin sold the song to a Broadway producer who placed it in his review show but it was soon cut
as the audience response was lukewarm. Undeterred, Berlin wrote lyrics to accompany the melody and resold it to a
new producer and show - the Variety magazine review picked out the number as the “musical sensation of the
decade.” The song’s popularity swiftly spread throughout the country and Berlin wrote his first full-length musical,
Watch This Step, which consisted of similar, up-tempo numbers. ‘Alexander’s Ragtime Band’ has subsequently been
re-released many times by artists including Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby and Ray Charles.
Irving Berlin married Dorothy Goetz in 1912 but tragically she contracted typhoid fever on their honeymoon and
died 6 months later. Berlin was heartbroken and wrote ‘When I Lost You’ in tribute to his wife - his first ballad, and
it sold a million copies. This led him to realise that the up-tempo, ragtime style he had previously specialised in
could not capture all the emotions he wished to convey through his writing and made a conscious effort to expand
his musical vocabulary. He was already renowned for his prowess as a lyricist, writing direct, simple prose in the
popular vernacular that connected with the average American. Now his musical skills had caught up with his lyrical
genius, a crucial development in his journey to becoming a truly great songwriter.
America entered the First World War in 1917 and Broadway’s songwriters were called upon to write songs which
would promote national spirit. Berlin co-wrote the acclaimed ‘Let’s All Be Americans Now’, which asked the
population to put aside their racial prejudices for the benefit of the war effort. Reports that he was being drafted into
the army became headline news later that year when the army asked him to write and star in a musical review about
the services. Berlin wrote Yip Yip Yaphank which transferred to Broadway in 1918.
After the war, Berlin went into partnership with colleague Sam Harris and built the Music Box Theatre. Over the
next decade he wrote a series of musical reviews for the venue. (The Music Box is still one of the most successful
and popular theatres on Broadway, hosting hit plays and musicals.) He also focussed on writing film scores such as
Top Hat (1935), Holiday Inn (1942) and Easter Parade (1948), featuring MGM stars like Judy Garland, Fred
Astaire, Ginger Rogers and Bing Crosby. Berlin met the lady who was to become his second wife, Ellin Mackay, in
1925. Mackay’s wealthy, Catholic father was against the match, presumably because Berlin was Jewish and an
immigrant. The press soon began to report the courtship and public attention was captured by the story’s
romanticism. The couple eloped and her father subsequently had little contact with the married couple. They
remained happily married until Ellin’s death in 1988.
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Many of Berlin’s 1,500 songs were hits at the time of release, but several are so instilled in the public consciousness
that not many people now remember who wrote them. ‘God Bless America’ was released in 1938 by Kate Smith
[contemporary popular singer] when she approached Berlin to write a patriotic number to mark World War I
Armistice Day. He dug out a song he had decided not to use in Yip Yip Yaphank 20 years earlier. ‘God Bless
America’ is now frequently described as America’s second National Anthem and is sung at sports events and on
national holidays. On the afternoon of 9/11, American Senators and Congressmen sang the song on Capitol Hill in
Washington. Berlin granted the royalties to the Scout movement and it has since made the organisation millions of
dollars. Berlin’s most famous song however is ‘White Christmas’ which he penned for the 1942 film, Holiday Inn.
Bing Crosby, who sang the number in the movie, released the song and it remained the best-selling single for the
next 50 years. To date 30 million copies have been sold worldwide.
The patriotism the songwriter exhibited in 1917 was again demonstrated when America joined World War II in
1941. This is the Army was a stage show which began on Broadway, toured to US army stations throughout the
world and was produced as a film (starring Ronald Regan). For nearly four years Berlin supervised and performed in
the production, he never took a salary, and donated the $10 million profits to the Army Emergency Relief Fund.
President Truman granted Berlin the Medal of Merit for his dedication.
After the war Berlin began to write book musicals, the first of which was Annie Get Your Gun in 1946 (See Chapter
5). This was followed by Miss Liberty (1949) which failed to match Annie’s success, but Call Me Madam (1950),
starring Ethel Merman, was a return to form and ran for 644 performances on Broadway. Berlin subsequently
announced his retirement from song writing and spent his senior years administering the rights to his repertoire
which he was vehemently protective of. He also maintained an interest in his part-ownership of the Music Box
Theatre, regularly calling the venue to check on audience figures well into his 70s. But he struggled with modern
sensibilities and was so horrified by Elvis Presley’s recording of ‘White Christmas’ that he forced his staff to call
radio stations in an attempt to convince the broadcasters to boycott the song. However, in 1962 he was lured back to
Broadway to write the score for Mr President but critics judged it dated and lacking any memorable tunes; the show
quickly closed. Disillusioned, Berlin became an eccentric recluse, only leaving his flat at night and conducting his
business via the telephone. One winter in the 1970s, a young student decided to pay tribute to the former king of
Broadway by standing outside Berlin’s house and singing ‘White Christmas’. The following December he returned
with a few friends and, after singing several of Berlin’s songs, the song writer invited them in for a drink. The ritual
continued until Berlin’s death, each time with a larger group, but Berlin never again acknowledged their presence.
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Annie Get Your Gun
By Irving Berlin
When Irving Berlin died in 1989, that evening all Broadway theatres dimmed their marquee lights as a mark of
respect.
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Annie Get Your Gun
By Irving Berlin
2. THE WORKS OF IRVING BERLIN
Stage
Watch Your Step (1914)
Stop! Look! Listen! (1915)
The Century Girl (1916)
Yip! Yip! Yaphank (1918)
Ziegfeld Follies (1919)
Music Box Revue (1921, 1922, 1923, 1924)
The Coconuts (1925)
Face the Music (1932)
As Thousands Cheer (1933)
Louisiana Purchase (1940)
This is the Army (1942)
Annie Get Your Gun (1946)
Miss Liberty (1949)
Call Me Madam (1950)
Mr President (1962)
Film Scores
Puttin’ on the Ritz (1929)
The Cocoanuts (1929)
Top Hat (1935)
Follow the Fleet (1936)
On the Avenue (1937)
Carefree (1938)
Alexander’s Ragtime Band (1938)
Second Fiddle (1939)
Holiday Inn (1942)
This is the Army (1943)
Easter Parade (1948)
Annie Get Your Gun (1950)
Call Me Madam (1953)
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There’s No Business Like Show Business (1954)
White Christmas (1954)
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3. CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM
Cast (alphabetical order)
Florence Andrews
As Cast/Understudy
Niall Ashdown
Sitting Bull
Buffy Davis
Mrs Wilson/Mrs Potter Porter
Alice Fearn
As Cast /Understudy
Jane Horrocks
Annie Oakley
Paul Iveson
As Cast
Eric MacLennan
Pawnee Bill
John Marquez
Charlie
Tanya Michael-Davis
Jessie
Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty
Jessie
Julian Ovenden
Frank
Amy Papa
As Cast/Understudy
Davina Perera
As Cast
David Ricardo-Pearce
As Cast /Understudy Frank
Liza Sadovy
Dolly
Michael Taibi
As Cast
Matt Turner
As Cast
Chucky Venn
Buffalo Bill
Adam Venus
As Cast/Understudy
Jessica Richardson
Jessie
Creative Team
Direction
Richard Jones
Additional Dialogue
April De Angelis
Choreographer
Philippe Giraudeau
Set Design
Ultz
Costume Design
Lighting
Nicky Gillibrand
Mimi Jordan Sherin
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Sound
Matt McKenzie
Musical Supervision and Arrangements
Jason Carr
Musical Direction
James McKeon
Assistant Musical Direction
Jonathan Williams
Pianist
Lindy Tennent-Brown
Pianist
Mary McAdam
Dialect
Julia Wilson-Dixon
Fight Director/Gunslinger
Bret Yount
Assistant Director
Oliver Mears
Assistant Director
Rikki Henry
Wigs and Make-Up
Campbell Young
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4. SYNOPSIS
Act I
Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show arrives in a diner in Ohio (‘Colonel Buffalo Bill’). Its star, the handsome Frank
Butler (‘I’m a Bad, Bad, Man’), and the show’s manager Charlie Davenport, announce a shooting match. They leave
declaring that if anyone beats Frank they’ll win $100. Local girl, Annie Oakley enters and shoots a bird off the hat of
Dolly Tate, Frank’s assistant, believing it to be real. Whilst Annie and her little sister, Jesse, sell their day’s kill to
the diner owner, Mrs Wilson, they explain their backwards upbringing (‘Doin’ What Comes Naturally’). Mrs
Wilson, impressed by Annie’s amazing shooting ability, enters her for the match. Annie meets Frank and is instantly
attracted to him. He explains that he likes feminine women (‘The Girl That I Marry’) and Annie laments her lack of
sophistication (‘You Can’t Get a Man with a Gun’). To Frank’s horror, Annie wins the shooting match and Buffalo
Bill invites her to join his tour. To be near Frank she agrees and everyone explains what her new life will be like
(‘There’s No Business Like Show Business’).
As the tour progresses, Frank begins to fall for Annie and they sing about love as the show’s train crosses America
(‘They Say It’s Wonderful’). That night, Bill and Charlie discover that Pawnee Bill’s rival show is playing in a
nearby town. To compete, they ask Annie to perform a special shooting trick which has never been attempted before.
She agrees, believing the trick will impress Frank and, satisfied with the plan, sings Jesse to sleep (‘Moonshine
Lullaby’). The following day Frank attempts to propose to Annie but she asks him to wait until after her act as she
has a surprise for him. After she’s gone, he admits to his male friends that he’s smitten (‘My Defences are Down’).
Annie’s new act makes her an instant star and the Native American Sioux chief, Sitting Bull, adopts her into his
tribe. Frank however feels upstaged by the Annie’s act and, his pride hurt, leaves to join Pawnee Bill.
Act II
Buffalo Bill’s show tours to Europe and Annie performs for heads of state to great acclaim, receiving many medals
as gifts. However, a now more refined Annie, still misses Frank (‘I Got Lost in His Arms’). On their return to
America, Bill announces that, despite their critical success, the show is broke. Meanwhile Pawnee Bill tells Frank
that his show is also sinking. Both Bills believe the other one still has money, and make separate plans to suggest a
merger of their companies. Dolly and Charlie celebrate the plan (‘I’ll Share It All with You’). Pawnee Bill hosts a
grand reception and invites his enemies; Frank and Annie are excited but nervous about seeing each other again. It is
soon discovered that both shows are broke but Annie steps in, offering her medals as finance saying that money
doesn’t matter (‘I Got the Sun in the Mornin’’). Frank arrives and he and Annie admit they’re still in love and decide
to marry. As a declaration of love, he offers Annie a medal he has recently been awarded, however Annie shows him
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her collection and his trophy pales in significance. His pride hurt once again, the couple argue and call off the
wedding and merger. They decide to have one more shooting match to once and for all settle who is the best shooter
in the world (‘Anything You Can Do’), with Annie’s medals as the prize. Sitting Bull convinces Annie that if she
doesn’t lose the match she’ll then lose her man and she decides deliberately to concede the match. His pride restored,
Frank donates the medals to fund the merger and the couple reconcile.
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5. ANNIE GET YOUR GUN – A HISTORY
Written in 1946, Annie Get Your Gun was Irving Berlin’s most successful stage musical. The original Broadway
production ran for 1,147 performances. The 1949 film version ensured its longevity and there is still an average of
400 amateur revivals each year in the US. The score produced a series of hit songs including the classic ‘There’s No
Business Like Show Business’.
The idea of a musical version of Annie Oakley’s life [see Chapter 6] was the brainchild of Dorothy Fields, a lyricist
and librettist [musical scriptwriter] who’s most well-known success was Sweet Charity. Fields knew that her friend
Ethel Merman (then the Grande Dame of Broadway) would be perfect for the leading role and enlisted her brother,
Herbert to co-write the lyrics and book [musical script] with her. After her usual producer rejected the project she
was signed by new producing team Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II [see Chapter 10]. The creative team
recruited Jerome Kern, one of the most prolific composers of the era, to write the music. Oscar-winning Kern was
then based in Hollywood writing film scores after the success of his musical, Showboat. On November 3, 1945 he
returned to New York to begin work on Annie Get Your Gun, the following day he collapsed on the street and died a
week later. Despite this set back, the creative team did not take long to consider his replacement; Irving Berlin had
just returned home from touring This is the Army and was looking for a new project.
Initially Berlin rejected their offer because he had never written a book musical before [see Chapter 10] and was
used to having sole ownership of a production. He also claimed he knew nothing about writing “hillbilly music.”1
After persistence he agreed to trial the project (on the proviso that the show would be billed as “Rodgers and
Hammerstein present Irving Berlin’s Annie Get Your Gun”) and retired to Atlantic City to write. He returned a week
later, gathered the creative team (which now included stage and film director, Joshua Logan) and played ‘Doin’
What Comes Naturally’, ‘They Say It’s Wonderful’, ‘The Girl I Marry’, ‘You Can’t Get a Man With a Gun’, plus a
short number for scene changes called ‘There’s No Business Like Showbusiness’. The producers were ecstatic
(indeed, all 4 songs have since become musical standards) and set Berlin to work completing the score. (Berlin
nearly cut what was to become the musical’s most famous hit, ‘There’s No Business Like Showbusiness’, as he had
got the impression that Rodgers didn’t like it!) It only took a few months for Berlin to finish the show, meanwhile
the producers put together a stellar cast including Ray Middleton (Frank Butler), William O’Neal (Buffalo Bill) and,
of course, Ethel Merman (Annie Oakley). The musical was an instant hit, opening on May 16, 1946 at the Imperial
Theatre in New York to critical and public acclaim. The success on Broadway spawned a West End production
which opened at the London Coliseum on June 7, 1947 and ran for 1,304 performances. The Australian version
1
A 1950s term for Country music
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opened in July, and the U.S. tour began the following year, launching the career of Mary Martin (who was later to
play the original Maria in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music) who played Annie whilst Merman
continued on Broadway.
Hollywood was quick to note the success and eager to get its hands on the film rights. Berlin, however, had already
written several successful film musicals and was determined to get the best deal. Producer Arthur Freed later noted
that “it took longer to write one of Irving’s contracts than it did the script.” A year later MGM studios finally agreed
to pay Berlin a record amount of $650,000. But the film was to gain the reputation of being one of the most troubled
in MGM history. Sidney Sheldon, the writer hired to adapt the stage script, wasn’t exactly sure how to interpret the
character of Annie Oakley, torn as he was between Mary Martin’s pretty, wistful tomboy on tour and Ethel
Merman’s raucous, lustful simpleton on Broadway. Freed didn’t assist matters by miscasting Judy Garland in the
title role. On the 2nd day of filming the notoriously demanding director, Bugsy Berkeley insisted that Howard Keel
(playing Frank Butler) ride his horse faster. Keel slipped and broke his leg, putting him out of action for weeks. With
his leading man unavailable, Berkeley compressed Garland’s schedule so she had to shoot all her scenes
consecutively. This was only a year before Garland’s first suicide attempt and signs of her depression were already
being to show. Overworked and exhausted she soon crumpled under the pressure. Freed responded by firing
Berkeley and then, a few weeks later, Garland herself. Not to be beaten he soon returned with a new director, George
Sidney [director of the film version of Show Boat] and Paramount Picture’s leading lady, Betty Hutton. Shooting
recommenced in September 1949 and the film was released in May 1950. Costing a record $3.8 million, it was
nominated for 4 Academy Awards and made $8 million at the box office, becoming one of MGM’s highest grossing
musicals. The curse of Annie Get Your Gun recurred however when in 1973 Berlin and MGM had a dispute over
copyright. The film wasn’t available to the public for 27 years (on TV, cinema or home video) until differences were
resolved in 2000 and a DVD version was finally released.
The Young Vic is not the first theatre to launch a major revival since the original production. There has recently
been a craze for producing ‘revisicals’, taking a classic musical and updating it for a modern audience. The first
revisions of Annie Get Your Gun were in 1966 when Merman returned to play the 20 year old protagonist at the ripe
age of 56! Berlin and Fields decided to take the opportunity to finesse their show and cut the juvenile lead characters
of Tommy and Winnie (who had a romantic subplot in the original) and added a new number, ‘An Old Fashioned
Wedding’. These changes were intended to streamline and perfect the original show, but contemporary alterations
tend to centre on eradicating any material that is now considered politically incorrect. The original Annie Get Your
Gun can be viewed as both sexist and racist. Richard Jones, director of the Young Vic production, notes that “the
original production’s politics are very right-wing” [see interview, chapter 12].
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By Irving Berlin
The Broadway revival of 1999 attempted to tackle these concerns by bringing on board writer Peter Stone to update
the script. Stone’s concept was to make the story of Annie Oakley part of the evening’s entertainment at Buffalo
Bill’s Wild West Show. The production began with Buffalo Bill directly addressing the audience:
“Ladies and Gentleman, children of all ages, I am Colonel Buffalo Bill Cody, the owner and founder of the most
famous Wild West show on earth. You are now going to see my own personal version of the tempestuous and
romantic story of Annie Oakley and Frank Butler.”
He then proceeded to sing ‘There’s No Business Like Show Business’ to introduce each character in turn to the
audience. This clever framing device granted the audience permission to enjoy the show despite any political
misgivings. They were absolved of responsibility as it was Buffalo Bill’s interpretation of the story. Stone reinserted
the Tommy and Winne subplot but cut the controversial ‘I’m an Indian Too’ number and altered the result of the end
shooting match between Annie and Frank to a tie (in the original Annie pretends to lose to save Frank’s pride). The
production received great critical praise and won 2 Tony Awards for Best Revival of a Musical and Best Actress in
A Musical (Bernadette Peters).
The Young Vic production is more faithful to Field’s script and contains no framing device. Jones has restored the
traditional ending, Tommy and Winnie have been cut again (in line with Berlin and Fields’ 1966 revisions) and ‘I’m
an Indian Too’ can be heard, but in a very different guise:
CHARLIE:
You like her, Chief? You wait till you see the rest of the show [...] Our piece de resistance;
the Great Indian Ghost dance number, a tribute to you and your people plus a lot of feathers.
That’s it starting up now.
INDICATES TANNOY WHICH CHIEF TEARS OFF THE WALL.
THE TANNOY LIES ON THE FLOOR. IT MAKES A FINAL HICCUP AND ANNIE
SHOOTS IT.
CHARLIE:
Guess you didn’t like the Indian number?
SITTING BULL:
I have reservations.
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This subversive reinterpretation is typical of Jones’ work, recently described by the Guardian as “blazingly
imaginative”. This excerpt aside, it may seem surprising that a venue like the Young Vic (with a reputation for
creating artistically challenging theatre) has been quite so reserved in its revision of the script. This answer lies in the
choice of Jones as director who has chosen to tackle the issues of creating a contemporary version of Annie Get Your
Gun on the stage, rather than the page. The casting, characterisations, staging, orchestration and design all work
together to create a very modern, fresh interpretation of this classic musical.
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6. CHARACTERS
The Wild West [sometimes called Old West or American West] is the term given to the states west of the
Mississippi river before they were fully inhabited. When the US government announced that the western territories
were being opened up, there was a rush to claim the new land. Between the end of the American Civil War [1865]
and the late 19th century, hundreds of thousands of Americans joined the race, seeking a new life in unchartered
lands. Stories of danger and heroism, filled with larger-than-life characters, from this exciting period in American
history have always captured the public’s imagination. The leading characters in Annie Get Your Gun are historical
figures from this period, but to what extent do the musical’s characters differ from their real-life personas?
Annie Oakley
Born Phoebe Ann Mosey, Oakley was delivered in a cabin in rural Ohio in 1860. Her father died when she was 6
years old and Annie was sent to a local poor farm2 that placed her in the care of a foster family where she was
physically abused. She learnt to hunt in order to sell her kill to support her mother and siblings. By the time she was
united with her family aged 14 she was able to pay off the mortgage on her mother’s farm. As Annie Get Your Gun
recalls, her prowess was well known throughout the region and when Frank Butler arrived in 1881 offering a money
prize to anyone who could beat him in a shooting match, the local hotelier enlisted Annie. Butler lost to the 21 year
old Oakley on his 25th shot. They began courting and - this is where reality breaks from fiction - the couple married a
year later and stayed together until her death aged 66.
2
A government run facility for the poor; the British equivalent is a workhouse.
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At first she worked as Butler’s assistant but he soon realised that her talent was both greater and more unique than
his own, and soon quit performing himself to become her business manager. It is believed Annie took her stage
name from the local neighbourhood Oakley, Cincinnati. The couple joined Buffalo Bill’s show three years later and
Oakley was an instant success, prompting a rivalry with Bill’s other female shooter, Lillian Smith (the character of
Dolly in the musical.) The show toured Europe where Oakley performed for royalty (including shooting a cigarette
out of the hand of the future Kaiser Wilhelm II, later prompting remarks that if only she’d missed she could have
prevented World War I.) In 1901 Oakley was badly injured in a railway crash in North Carolina3 - it is claimed that
her hair turned pure white two months later as a result of the shock - and chose to retire to the quieter life of acting,
starring in a play penned for her called The Western Girl. In 1903 a Chicago newspaper published a sensational story
citing that Oakley had been arrested for stealing to support a cocaine habit. The tale was quickly discounted but she
spent the next 6 years fighting a libel case to clear her name, she eventually won but at a great financial cost. Oakley
continued to do sporadic exhibition shootings as she got older, although she refused invitations to rejoin Buffalo
Bill’s show. After her death in 1926 she remained a famous Wild West legend, despite the fact she had never even
visited the western territories. The story of her life has inspired countless books, films and TV portrayals.
Frank Butler
Whilst little is known of Frank E. Butler, it is apparent his arrogant, competitive characterisation in Annie Get Your
Gun was a creation of the authors who wanted the rivalry between Frank and Annie to provide the dramatic tension
in the musical. In reality it appears Butler was a supportive husband and a shrewd businessman who recognised the
commercial potential of Oakley’s talent. His handling of her financial arrangements was thorough and his clever
manipulation of the press ensured her high profile. He also astutely used their association in the public eye as
shooters to secure a role as a paid representative at both the Union Metallic Cartridge Company and the Remington
Arms Company, helping to increase their sales of guns and shooting apparatus.
3
The company always travelled by railroad. Although crashes were not uncommon, this was the only time they were victims of
such an incident.
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Frank Butler
Born in Ireland, Butler moved to the US aged 13 and developed a touring shooting act. Unlike in the musical, he
only joined Buffalo Bill’s show as Annie’s manager, never actually performing there himself. It’s reported that upon
Annie’s death he was so distraught that he stopped eating and died 18 days later.
Buffalo Bill
William Frederick Cody was born in 1846 in Iowa. He was only 11 when his father died after being attacked by a
mob whilst giving an anti-slavery speech. Cody managed to get a job with a wagon train to support his mother,
riding up and down the length of the train delivering messages. His second job was with the US army was the dual
role of scouting for Indians and supplying railroad workers with the meat he hunted; he gained his nickname after
shooting a record 4,860 buffalo over the 18 months he was employed.
In 1872 he travelled to Chicago to join one of the original touring Wild West shows, The Scouts of the Prairie. Ten
years later he set up his own show, Buffalo Bill’s Wild West.
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Buffalo Bill
The spectacular exhibition featured many western celebrities and prairie animals, and recreated dramatic scenarios
such as Indian attacks and stagecoach robberies. The performance ended with a re-enactment of General Custer’s
last stand at the Battle of Little Bighorn with Cody playing Custer [see Chapter 9]. He expanded the show in 1893 to
include horse-riders from all over the world, adding and Congress of Rough Riders of the World to the title. Cody
also applied himself to environmental causes in the western states. He was instrumental in persuading the
government to build the Buffalo Bill Dam in order to irrigate the Big Horn Basin so it could be farmed, and also
founded the agricultural town of Cody, Wyoming. In 1912 his show became financially unstable and, as portrayed in
Annie Get Your Gun, he joined forces with Pawnee Bill’s rival show.
Cody died in 1917, his once great fortune having dwindled to under $100,000. His legacy is confused as he is often
accused of exploiting and contributing to the stereotyping of Native Americans. However his supporters claim he is
misunderstood, quoting his statement “Every Indian outbreak that I have ever known has resulted from broken
promises and broken treaties by the government” in his defence. Despite his controversial reputation, his show
captured the public imagination and his grave remains the most visited tourist attraction in Colorado.
Sitting Bull
A member of the Lakota (‘Dwellers of the Prairie’) branch of the Native American Sioux tribe, Sitting Bull was born
circa 1831 in South Dakota. He excelled in horse riding and shooting (with a bow and arrow) at an early age and
became a tribal holy man in his early twenties.
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The Dakota War in 1862 began decades of conflict between white settlers and the Lakota branch, eventually leading
to the Great Sioux War of 1876-77. Sitting Bull became accustomed to leading war parties during these years and in
June 1876 he took charge of the 2000 Sioux warriors who finally defeated General Custer and his army at the
infamous Battle of Little Bighorn. White public anger against the Indians for the annihilation of the soldiers and
death of the popular Custer led the US army to pursue relentlessly Sitting Bull and his band. They eventually sought
exile in Canada. Sitting Bull refused government offers of a pardon for four years until hunger and the cold forced
him to admit defeat and re-enter the US. The natives were transferred to the Standing Rock Reservation.
Sitting Bull and Buffalo Bill
In 1885, Buffalo Bill offered Sitting Bull a role in his Wild West show where he earned $50 a week, often donating
his wage to the homeless. He only remained with the show for four months but during that time became a celebrity.
When Sitting Bull returned to the Standing Rock Reservation, the Ghost Dance movement was rapidly spreading
throughout the Native American reservations. This movement reintroduced traditional, spiritual practise amongst the
native population at a time when US government policy encouraged them to adopt white social practises. In 1890
James McLaughlin, the government representative at Standing Rock, tried to arrest Sitting Bull, fearing that he
would use the popularity Ghost Dance movement to rally resistance against the Government. Sitting Bull refused to
go peacefully and his followers attacked the white men, leading to McLaughlin shooting Sitting Bull dead. Sitting
Bull remains symbolic of Native American resistance to white settlement and supremacy.
Pawnee Bill
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Gordon Lillie was born in 1860 in Illinois. As a child he was obsessed with the Old West and Buffalo Bill,
devouring novels about the subject. After his family relocated to Kansas in the 1870s, the Pawnee Native American
tribe camped near Lillie’s home whilst being relocated by the government to Indian Territory. Lillie struck up a
friendship with Blue Hawk, a Pawnee scout, and decided to travel with the tribe when they moved on to Oklahoma.
Over the next few years he learnt to hunt buffalo with the Pawnee and taught in their reservation school. In 1886 he
married May Manning and together they launched Pawnee Bill’s Historic Wild West Show, with May starring as a
horseback shooter. Financially unsuccessful, they were forced to scale down operations until Lillie struck on the idea
of adding Chinese and Japanese performers to the show and renaming it Pawnee Bill’s Wild West and Great Far
East Show (1907).
Pawnee Bill
After amalgamating with Buffalo Bill the following year, Lillie had his first major financial success. This continued
for the next five years but money issues began to affect the new partnership and Lillie retired with May to build a
cabin on the Pawnee Reservation. In 1936, as they returned from celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary, Lillie
lost control of their vehicle and May was killed in the accident. Lillie never recovered from his injuries and died in
1942.
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7. HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Annie Get Your Gun premiered on Broadway in May 1946, a year and a week after World War II ended. America
was arguably the only major industrial power whose economy, after a very short period of transition, emerged
strengthened. The US turned its highly-tuned war machine (factories, workforces, technology etc) over to the
manufacture of consumer goods and the fresh zeal of a consumer culture was created. The increased availability and
variety of products, combined with the development of strong advertising, led to an increase in spending and
nationwide prosperity. This was the beginning of what was to become the defining image of America in the 1950s
and 60s; a middle-class, white suburbia busily buying cars, televisions and dishwashers. The creator of Annie Get
Your Gun, Dorothy Fields, also knew the time was right for a show about the headstrong, high-achieving Annie
Oakley. As in Britain, women had increasingly taken on more traditionally male roles in society during the war;
indeed, Fields herself was a successful woman in male-dominated industry.
Other social groups were still struggling for equality however. The rosy picture of an affluent America did not
extend to the lower-classes, and ethnic minorities were still discriminated against, although change was underway.
Over a million African-Americans fought during the war. This, coupled with the aim of the war (fighting Hitler’s
theories of racial supremacy), led more white citizens to question the treatment of minorities in their own country.
Individual victories, such as Jackie Robinson becoming the first black player in the Major Baseball League (1947),
combined with government policies such as the ruling that segregation on interstate bus travel was unconstitutional
(1946), increased public awareness. The annual salary of a black citizen began to increase, although it still remained
significantly lower than the white equivalent. The migration of African-Americans from southern states to northern
cities increased as black Americans began to seek a better life. The rapid rate of this social upheaval led to conflict
between different ethnicities and riots were increasingly commonplace. Although the 1940s were a period of
transition, it wasn’t until 1955 when Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat to a white man and Martin Luther
King became leader of the NACCP [National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People] that the Civil
Rights Movement would really begin.
1940s Foreign policy was dominated by President Harry Truman’s determination to open trade routes across the
world and increase American prosperity. The US played a fundamental role in establishing international agencies
like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. The US were adamant they would be at the centre of world
affairs. These moves were blocked by Russian Premier, Joseph Stalin, who refused to join the new organisations and
instead set about installing Communist governments across Eastern Europe. This led to the formation of the Iron
Curtain, an ideological and physical boundary dividing the west and east. The formation of the North Atlantic Treaty
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Organisation (NATO) amongst western Governments in 1949 was designed to promote collective defence, stating
that its members would support each other upon an external attack. Stalin responded by establishing an Eastern
equivalent, The Warsaw Pact in 1955. These power struggles between East and West, the Cold War, were to last
until 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed. The tension between the US and the east was the dominating force
behind American foreign policy for decades and led, among other things, to the race for nuclear armament.
Whilst a prosperous era, the fragile foreign relations quickly subdued American optimism after winning the war.
Annie Get Your Gun, set in the 1880s, was deliberately chosen by its writers to provide the Broadway audience with
an escape to a time of expansion, overcoming frontiers and pride. The director of the Young Vic’s production,
Richard Jones, however has set his production in 1946 and scatters reminders of the historical context throughout the
show. Images of Hitler on the video screen are designed to contrast with the Mickey Mouse t-shirt Jane Horrocks
(playing Annie) wears in Act 1, the ultimate symbol of American pride. This is just one example of the way he uses
two of the most famous images of the 1940s to keep his audience alert and stimulated by the very different reactions
they provoke. He has located his production in a 1940s diner, another iconic American image.
An example of a 1940s diner
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8. THE AMERICAN DREAM
A central theme of Annie Get Your Gun is the pursuit of the American Dream. Not just Oakley, but all the leading
characters go from humble beginnings to prosperous celebrity. This theme was common in the Broadway musical
comedies of the 1930s and 40s which offered escape from the shadow of World War II.
The concept of the American Dream can be traced back to the discovery and colonisation of the New World, when
the potential for land and riches drew Europeans to the continent and a new life. These principles were set down in
the 1776 Declaration of Independence which stated: “We hold this truth to be self-evident that all men are created
equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among this are life liberty and the
pursuit of happiness.” The phrase itself entered the English language in 1931 when it was coined by James Truslow
Adams [American writer and historian] in the Epic of America: “The American Dream is that dream of a land in
which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or
achievement.”
The idea has its detractors who feel that over the last century the phrase has become synonymous with financial - as
opposed to spiritual - success, leading to an obsession with material goods. The term is frequently used in
contemporary America to describe specifically the ownership of a home, seen as the ultimate symbol of prosperity.
(This aspiration has long been an American preoccupation however; hence the land rushes of the 1890s when the
western territories were opened up for homesteading.) American artists have often tackled the subject, the most
famous being F. Scott Fitzgerald in The Great Gatsby. Written in 1926 (the Jazz Age, associated with decadence and
hedonism), Fitzgerald’s protagonist idolises wealth and glamour whilst worrying about the consequences of such a
lifestyle. Fitzgerald’s concerns pre-empt the Wall Street Crash of 1929, the result of the carefree greed which had
gripped the country. This in turn pre-empts the recent collapse of Lehman Brothers Bank and the current economic
crisis.
Detractors of the current interpretation of the dream cite past examples of the American work ethic such as Benjamin
Franklin’s [President of Pennsylvania] yearly pamphlet, Poor Richard’s Almanac (1732-1758). This publication was
popular in colonial America and issued maxims such as: “Early to bed, and early to rise, makes a man healthy,
wealthy and wise.” The rise of industrial manufacturing in the 19th century led to an increase in urbanisation and
workers became a cog in the machine. This loss of identity signified a shift in the average American’s values and
whilst the American dream did not fade, many began to see it as an entitlement rather than something to be worked
for. More recently TV talent and game shows, and the lottery sell the idea that the American Dream is achievable
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through luck. There is a 1 in 80 million chance of winning a big prize in the American Power Ball Lottery but it is
estimated that America spends over 50 billion dollars a year on tickets. The British TV programme Who Wants To
Be A Millionaire? has been exported around the globe but the American version is by the far the most popular. 29
million viewers tune in to watch each episode, with 240,000 calling the show each registration day in an attempt to
become future contestants. The show’s title is taken from a Cole Porter song from his 1955 Broadway musical, High
Society. Ironically the song’s message in the context of the show is that financial success does not necessarily lead to
happiness: “Who wants to be a Millionaire? I don’t.” Contemporary historians also cite the current obsession with
libel suits as an example of achieving the dream without working for it. Tens of thousands of law suits are filed in
the US each year for personal injury or product liabilities. Of course, aside from a tiny proportion of the general
public, the people who are actually achieving financial gain are the TV producers, state governments and lawyers.
The concept of the American Dream enjoyed a healthy relationship with musical theatre until West Side Story hit
Broadway in 1957. The shows’ portrayal of gang rivalry in New York between the Caucasian Jets and Hispanic
Sharks exposed the extent of racism in inner-city America. Both gangs are poverty-stricken, bigoted and thoroughly
disillusioned with the American Dream. Many musicals have since mined the pain of those disheartened with
America, each decade producing work which explores the theme in a new way. A Chorus Line (1975) portrayed
dancers in New York auditioning for a Broadway show, half the auditionees fail to win a place and it’s clear that
even those who are successful will never achieve their true ambition of fame and fortune, remaining faceless bodies
in the ensemble. Little Shop of Horrors (1982) concerns a poor florist who happens across an unusual plant which
requires blood to survive. The plant becomes a tourist attraction, but the florist struggles to keep up with its ever
increasing bloodlust, until eventually it devours him. The show ends with the plant threatening the world - the
suggested moral being our desire for money and recognition can only be satisfied at a cost. Rent (1995) centred on a
group of bohemians in New York’s dilapidated Lower East Side under the shadow of AIDS. The musical explored
the reality of coping with the medical condition without money in a corporate society ruled by a government which
no longer cared for its citizens.
In contrast, the golden age of musical theatre in the 30s and 40s is often accused of offering an unrealistic portrayal
of life by touting the American Dream. However, all the leading characters in Annie Get Your Gun were based on
historical figures who had overcome the odds to achieve their potential. Also, many of the writers of these shows
(including Berlin) had arrived in America as penniless immigrants, fleeing persecution and had climbed the social
ladder to achieve riches, fame and recognition. They were living proof that the American Dream was a possibility.
One of Berlin’s most famous songs, ‘God Bless America’, was inspired by a phrase his mother had often used when
reflecting how grateful she was that America had offered her family asylum and the chance to better themselves.
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9. NATIVE AMERICANS
Annie Get Your Gun is controversial for its portrayal of the Native American chief Sitting Bull and the various other
Indians who performed in Buffalo Bill’s show. The relationship between white people and Native Americans has a
long and complex history.
Native Americans4 are the indigenous populations of the US, Alaska and Hawaii. When the Europeans began to
explore the continent in the late 15th century it is estimated that up to 18 million Native Americans were living there.
Over the following 300 years up to 80% of that number were destroyed through genocide, enslavement, internal
warfare and, most prominently, disease. (Some European diseases such as measles were rarely fatal for the
Europeans, but the indigenous population had no immunity to them and they proved the biggest killer.) In the late
18th century, politicians began a policy of assimilation which in essence meant ‘civilising’ the natives. Tribes found
their children forcibly sent to state-run boarding schools which forbid them from speaking their native language and
practising their own religion. Government policy was extended in the 19th century with the beginning of territorial
expansion and the concept of ‘Manifest Destiny’. ‘Manifest Destiny’ was the assertion that Americans were
destined, or even divinely commanded, to expand from their existing settlements in the East across the continent to
the West. Native American tribes, already pushed West by earlier colonisation, stood in their way. This policy led to
the Indian Wars, violent clashes between the two parties as the tribes resisted. It is now widely acknowledged that
much of this conflict came as a consequence of the US government breaking the terms of previous treaties they had
struck with the Indians. President Jackson [1829 - 1837] ruthlessly pursued a policy of killing Indians if they refused
to move to Native American reservations [areas of land set aside exclusively for tribes to live on]. 46,000 Native
Americans were relocated by the government during these years and many died of starvation, exposure and disease
whilst en route. The relocation is now known as the ‘Trail of Tears’. The Indian Appropriations Act of 1871 asserted
that “no Indian nation or tribe within the territory of the United States shall be acknowledged or recognised as an
independent nation, tribe or power”. Today there are 310 reservations in the US which accommodate 550 tribes.
During the 1960s the Civil Rights Movement, now associated predominantly with the drive for African-American
equality, encouraged a change in US government policy towards Native Americans. The 1975 ‘Indian SelfDetermination and Education Assistance Act’ was passed to assist the 562 federally-recognised tribal governments
in self-rule. Many Native Americans think the policy does not go far enough as it still subjects them to US law rather
than granting them the freedom of sovereign states. The social issues which exist amongst the 2 million Native
4
Variously called Indians, Red Indians, Redskins or Amerinds; the politically correct term is now Native Americans.
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Americans living on reservations today are well reported by the media, including high levels of alcoholism, drug
addiction, mental illness and suicide. Whilst the portrayal of Native Americans in art has progressed from old racist
stereotyping there has recently been much controversy about the use of Indian mascots and names in American
sports. Teams such as American football’s ‘Washington Redskins’ and baseball’s ‘Cleveland Indians’ cause offence
to many Native Americans who argue that the teams would not be allowed to use the equivalent African American
imagery and terminology.
Contemporary producers of Annie Get Your Gun have to make decisions concerning the controversial nature of some
the musical’s depictions of Native Americans. The song ‘I’m an Indian Too’, about Annie’s initiation into the Sioux
tribe by Sitting Bull, is now often cut from the musical for its racial insensitivities. Lyrics like: "Just like Rising
Moon, Falling Pants, Running Nose/ Like those Indians, I'm an Indian too” are no longer politically acceptable. The
1999 Broadway production also cut the ‘Buffalo Bill’ number as it could be accused of depicting Native Americans
as base savages whilst glorifying white American violence towards the race:
CHARLIE:
We see the stage coach
Climbing up a hill,
Suddenly there’s a shout.
CROWD:
What is it all about? (whisper)
CHARLIE:
What is it all about you ask - it’s Indians!
CROWD:
Indians! (whisper)
CHARLIE:
Indians.
CROWD:
Indians. (A little louder)
CHARLIE:
Very notable - cut your throatable Indians.
CROWD:
Indians. (louder still).
CHARLIE:
Just when they’ve taken everyone by force,
Who makes an entrance on the big white horse?
Who starts a-shootin’ till there’s no one left to kill?
Colonel Buffalo Bill!
The Young Vic’s creative team have decided to include the number however. This is defensible because rewrites of
the script counteracts the song by re-imagining the Native American characters as more sophisticated and civilised
than their white counterparts, as the following scene depicts:
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DOLLY:
I’ve got a lot on my mind, sometimes I envy you people your simple lives.
INDIAN 1:
(Reading paper to INDIAN 2) Dow Jones up ten points, Hang Sen down three.
DOLLY:
Your savage and untamed spirit!
INDIAN 2:
I hear the new Oldenburg exhibit has divided the Upper East Side.
INDIAN 1:
Well, we all got bored with the tropes of post modernism.
DOLLY:
Haven’t you got to go some place to go for lunch? There’s a snack bar at the back of the
train.
INDIAN 1:
We have a reservation.
DOLLY:
But that’s a long way off, three days ride.
INDIAN 1:
In the dining car. We’re having Sole Meuniere with creamed spinach and a side order of
fries washed down with a decent chardonnay... Scuse us.
The Native Americans are having a private joke at the expense of the other characters and, by turning the stereotype
on its head, the Young Vic production makes it clear any racism in the production is the opinion of the bigoted,
unintelligent white characters, not the creative team or audience. The historical figure of Buffalo Bill has frequently
been accused of exploiting the Indians in his show for financial gain; however it is known that Sitting Bull
negotiated a competitive fee for his appearances, presenting a canny businessman rather than an exploited minority.
The Young Vic’s approach legitimises the otherwise politically incorrect, unusable material, so its portrayal of the
prejudices of the era can be judged by the show’s audience.
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10. MUSICAL THEATRE OF THE 1940S
Although the use of song and dance in the theatre can be traced back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, the musical
form as we recognise it today has its roots in the Viennese operettas of the 1800s. Gilbert and Sullivan5 combined
this influence with the populist forms of Vaudeville6 and Burlesque7 in the late 19th century and invented the comic
operetta. This new form felt contemporary and witty and took the theatrical industry by storm on both sides of the
Atlantic. The shows were known for the high production values which set the bar for future West End and Broadway
musicals. In the 1910s Jerome Kern, Guy Boulton and British writer P.G.Wodehouse collaborated to put on a series
of new musicals in New York which featured believable people in real situations for the first time. Simultaneously
however Florenz Ziegfield began his Follies shows. This form of variety featured famous burlesque singers and
beautiful chorus girls and had no plot. In many ways this was a regression for the art form but the perennial Follies
proved highly popular with the public and ran for decades.
During the 1920s innovative composers such as Cole Porter, George and Ira Gershwin, Richard Rodgers & Lorenz
Hart and, of course, Irving Berlin began to emerge. It was Showboat (Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II) in
1927 which really challenged the musical form however. An epic story of the lives of a group of entertainers who
lived and worked on a Mississippi boat, Showboat explored themes of racism and marital troubles. Not only were its
themes controversial, it also featured the first racially integrated cast in a musical.
After the financial and critical success of the pioneering Showboat, shows began to explore new thematic territory
during the 1930s such as war, national politics, local corruption and the labour movement. However, unlike the
dramatic Showboat, the predominating form remained musical comedy, safely following a formulaic structure. It
was not until the early 1940s that Richard Rodgers (composer) and Oscar Hammerstein II (lyricist) formed a new
partnership to write Oklahoma and musical theatre became sophisticated - a theatrical form with integrity that could
rival plays. The collaboration was forced out of circumstance and might never have actually occurred. Richard
Rodgers’ writing partner was Moss Hart, they had written several successful shows together (including Pal Joey) but
Hart was a renowned alcoholic and was incapacitated for increasing lengths of time. Rodgers had wanted their next
project to be a musical adaptation of a play called Green Grow the Lilacs but was eventually forced to approach
Hammerstein instead. Hammerstein had already tried to persuade his regular partner Jerome Kern to work on an
adaptation of the same play but Kern had rejected the material as too banal for musical conversion.
5
The pair created 14 comic operas over 16 years including The Mikado and The Pirates of Penzance. Their successful
collaboration was an inspiration to a long line of musical writing duos.
6
A popular type of variety show featuring unrelated acts such as singers, dancers, magicians, impersonators etc.
7
A more adult form of Vaudeville which also featured bad language, rude jokes and strip teases.
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Green Grow the Lilacs was set in Oklahoma in the 1900s and explored life in the territories through the love story of
a young farm girl. The writers knew the material could not be approached in the same way as the musical comedies
of the time and made the unique decision to write the lyrics before the music so it was easier to integrate the songs
into the story. They spent months analysing the characters and working out their motivations; thinking ahead to how
the scenes could eventually be directed and staged. The ending result was a musical play with 3-D characters which
the audience could really invest in. They took further risks. The opening song was a ballad about the weather (‘Oh
What a Beautiful Morning’) sung to an old woman churning butter rather than the usual brash, up-tempo ensemble
number designed to grab the audiences’ attention. They refused to hire stars for the principle characters, opting to
employ actors who suited the specific roles. They also used the medium of dance to tell aspects of the story, rather
than to just provide spectacle. This was a musical theatre first. Initial reaction was mixed, one columnist wrote “No
gags, no girls, no chance”, but word-of-mouth soon ensured a hit. By the time the US run concluded, its backers saw
a 2500% return on their original investment. Oklahoma is now known as the first integrated musical where the
acting, singing and dancing work together towards a common aim rather than standing alone. It had a major impact
on the genre. Rodgers and Hammerstein had worked together as dramatists, not just individually as composer and
lyricist; their songs were not just beautiful, they developed character and advanced action. When listening to a Cole
Porter or Lorenz Hart song, you could hear the lyricist speaking but in Oklahoma you heard the character’s voice.
This meant the audience believed in the characters, sympathised with them and cared about their fate. The duo went
on to write the most famous musicals of the 20th century including Carousel, South Pacific, The Sound of Music and
The King and I.
It was this new environment that Berlin returned to after touring the world with This Is England. He was concerned.
Whilst a renowned composer, he had never previously had to write songs that could fit into a specific dramatic
context. This was one of his initial reasons for rejecting Rodgers and Hammerstein’s (who had used their Oklahoma
profits to establish a production company) offer to compose Annie Get Your Gun. He need not have worried; the
production not only proved that he could score a musical play but also that integrated musicals could be funny.
Many other composers also tried to replicate Rodgers and Hammerstein’s winning formula but few succeeded.
Berlin and Cole Porter (with Kiss Me Kate in 1948) were really the only established musical theatre writers who
managed to master successfully the new form without compromising their own artistic identity.
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11. DRAMA EXERCISES BASED AROUND ANNIE GET YOUR GUN
Warm-up Game
This is a great game to warm-up actors before starting rehearsals.
Step 1
All actors stand in a circle. Chose a person to begin. That person says ‘Ye-ha’ and energetically swings their arms
pointing (cheesily – think of Saturday Night Fever dance moves) to the person to their left. The next person does the
same and so on, passing ‘Ye-ha’ clockwise around the circle. This should be done with high energy and speed.
Step 2
There are several different code words and actions that can be introduced either one at a time or simultaneously.
Once introduced, anyone in the circle can choose to implement one on their turn.
Hoe Down
An actor says ‘Hoe down’ and ducks down. The person who was next is skipped; they say
and do nothing. ‘Ye-ha’ is continued by the next person.
Hay Barn
An actor says ‘Hay barn’ and joins their hands together above their heads (the triangular
sign for ‘house’). This blocks ‘Ye-ha’, sending it back in the direction it came from.
Gun Slinger
An actor says ‘Gun slinger’ and makes a clasped, double-handed gun point, aiming at
someone across the circle from them. That person then picks up ‘Ye-ha’. It continues in the
direction around the circle that it was going before ‘Gun slinger’.
Step 3
After a couple of rounds you can start omitting actors if they make a mistake. When there are only two players left,
stand them back-to-back for the shoot-off to decide a winner. They should form guns with their hands. Tell them the
‘fire’ word you’ve picked (this can be anything you chose, for example ‘Annie’). Then say a series of other words
(it’s fun to chose things that start with the same letter or sound like the word you’ve chosen, for example ‘ant’, ‘aga’,
‘army’ etc). Each time you say a word the two players take a step forward (i.e. away from each other). Once you say
the ‘fire’ word, the two players turn and shoot by pointing their ‘gun’ at each other and repeating the word ‘bang’
over and over again. The person who runs out of breath first is the loser.
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Responding to Music
A difficulty in musical theatre for performers is the unreality of bursting into song. This simple exercise encourages
actors to respond intuitively and unashamedly to music, and recognise its ability to communicate complex emotions
instantaneously.
Step 1
Pre-select several very different types of music (not only differing musical genres, but different tempos etc) to play
on either the piano or CD. Ask the actors to walk around the room. Play the first track and ask the actors to respond
physically to it. Encourage them not just to adjust their walk but use their whole body. Allow time for this to be fully
explored and then gradually work through the remaining tracks.
Step 2
Discuss the power of music and how the students felt when each piece was played. Relate this to the songs in Annie
Get Your Gun. Berlin is a master at writing songs that convey information both about the character that are singing
but also the situation. For example, consider the contrast between the Hicksville, simple ‘Doin’ What Comes
Natur’lly’ which perfectly encapsulates Annie’s backwards upbringing, with the up-tempo spark of ‘There’s No
Business Like Show Business’ which represents the glamour of Buffalo Bill’s show.
Step 3
Set up a simple scenario of conflict between two of your actors and ask them to improvise the scene. For example:

An employee arrives late for work and his boss is waiting for him.

A schoolgirl refuses to give up her seat on the bus for an OAP who challenges her.

A groom has just said the wrong name at the altar and tries to apologise to the bride.
Once they’re in the middle of the scene put on a piece of music and ask them to allow it to affect the scene. Their
initial response will probably relate to the dynamics of the music; a loud, fast piece will solicit an angry response for
example. Change the music to something that really contrasts, and encourage them to respond also to the genre of
music. (An up-tempo, light song might turn the scene into silent comedy. A heavily orchestrated, classical piece may
turn the scene into a hammy melodrama.)
Step 4
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Allow every student to have a turn. Lead a discussion about how the music affected the scene and therefore the
power of a score on a musical theatre audience.
Building Character through Physicality
This exercise is a quick and easy physical method of getting actors to consider characterisation. (It also helps
ensemble members to be specific when defining the differences between their various roles.)
Step 1
The aim of step one is to clear the actors’ heads and physically neutralise them, ridding themselves of their
individual quirks.
Ask the actors to walk around the room at their own pace. To ensure they stay mentally active, feed in commands
such as: ‘faster’, ‘slower’ and ‘change direction’.
(There is a tendency at this stage for some actors to hold their breath whilst they concentrate, so remind them to keep
breathing. Some also become too insular, so encourage them to make eye contact with other actors as they pass
them.)
Step 2
Once you feel the actors are focussed, begin to ask the following questions. It’s useful to offer a few example
answers to each question to encourage those who aren’t as imaginative (see character’s age example below). Allow
enough time for the actor to consider and implement each new thing before moving on to the next. The actors should
keep walking throughout. End each question by saying: ‘Allow this to filter into your physicality.’
Questions
How old is your character?
(Example of how to expand this: ‘Are you young or old? Exactly how old? Consider how that would affect your
walk, the way you hold your shoulders, how much you swing your arms, the way you make eye contact with people
as you pass, the pace you move at’ etc.)
What is your character’s social status?
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What part of the body does your character lead with when they walk?
If your character was an animal, which animal would he/she be?
If your character was a colour, what colour would they he/she be?
‘If you had to give your character a verb, what verb would you chose?
Step 3
Now ask the characters to progress from walking around the room to doing simple activities. The following are just
examples.
How would your character stand still?
How would your character sit down?
How would your character sleep?
How would your character run for a bus?
How would your character dance at a wedding?
How would your character pray?
Step 4
Finally, the actors can begin to interact with each other. Firstly, instruct them to walk around the room again greeting
each other as they pass. Then progress to improvised conversations. It’s a good idea to give a context such as
Pawnee Bill’s party from Act 2 of Annie Get Your Gun.
Exploring Relationships between Characters
This exercise is a fun way to explore relationships.
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Step 1
Follow step 1 from the previous exercise but ask the actors to walk around the room in character instead of neutrally.
Step 2
Whilst still walking, ask each actor to pick a character in the play who is the most dangerous (this is the ‘bomb’) to
their character and the character who can offer their character the most (this is the shield). The appropriate characters
might not be immediately obvious or explicit from the script and the actors may need a moment to weigh up the
options. It may be helpful to remind the actors that they should consider physical, emotional and mental
dangers/needs.
Tell the actor at which point in the play the exercise is taking place (you could repeat it once for the beginning, once
for the end) as character relations vary throughout a play (Annie and Frank constantly alternate between friends and
enemies throughout Annie Get Your Gun, for example.)
The aim is for each actor to place the ‘shield’ between his/her self and the ‘bomb’. Allow the exercise to play until
the actors have had an opportunity to really try and achieve their aim.
Step 3
It’s a good idea to discuss any revelations which the game has produced afterwards. Actors may be surprised that a
certain character was using them as a ‘shield’.
Thematic Stage Pictures
This exercise is designed to encourage students to consider the power of the visual language of theatre, whilst also
examining the play’s themes. Some professional theatre directors also use it to help their cast identify the play’s
components (both themes and plot) near the start of rehearsals.
Step 1
Split the cast into at least two groups. Give each group a defining moment from the play; the students shouldn’t
know which moments the other groups have been given. The best moments are those which contain dramatic
conflict between the characters. Each group has two minutes to create a tableau [frozen image] which conveys that
moment. The time limit encourages team work and a physical, rather than intellectual, response.
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Good examples of moments from Annie Get Your Gun are:

When Frank loses the first shooting match to Annie.

When Annie shows Frank the medals she has won.

When Pawnee Bill and Buffalo Bill realise that both shows are broke whilst discussing going into
partnership.
Step 2
Ask one group to stay frozen and invite the other groups to look at their tableau. Ask for suggestions of what
moment the group are trying to capture. Once it’s been correctly guessed (or you’ve admitted defeat and asked for
the answer) ask the audience for suggestions on how the story of the picture could be clearer. The performing group
should adapt their picture according to the suggestions. Keep taking suggestions until the tableau captures the
essence of the moment and can’t be distilled further.
Repeat this process with the other groups.
Step 3
Bring the groups together and ask what themes were suggested by the tableaus.
This is also a good opportunity to talk about the power of images on stage and how small details can really change
the audience’s perspective of a scene, and therefore that there is a need for clarity.
Step 4
Ask the groups to pick one theme which has been suggested from their scene and to create a tableau which
represents it. Tell them to take it out of the context of the play you’re rehearsing and think imaginatively and nonliterally. Give a time limit. Repeat Step 2.
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12. INTERVIEW WITH RICHARD JONES, DIRECTOR
Why Annie Get Your Gun?
Annie Get Your Gun was David Lan’s [Young Vic, Artistic Director] idea - the theatre had been wanting to do a
Broadway musical for about eight years. Jane Horrocks approached him about working at the Young Vic again [she
was previously in Jones’ production of The Good Soul of Szechuan] and she was perfect for the leading role of
Annie.
And what attracted you to the project?
There’s a difficult problem of tone in the play for a director. There’s a lot you could cringe at. I think you have to let
the odd cringe through, but the dialogue has to be very terse and comically buoyant and I was interested to see if I
could make it work.
Are you tackling those problems of tone in the rehearsal room or through rewriting the script/music?
The original production’s politics are very right-wing. The sexual politics are in the dark ages, it’s clearly racist and
what it says about the function of theatre is dreadful [presumably as a force of entertainment rather than social
change]. The original script is very wearying to read; it’s pretty terrifying. On all points of the compass it’s very
difficult to re-conceive the production.
Members of the chorus in Annie Get Your Gun
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Annie Get Your Gun is often criticised for its racist portrayal of the Native American characters. How have
you approached this problem?
I don’t think there are any Native American actors in the UK so I’ve cast ensemble members irrespective of their
ethnicity. I’ve purposefully portrayed those characters as having the highest intellect and status of all the roles,
turning the stereotype on its head. I guess it’s a postmodernist8 joke. There’s an underlying theme in the show that in
order to earn your living you might have to subscribe to the incorrect way that society might portray you [such as
Sitting Bull, see chapter 9]. There are more amateur productions of Annie Get Your Gun than any other musical, but
I don’t particularly like the versions I’ve watched on YouTube as they don’t deal with these controversial issues.
However, it’s very difficult to do a show like Annie Get Your Gun which is both appropriate for the usual Young Vic
audience whilst simultaneously appealing to a West End musical theatre audience who hasn’t previously been here.
Would you agree that, like many 1940’s musicals, a prominent theme is the pursuit of the American dream?
Yes, that’s exactly what the show is about. It’s endemic in shows of the time; all the characters are in the Garden of
Eden. If you came to America in 1946, usually your life has been awful beforehand, and you had to believe that
America was God’s country. In God’s country everyone has a moral centre, everyone has opportunism, everyone is
childlike (but not childish), open and luminous. And that’s a good guide for what the playing style of the production
should be. It’s the opposite of Stanislavsky and Naturalism in every way. That’s the question of tone I was talking
about early. And it’s a very unfashionable playing style too, which is interesting.
The band consists of just four pianos which is very unusual. Was that a decision you made with Jason [Carr,
the Musical Supervisor]?
The composers of 1940’s musicals were Eastern Europe and Jewish so their orchestral sound was Viennese, very
rich. Someone suggested I do a Country and Western version of Annie Get Your Gun but that’s a huge betrayal of
what Irving Berlin was, which is not far from Lehar [Hungarian composer of The Merry Widow]. In order to recreate
Berlin’s Broadway sound, it’s better, in my opinion, to have four pianos which can be excessive and sound all the
harmonic world of that score. Years ago, I sometimes played the piano in places like the Half Moon Theatre [East
London fringe theatre, now closed]. One time during a production of Guys and Dolls there was just a piano, bass and
drums and I remember thinking how weedy and feeble it sounded in comparison to the original. Our four piano
version might have a black and white palette but it does have a very strong relationship with what the original
orchestral score should sound like.
8
An artistic phenomenon with various attributes, in this case drawing attention to the convention you’re using.
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Annie Get Your Gun
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13. INTERVIEW WITH DAVID LAN, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Is it correct that you wanted the Young Vic to produce a classic Broadway musical?
No, not really. The production came out of two things. The first was the pressure to do shows that have music in
them as they contain the maximum expressiveness of the human body and mind. I classify all our music theatre work
together, whether it’s a play with songs, a musical, an opera or dance. The second prompt was Jane Horrocks who
appeared in our production of The Good Soul of Szechuan [by Bertolt Brecht], with Richard Jones directing, and she
said she’d like to work with him again at the Young Vic. I thought about what would be a good show for both of
them and also be the kind of thing they haven’t done before, which is part of the Young Vic’s brief. Annie Get Your
Gun is an odd piece; it’s light and could just be called an ‘entertainment’, but beneath that is a contentious and
complex structure. It’s fundamentally about the nature of commercial relationships, whether that’s between men and
women, or entrepreneurs and Native Americans. The original script is on to something about show business, the
business of showing things, but it doesn’t quite deal with it, it flirts with something complex. I guess what we’re
hoping to do with the show is think a little bit about how all that’s changed in the 50 years since it was originally
done.
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Dolly Tate [Liza Sadovy] and Charlie Davenport [John Marquez]
Are you hoping to bring a new audience to the Young Vic by programming a more commercial show?
I don’t like to think of target audiences as I don’t think of people in that way. That said, I think I’ve noticed over the
performances so far that there are people who’ve not been before, from a different part of London, and that’s great.
But I prefer to think in terms of numbers: I would like lots of people to come. The point of the seats being so cheap
(compared to other musicals) is the hope that people will come who wouldn’t be able to afford to go to West End
theatres. However, West End theatres charge double what we charge and the best shows are sold out every night so
obviously there is money to spend out there. It does mean we’ve done more extensive marketing, and have higher
financial targets, than usual.
Richard said that the tone of the show is challenging. What are your thoughts on that?
It’s unusual that a director of a musical like Annie Get Your Gun would talk about tone. Richard is a master of
aiming for a delicate tone and yet the resonance, if he gets it right, is very powerful. It’s like the surface of a lake; it
needs to be still and totally controlled. There might be big fish swimming around in the bottom of the lake, you
know they’re there but they don’t disturb the surface on the lake. The job of a director and cast is to find the core
humanity in whatever play they’re doing. The definition of a bad play is when you can’t find what is real in the
material because it isn’t there. Richard’s way of talking about that is tone. He means finding the sensibility, the
original impulse of the writer.
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Sitting Bull [Niall Ashdown], Chucky Venn [Bufallo Bill] and John Marquez [CharlieDavenport]
To what extent did you and Richard discuss the controversy surrounding the portrayal of the Native
American characters in the musical?
We knew we could only do the show if we were able to crack this problem, and with the agreement of the Berlin’s
estate of course [who control the distribution of rights]. I don’t believe the writers were racist. I believe the way in
which they tried to express the humanity of the Native American characters was to write them as Jews. It is shtick
[Yiddish humour] – Jewish, New York gags. How conscious of this the writers were I don’t know, but it’s pretty
clear to me that they were saying that the Native Americans in the Wild West show shared a common humanity with
everyone else. The evidence of this is that the characters can make as good and as intelligent jokes as the other
characters. The difficultly is that our knowledge of the reality of Native American experience is different from what
it was 50 years ago. You can’t talk about Custer’s last stand [see chapter 9] in the way you could before the
publication of ‘Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee’ [seminal work about the history of Native Americans, written in
1970 by Dee Brown]. We now know a lot more about the appalling history that underpins American life. I’ve been
guided by Richard and the research, improvisations and workshops he’s done to find a way we could present those
characters with adequate dignity and intelligence, but without disturbing the tranquil surface of the lake. Peter Stein
[German theatre director] said that if he read a play and felt he understood it then he didn’t see the reason to direct it.
Part of the reason to do a play is to come to terms with it.
How is the American Dream represented in the production?
The American Dream is the assumption that anyone can become somebody through Capitalism. This contradicts the
assumption of the UK which is that we’re all bound by the class we’re born into. The flip side of that is that America
also imprisons more people than any other country and executes nearly as many as China. Annie Oakley expresses
the American Dream in a very particular way. Richard has mentioned to me that it’s almost like she has autism.
She’s a girl from the sticks but she can do this one extraordinary thing. She has one aspect of genius. It’s like Rain
Man [1988 film about an autistic man] but with shooting instead of mathematics.
The play’s ending keeps changing throughout previews, are there concerns that it could be thought of as
sexist?
We like to talk in terms of racism and sexism. The job of art is to go beyond that. It’s the death of art to think in
those terms. It’s another kind of enslavement of the mind that there is some orthodoxy which we have to follow. You
can approach law-making and journalism in that way, but not art. To understand the reality of experience is to
understand that all suffering is the same, that the suffering of women is just as bad as the suffering of men and blacks
the same as whites.
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Putting politics aside, is there a danger that the audience feel Annie has sold out if she concedes the end match
to Frank and therefore feel dissatisfied as they leave the theatre?
I don’t think we’ve sorted the end yet. I mean obviously we know its fine to create shows that the audience disagrees
with but I don’t know what that would do to the tone in this production. If I were producing this in a commercial
theatre I guess I’d be saying it’s got to end in a way where the audience leave feeling satisfied. And maybe I should
do that with this Young Vic production too. That said, one of the most successful musicals in the West End and on
Broadway at the moment is Billy Elliot [about a working class boy who dreams of becoming a dancer, set against the
backdrop of the miners’ strikes] and the great thing about that show is that it says difficult things that you wouldn’t
expect to find in a musical. I think the success of Billy Elliot isn’t despite that, but because of that.
Historically, the musical is set in the 1880s but Richard has relocated it to the 1940s, why has he done that?
He’s located it very approximately in the 1940s; there are actually all kinds of eras in there. The change of setting is
to suggest to the audience that they can look at the piece in a new way. Richard uses the phrase ‘comfy snooze’ to
describe shows he disapproves of; he’s at war with the notion of an audience sitting back and relaxing. He wants
maximum consciousness and maximum attention from his audience.
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14. INTERVIEW WITH JAMES MCKEON, MUSICAL DIRECTOR
What does a Musical Director do?
I teach the music to the cast and ensure they know the musical notes and how we want them sung. Then I work with
the Musical Supervisor to work out how we’re going to use music for scene changes and introductions in order to
create the correct mood, and how we’ll play that. I also rehearse the members of the band. For this production, I’m
also playing the piano and conducting when I have a spare hand. Often the M.D. would just conduct during
performances.
Your band consists of just four pianos. Why was this decision made?
The history of the four pianos is that we were originally thinking of doing it with just two pianos and various other
instruments. But then Richard and Ultz [Designer] were contemplating placing the two pianos along the front of the
stage but weren’t sure where on the stage to put the rest of the instruments. At which point Jason [Musical
Supervisor] suggested that we could make a big musical statement and just have four pianos. It means all the music
is in one colour but you can do exciting things with stereo sound using the two pianos on either end whilst the two
pianos in the middle concentrate on playing rhythm and tune. Just having pianos is also reminiscent of the selfplaying Player Pianos which were used in western saloons. Taking an untraditional approach to the musical suits the
Young Vic’s style.
The four pianists: Lindy Tennant-Brown, Jonathan Williams, James McKeon and Mary McAdam
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What are the complications of this unique approach?
We’re still discovering that! Normally a band would be positioned to face into each other but because we’re in a row
it makes it difficult to communicate, although being right in front of the cast has great benefits. Also, actors always
get used to being accompanied by a piano in rehearsals and find it difficult to adjust to a full orchestra in
performance because it sounds very different. In our production the band just sounds like an amplified version of the
rehearsal piano.
Does being positioned along the front of the stage mean that the band is integrated into the performance?
Oh yes! We were learning some of our staging today. We have to take props like guns and cactuses on and off the
stage. There are scenes that we are involved in and we have to wear cowboy shirts. I did warn the band when I
offered them the job that it would involve an element of performance as traditionally musicians don’t like to be seen
by the audience.
The musical has a very recognisable score, have you made any changes to it?
The show is revised each time it’s remounted and we’ve re-jigged things too. The characters of Tommy and Winnie
and their duet ‘Who Do You Love, I Hope’ was cut from the 1960s revival. We’ve cut Tommy and Winnie too but
kept the song and it’s now sung by Dolly and Charley. We have a version of the controversial song ‘I’m An Indian
Too’ which is always cut these days, but we’re presenting it in a different way. We’ve tried to use the other songs
that have been cut as underscore or scene change music; most of them get a reference at some point.
What do you feel typifies Berlin as a composer?
He’s very melodic and concise; the songs are almost miniatures. Songs like ‘You Can’t Get a Man with a Gun’
expresses a lot through a very simple melody. He also writes glorious tunes like ‘I Got Lost in His Arms’ which is
harmonically complex whilst having a simple structure (introduction, verse and chorus). Berlin taught himself the
piano and could only play in the key of F sharp. He owned a piano which was tuned in F sharp but had a lever which
changed the key, that way he could play in F sharp, push the lever and decide which the best key for the song was.
They still have that piano somewhere in America.
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15. INTERVIEW WITH DAVID RICARDO-PEARCE, ACTOR (UNDERSTUDY FRANK
BUTLER)
What kind of character is Frank Butler?
Frank is a great sharpshooter, a minor celebrity, good with the ladies, full of confidence, clean living (he doesn’t
really drink or smoke), quick tempered and charming.
He is a historical figure; did you do any research into the real Frank?
I did a little research but there isn’t much about him out there, there’s much more about Annie Oakley. Berlin and
Fields took great liberties when characterising the roles, plus we’re setting the production in 1946 [Frank Butler died
in 1926], so our Frank Butler isn’t really the same as the historical guy. There are some elements of his life, such as
his parents being immigrants that I’ve remembered as they’re useful to me as an actor.
Frank Butler [Julien Ovenden] and Annie Oakley [Jane Horrocks]
Can you talk about Frank and Annie’s relationship?
He’s completely baffled by Annie at the beginning of the show, he doesn’t know how to take her; she’s a feisty and
masculine woman which catches him off guard. He’s used to women being dimpled and rosy and flowery, which is
what he thinks he wants in a woman, and when they meet she challenges his expectations. She’s also a challenge to
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him, which is why he likes her; she’s ballsy and stands up to him. She has a quick temper like he has and she’s
arrogant about her marksmanship. Although he finds it infuriating he loves that element of combatativeness.
Frank comes across as arrogant and a jerk. Is there a danger the audience might not like him?
He is a bit of a jerk but not consciously. He says things to Annie like: ‘Why don’t you get yourself a couple of
knitting needles?’ It’s just his view of women, he is sexist, and he has misogynistic traits. They do slowly diminish
as the play goes on. It’s essential you play him as not knowing, that he’s not trying to be demeaning and is trying to
advice Annie.
You’re saying sexism was an acceptable attitude at the time but will contemporary audiences agree?
There is a big danger that females in the audience will take against Frank’s views. It’s a difficulty with the play;
there are sexist themes in it. The ending is particularly tricky as Annie forfeits the shooting match to Frank.
The script was changed in the 1999 Broadway version so Annie didn’t concede the match and it was a draw.
Last week we had some women in watching a run of the play and they hated the ending. A new version was brought
in yesterday but when we rehearsed it the changes didn’t really work so it’s back in development again. At the
moment no one in the cast knows how our production will end. I think you have to make Frank so charming and
likeable that you forgive his sexism as ignorance. [At the time of the writing Annie does pretend to lose the match in
the Young Vic version.]
Isn’t the danger that you never redeem the character for the audience?
If I was rewriting the script I would probably steer the production towards Annie being the pure-hearted centre of the
show and not needing to change in order to win Frank’s love. So Frank is the one who modernises his views.
Are there any differences between acting in musicals and plays?
I don’t think there should a difference in how you approach musicals and this production is being approached as if it
was a play. Even if you’re in a musical where the characters are larger than life, you still need to be truthful. Richard
is looking for psychological realism from all the actors and the songs come out of the situation [see chapter 10].
We’ve approached the songs as if they were monologues in a play.
Is it difficult being an understudy and stepping into someone else’s shoes?
This is the first time I’ve been an understudy and I guess I’ll discover just how difficult it is as we go through the
run. As an understudy you have to perform the acting choices that someone else has made. I would much rather
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approach the part myself; making choices based on what I feel is exciting or appropriate. However, I think there is
room to make it your own. The blocking and basic acting decisions of a scene are set, but within those parameters
you can do your own thing. The danger is that you go on and give a 2-D imitation of someone else’s performance.
Traditionally you don’t start rehearsals as an understudy until after press night; there’s no point as things might keep
changing until then, but that means I’ll be very scared if I have to go on tomorrow night!
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Annie Get Your Gun
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16. INTERVIEW WITH MATT TURNER, ACTOR (ENSEMBLE)
What roles do you play?
The play begins in an Ohio diner and the ensemble play local people. We then play numerous roles; Indians, waiters,
chefs, someone plays a gay hotel guest a la Liberace... It’s about five in all.
How difficult is it switching between characters?
You have to deal with each character separately or it could become overwhelming. When you’re onstage you have to
be in the moment and concentrate on the character you’re playing at the time, you can’t be thinking ahead to what
you’re playing next.
Who decides how you play each character - you or the director?
You get told the role you’re playing, a chef or waiter or whatever, but it’s ultimately the actor’s decision how to
interpret that role. The director doesn’t really want large characters in those scenes that will distract the audience
from Annie or Frank - he’s chosen characters with generic occupations for that reason. We play the Ohio characters
for a much longer period of time - the beginning of act 1 and the end of act 2 - and Richard has allowed us a much
freer hand with those.
You trained at Doreen Bird’s College which focuses on dance. A traditional production of Annie Get Your
Gun would have big dance sequences. How do you feel about the limited use of dance in this production?
I wouldn’t describe it as dance as such, but there is some movement. Not many of the actors in the show are dance
trained because the Young Vic didn’t want to produce a big, stereotypical Broadway show. They wanted to place the
emphasis on the acting. Philippe is a choreographer but he is predominantly working as a movement director on this
show. He tries out ideas and they evolve as all the cast has input - it’s more of a devised process than you’d get with
a commercial choreographer.
What’s been the most challenging aspect of rehearsals for you?
Things have been adapted and changed so many times throughout rehearsals as different ideas are suggested that it’s
very difficult to remember which the latest version is. In commercial musicals once something’s choreographed it
doesn’t really change. It’s made my brain work in a different way. Also the singing is very challenging, we’re often
singing in five-part harmonies.
What have you enjoyed the most?
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I’ve loved the emphasis on acting; I’ve not really done that before. Richard is extremely specific about what he
wants as a director. It’s very interesting as an actor to work in various ways. To focus so heavily on that discipline
has been a great experience.
17. REHEARSAL DIARY BY ASSISTANT DIRECTORS, OLIVER MEARS AND RIKKI HENRY
Week One (Rikki Henry)
Monday
On the first day of rehearsal, there was an official meet and greet of everyone in the building, which was really
useful as this is such a big show. After the meet and greet, the cast and the creative team sat down and began the first
collective read-through of the script. This was broken up into story blocks, providing the actors with a quick
overview of what a particular section of the play was about. When this ended, homework was set for the actors –
they have been asked to research the world of the play, such as the climate, culture and geography of the musical’s
setting. This will prove important later on in the rehearsal process as actors can remind themselves of the elements
that go into their characters. This also provided the groundwork for the afternoon’s rehearsal on the first scene. The
stage manager also did a mark-out of the stage on the floor of the rehearsal room. This is so useful as it provides the
actors with an understanding of the dimensions of the space they are to perform in. This was the first of many things
that would be needed from stage management. The first scene requires a barrel (which is needed for the shooting
match), rifles, a coca-cola machine etc. Richard [Jones, director] requested certain items for the actors as we worked
and slowly he guided the actors through the beginning of the scene.
Tuesday
Today we began with the research that had been set for homework. We discussed certain aspects of people’s
research, and handed out copies of their research for members of the cast and creative crew to view. Characters’
back-stories were talked about. Many actors were still developing their work on this, with the requirement that they
would soon be available in the rehearsal room. This would eventually be stuck on the wall for easy access and
updating. Richard brought in some books he had which would add to and support particular characters, particularly
Jane. The original version of the play was also available today allowing members of the cast to look at their
character in the original form.
Ultz [designer] brought in the model box [a model of the set] for the rehearsal. This gave the cast and creative team a
better understanding of the space. He showed us pictures of the look he was going for – America in the 1940s - and
explained the dimensions to us. This became a very crucial point of reference for us when discussing certain
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blocking issues. Each time there was a matter that the actors found difficult to interpret, we would return to the
model box, the pictures and the completed research.
Wednesday
Richard went through the first scene in detail, giving the actors involved – Buffy [Mrs Wilson], John [Charlie
Davenport] and Liza [Dolly Tate] - notes about how they receive information from each other, and how they
punctuate certain ideas that need to come across vividly to an audience. He spent time working on what an actor’s
character would do within a given circumstance. For example, if an actor rested his legs up on the table in the diner
scene, this may be a trait one portrays in today’s fast food restaurants, but would seem very out of place in the era of
this production. Even these basic gestures we take for granted now, are so crucial to understand in building a
character and a world that the audience believes in.
Nikki, the costume designer, brought in pictures and drawings of the costume designs for the show, and exhibited
them to the cast explaining how they were to be fashioned and what they represented in each of the scenes. She also
showed us examples of Native American costumes that would have been worn in the era the play was set.
Richard continued to talk to the company about trying to bring this play into a modern day setting, where Native
Americans have become high status characters. He is interested in the challenge this presents and continues to make
these ideas a reality in rehearsals.
Thursday
Today we began with the musical number ‘Buffalo Bill’ which Jason Carr orchestrated. We ran it several times with
Richard giving notes on each run, improving on the actors’ understanding of key moments and the details in certain
moves the actors played. Philippe [choreographer] also played a key part in this, working out certain problems as
they arose. A metal bin was used for the barrel during this scene as the props were still being sourced by the stage
management team. What has become more crucial as the days have gone on is the need for some script changes.
These have had to be emailed to the producers and then updated by the writer, April. Many occasions in the
rehearsal the writer has been needed to clarify certain issues and many changes occur throughout the day – it is a lot
of work for everyone to keep track of the most updated script.
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Richard continued to work on character as certain back stories have yet to be put on to the wall. In rehearsal we
constantly look at the characters’ motivations - Richard often reminding us for the need for impetus in the actors’
moves. He talks about actors using their sense of smell, drawing on their imaginations. This means that at a certain
moment they must pick up on something as if it is a scent coming into the room.
Friday
As the child actors are not in until the third week, we have been rehearsing with a child actor stand-in, Angela. It’s
really helpful having her with us as it means Richard can still give notes but move on quite quickly without having
to have other actors, stage managers or assistants filling this role. Angela will provide the child actors the notes
Richard is giving to her when they arrive. Angela is great at playing the child and offers the other actors someone to
react with. Often Richard gives very specific notes to hers, even though she will not play the role, but all of it can
hopefully be passed on to the child actors when they arrive. Richard is really keen to encourage the child to have real
attitude - there are key moments where she must confront other characters and get her point across. Some of the
notes he gives are that she must always stand up for and protect Annie Oakley, which she does by being in the other
characters’ faces to make sure they understand. She must be very close to Annie, and not allow herself to be hidden
although she may be smaller than everyone else.
Saturday
Today the second musical number we looked at was, ‘Doin’ What Comes Naturally’. Richard gave notes as to its
blocking as it was run, while James, the musical director, spoke to the cast about their diction, and how to sing
certain words. It is important that the actors breath at the right times. James conducts them so that they can do this
normally. As he is not always in plain sight the cast must work hard in certain songs to make sure they can still see
him so that they keep in rhythm.
During the afternoon the cast worked with Julia, a dialect coach. This was done in the Clare studio, and enabled
Richard to work with Jane [Horrocks, playing Annie] and Julian [Ovenden, playing Frank] in a focused
environment.
Week Two (Oliver Mears)
Monday
On the first day of the second week, Richard continued working through each scene in chronological order. We are
still working hard on Act I, in particular on the scene on the train and the first one in the tent (scene 3). The train
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scene is quite drastically rewritten from the original, which means April's presence in rehearsal is particularly
important. Often a simple tweak of a line can make all the difference to the pace or meaning of a scene. One of the
biggest difficulties in the original is the patronising and sometimes hostile approach to Native Americans: this was
one of the key areas Richard wanted to change for a modern audience. It's good to see 50s attitudes being turned on
their heads in rehearsal today, with the Indians played as sophisticated players in both the stockmarket and cultural
spheres. Though we are still minus a real child, Angela does a sterling job as a stand in, capturing well the
combination of the child's vulnerability and belligerence Richard is keen to develop. For the tent scene, Julian is
nicely developing the narcissism and arrogance of Frank Butler in the musical number 'My Defences are Down' – all
macho bluster and male bonding with the male chorus. For this number Richard works on the humour of the scene
without making it 'camp'. As always Richard is incredibly specific in the detail that he wants, the ensemble reacts on
very definite musical moments to things that Julian sings: Richard calls these moments 'buttons'. Dexterity with
timing and props is paramount.
Tuesday
Today was a day off because of a funeral of one of Richard's friends and colleagues, Linda Dobell, who was also a
great friend of many people in the cast from The Good Person of Szechuan [also at the Young Vic], which she
performed brilliantly in. As so many people attended the funeral, the day was spent on musical rehearsals.
Wednesday
Today the choreographer, Phillipe, began work on the number 'Moonshine Lullaby' – difficult, because the scene
requires the lifting of a child, who doesn't start until the end of the week. For now, we have to make do with a
mannequin and pillows, not quite the same thing, and rather frustrating for Phillipe, as the number is all about weight
distribution and safety – so while things can be blocked out in rough, all may change when the child finally arrives.
Likewise, the Clare Studio is not quite the same size as the main rehearsal space, meaning that spatial issues are still
quite rough for the moment. For this number Phillipe works in a separate room after he and Richard have talked in
some detail about what is needed. Very often Phillipe and Richard will come to rehearsals early to map out the
structure of a choreographed number on the mark-out of the set. As with all choreographed numbers, the key is
repetition: Phillipe works closely with the male ensemble on issues to do with musical timing, safe lifting, and the
moves themselves – only later will be added the actual acting quality required for the scene. Both Richard and
Phillipe are concerned that all choreography emerges organically from the characters, rather than appearing as
random, dancey movement for the sake of the 'number'.
Thursday
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Today the child actor joined us. Richard took her through the back-story of 'Jessie' – as always his direction is
underpinned by a close understanding of the psychology behind the character, even if the actor is only ten years old.
Fortunately our Jessie is also called Jessie which makes things very convenient. She seems a little shy with all the
people in rehearsal, but is clearly a confident stage performer. There's little doubt that, like the children who join
later on, she will be spoilt by the rest of the cast through the rehearsal period! With the chaperone, I work with Jessie
next door in the Clare Studio to keep her up to speed with the production so far. It's hard work without the rest of the
cast there: the child has to imagine many of the people on stage while I attempt to play and speak as many characters
as possible. Aside from characterisation, Richard is most concerned about the children being 'loud and proud' – that
their words really ring out on stage, with good diction, clear intention and confidence. With children especially,
repetition is the best way of accomplishing this. Jessie also has some time with Julia, the language coach, to perfect
her mid-western accent. Like most children she is very quick to learn and pick up sounds, and before long is
sounding like she's from Omaha – perhaps a consequence of the amount of US TV on UK channels these days!
Friday
Richard continued staging the fourth scene of Act I today. As usual he is working in great detail even though we are
still a month away from previews. For him, precision about gesture, eye contact and even feet direction is central to
the stage pictures he is trying to create and the story he is trying to tell. After all, many of the audience for this
production will be children, so the story must be told in as coherent a way as possible while also remaining an
interesting staging that will appeal to adults. Jane continues to experiment with the limits of her character: in her
process she tries all sorts of variations in timing and facial expression before deciding on the right one – the final
version of which may not possibly be till previews. Usually each one is hilarious, and it's a continuous surprise to
hear how effective her accent is – after only an hour or so of voice coaching from Julia. She is in a continual journey
that prevents rehearsals from ever being too set or stagnated and the sign of a truly creative actor. Richard too is
ready to jettison a staging very quickly if it no longer fits into the pattern that's emerging: in the case of Act 1, scene
4, how the actors should enter into the scene after Jane's trick. He is demanding in his questions – what is your
focus? What are you saying to each other? What do you want? He's also very unforgiving of unreal acting or posing,
and quick to point it out when necessary.
Today we also worked again on the trick – this is the shooting trick Annie performs to try and impress Frank. All the
cast must react in unison to a series of sound effects that represent Annie's spectacular trick (a real spectacular trick
would be far too expensive!) To convey to the audience with clarity, what Richard calls 'pleasing the first time
buyer', is all-important as Phillipe works on the precision of body timing and facial expression – all the audience will
get a sense of Annie's impressiveness with a gun on motorbike, horse, plane, and from a parachute. Meanwhile Matt,
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the sound designer, sits behind complex looking computer technology, splicing together the sounds which the actors,
and finally the audience, are responding to. Phillipe and Richard work together to work out the best way of
synchronising these sounds and adapting them when they could be even clearer. The results are both accurate and
funny – and hopefully will be to an audience as well.
Saturday
Today we worked for the first time on the big number 'The Sun in the Morning'. As a very traditional show tune, it's
intriguing to think what Richard and Philippe will do to free it from the dated 1940s aesthetics while staying true to
the music. Once again the basis is built on the character: the stiff socialites at the Hotel Breevort start dancing not
just randomly but because of Annie's intoxicating and contagiously enthusiastic freedom from social constraints and
mercenary interests. Phillipe slowly builds up a vocabulary of gestures and physical movements that demonstrate,
over the course of the number, how the guests lose their inhibitions before creating a giant stage picture representing
the apotheosis of Annie in the snobby environs of New York high society – a product of her agenda-free charisma
and lack of pretence. The sound of the whole cast working on this great Broadway tune is great to hear, with James
the music director paying close attention to the harmonies and making sure the individual voice types blend
effectively. Hopefully this song will be the show stopper it was originally designed to be, and so far the omens are
good...
Week Three (Rikki Henry)
Monday
It is important for Richard to work on the pictures (static images of actors in character) for the ‘buttons’ - moments
when the audience are given time to applaud and the picture on stage freezes. Making them stand out in the show is
key. Richard is adamant about the actors understanding this, and that the actors know where these pictures stem
from. He is constantly telling us that the characters should not merge on stage just because they are singing a song
together.
Today we focused on the beginnings of Act II - the geography of the boat scene was explained to the cast by Ultz
and Richard who began to go through with us what they had envisioned. We began to see this take shape as a very
long metal bar (about 5 feet long) that represented the side rail of the cattle boat. It was a priority for Richard to
show how this all worked. The cast also had to bear in mind the movement a boat and how it would affect their
performances. Richard often commended actors for their ability to adjust to the boat scene and give the illusion of
being at sea. Richard and Philippe choreographed the number in this scene ‘I Got Lost in his Arms’. The scene
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needed to work in relation to a conveyor belt that would carry items across the boat to depict a landscape passing.
While Richard rehearsed this scene, actors went into the Clare throughout the day to rehearse other musical numbers
with available pianists.
Tuesday
Stage management have been asked to source a variety of props that will be put on top of the pianos – these will
represent the different settings in the show. So far there will be a set of cacti, guns and world globes. Richard
continues to work out what would be the best items to put on the pianos, as there are very few specific items that can
encapsulate an entire scene. The importance of these props provides key visual references for the audience.
Richard continued to work on the boat scene with April at the helm to get the script issues in order. The benefits of
having the writer in the room are incredible - April really allows another creative conscious to flow. Often Richard
speaks to April the night before to request her help, and she will send through changes that add to the clarity of the
play or make it more practical to perform.
Wednesday
The actors need to learn how to gun sling and the actors have been practicing avidly with Brett who has shown them
how to use their guns. There are several important things to understand when holstering a gun. Brett talks to the
actors about the basics of the gun sling techniques - the motions they must use with their arms; what fingers to use;
what a gun does in certain positions because of the way it is weighted. Many of the actors have become very fond of
their replicas, to the point of carrying them around during the rehearsal.
Thursday
The child actors have been in this week with the rest of the cast. One of the child actresses, Jessica, has been
working very hard with Oliver to get up to speed with what we have been doing in rehearsals and is learning very
quickly Jesse’s moves. Unfortunately Angela, her stand-in, will be leaving soon so Jessica must also take notes from
her which cover the first week. She has worked with the main cast a few times now and is really getting the hang of
interacting with the other characters. She doesn’t seem to be shy, in fact she often wears t-shirts sporting messages
such as “I’m a drama queen” so she is definitely off to a good start.
Friday
We have managed to get through the first act and Richard is keen to have runs so that we can see how the scenes
work as a whole. It is key for him to see the work from a far, often he sits further back still requiring an assistant to
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take down his notes. It is a very big undertaking for the actors to go through the play in this fashion and the actors
often find this difficult. What is good about this process is that it allows Richard to see the scenes that still need
work, plus the musical numbers seem to be given more justice when actors perform them in these runs. As I was
away for last week’s rehearsal, it was good to see the act run through. There is a sense of real progress and you can
begin to see more characters fleshed out. You can also see how the work being done in the other rehearsal rooms is
feeding into the overall play. Much of the work done in the tent scene number ‘My Defences are Down’ is really
impressive and captures the distress/happiness that Frank Butler is feeling; Julian has really worked hard on this.
Jane also embodies Annie in a very clear way so you always understand what Annie Oakley is thinking. All her
actions are rooted in the research she did into her character.
Saturday
Today Richard continued to work with Jane and Julian, trying to refine the sequences they have together. The
ensemble, in a similar way, work with Philippe, particularly on the ‘trick’ which was practiced many times, as it has
to go in time with the sound effects. Often it is very tricky and actors can find themselves in a muddle. The sound
effects have particular nuances to it that call for this, but Philippe works hard to get everyone on the same page.
Week Four (Oliver Mears)
Monday
Julian is ill today meaning David, the understudy rehearses his Act I 'My Defences are Down' number. He does it
very well, though it raises the issue of how best to cover the actors themselves when/if a principle goes off ill –
many of the things the ensemble do is important in and of itself, and at some stage I will need to create a chart that
will enable a rapid decision as to who is best to cover what in the event of illness during performances.
We then continued with our work on Act II. The script is still a relatively fluid entity, and it's great to have April
with us in rehearsals. She is always ready in double-quick time to offer what Richard calls a 'band aid' – a temporary
solution to any problems with dramaturgy or staging that can be helped with a tweak of the text. Once again there is
an issue relating to the exposition-heavy boat scene – how to convey important facts about the characters' lives
'during the interval' without it seeming that way. Powered on tea, April works quickly in the break to come up with a
couple of witty lines that immediately solve the problem.
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I continue my work with the new child, Tanya, who is even more confident and no-nonsense than Jessie – quite a
little prima donna on stage, but exactly what Richard wants and which children and adults alike will respond to.
However, her enthusiasm does lead to a tendency to rush sentences, so she will need more work on her diction – it's
not always easy to make it clear how much larger the auditorium is than the rehearsal room, and consequently how
much louder and clearer they will need to be in order to get heard.
Tuesday
While Julian has returned after his bout of illness, Rikki [the other assistant director] has now gone home ill. This
means that Richard is now using me for notes. This reminds me how useful it is to have two assistants on a musical
like this – it's hard to maintain an accurate book (the record of the moves the actors make on stage) while
simultaneously writing the notes for the cast that a director whispers in your ear as a scene is being run, especially
when there are as many as Richard gives. However, it is these notes which reveal Richard's thoughts most
immediately, which is very useful in terms of understanding his thinking on the show, and also enables one to write
motivation notes down in the book as well. This is especially useful when it comes to rehearsing the understudies,
who naturally want to know not only exactly what they're doing, but why they're doing it as well.
Wednesday
We are finally into the last two scenes of the show. Richard works hard on attaining the right atmosphere for the
Breevort scene, with the stuffy millionaires that are the key to the contrast with Annie's straightforwardness. Phillipe
works on the chilly body language of the ensemble in this scene, together with an incredibly complex sequence of
drink/cocktail distribution that is devised as we go along with the three waiter actors, Adam, David and Paul. As
usual Richard wants these upmarket party scenes to be status-led and tense, with all moves carefully choreographed
and refined – a great contrast, finally, with the excesses of the big number in the scene. It becomes clear that some
expansion of the text is going to be necessary to understand why the characters so easily agree to work together after
so much antagonism. April goes away to think about this, and as usual comes up with some very effective 'band aids'
so that the scene can continue to be rehearsed. Richard also rehearses the final Frank-Annie scene – unchanged from
the original, this is as affecting as ever, as the two characters' love is once again compromised by their
competitiveness and mood for conflict.
Thursday
Today Jane spent the whole afternoon filming: there are two important film sequences in the show. For the session
the Clare Studio is fitted out with lighting and sound, as well as a suitable backdrop for the filming itself. Costume is
also involved to make sure Jane looks absolutely right for sequences that will be shown on a large scale in the
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auditorium at important moments. She is also photographed in the main auditorium for the large poster of Annie
with a gun (the star billing that Frank so resents) that opens Act I scene two. Jane's daughter Molly is also in, as she
will be one of the two children in the overture film sequence. She is disgusted later on when, towards the end of
rehearsals, her mum has to kiss Julian at length as part of the show!
Friday
Difficult work on the final scene: once again our gun slinger Brett Young comes in to advise on the technicalities of
the shooting competition and the guns used. All the cast have to be able to gun sling at the end of the show, even the
children, so for some weeks everyone has been spinning guns like Clint Eastwood (with a high number of gun
droppages – a concern for stage management as there is only a limited number of guns). He communicates very
effectively, and helps Richard to devise the contest sequence with a minimum of guns.
The end of the show will be quite moving, I think: Jane is playing genuine upset, even tears, as she concedes the
match, and even if the final result is harmonious and light, it's clear that she has been on quite a journey in the course
of the show. Now Richard is going to concentrate on refining what we've rehearsed, spending a week on each act
before a week of runs.
Saturday
Once again Richard uses the Saturday afternoon to spend time with Jane on her three main songs – ‘Doin’ What
Comes Natur’lly’, ‘You Can't Get a Man with a Gun’, and ‘The Sun in the Morning’. It's wonderful to watch the
interplay of two creative artists as they bounce ideas off each other in the pursuit of truth and, of course, humour – so
important in a show like this. Richard usually loves Jane's improvisations and I'm sure that many of them will end up
in the show. And likewise, Jane loves Richard's ideas and comments that refine the scene and stage pictures from the
outside. Meanwhile, Phillipe works with the rest of the cast on 'Sunshine', whittling down excess moves and adding
more details – hard but fulfilling work for the cast and ensemble, who are exhausted after a long week.
Week Five (Rikki Henry)
Monday
Richard would ideally like to have a week of runs so that everyone involved can have a real feel for the performance
requirements as a whole. It is also important for the actors to know how it feels to do full runs.
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Richard starts with the first scene. There have been problems with the bird that Annie shoots off Dolly’s hat - we
have had in a replacement that is a trigger mechanism, linked to the actor’s arm, which she has to press in order for
the bird to pop off the hat. Richard decides to have the bird shot off offstage as he is not pleased with the trigger
device. It does cause us problems as it takes a long time to put together once it is detached. Still we plough on, the
costume designer and assistant, providing suggestions. Richard opts to have the moment just offstage, which actually
works better for Jane because it gives her a grander entrance into the scene. The result is quite believable and
engaging to watch - this process of sharing ideas to solve this problem really helped the process and allowed the
moment to be even better.
Tuesday
During the run today, the gunshots in the show have been a very awkward problem, because there is so much that
goes into making it work. We have gone through many stages to try and solve various issues such as getting
different ammunition for a louder sound, or getting a rifle to fire more than one or two shots at a time by modifying
it. Many times these ideas have fallen through so it seems to be going back to square one. Although Richard is very
reluctant to use sound effects to provide gunshots, as it obviously lacks authenticity, we even have to consider firing
blanks. For the Act II shoot out scene, Brett the firearms instructor has given different ideas on how to solve many
difficult problems in rehearsal. The rifles are used in very creative ways during the shooting matches, so it has been
important for Julian to know how to reload the rifle quickly so that during his performance he is quicker and slicker!
As a professional marksman would be.
Wednesday
Today as we worked through the second act. Richard reminds the actors of the actions they are playing. In the hotel
Breevort scene, when there are so many actors on stage, they must not lose momentum and must not forget to play
the scene as their own characters. Richard is always consistent in reminding the actors not to loose focus or energy
but to continue to be mindful of what they need to do in order to tell the story. Often Richard will focus on a
particular set of actors, which means other actors don’t get his attention, so the energy drops. Philippe has been key
in solving this by giving movement notes as Richard alternates between different groups of people. In particular,
Richard is working very closely with Buffalo Bill, Pawnee Bill, Charlie Davenport and Dolly Tait in the hotel scene.
We continually run their section so that Richard can work on the details, such as making sure their cues are met with
accuracy, that the characters deal with the waiters coming in and out of the room etc. This scene has been a main
focus as it requires so many of the actors and so many script changes have gone into making the whole scene clearer
and more entertaining.
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Thursday
Most of the acts that were worked on yesterday are run completely today. We go through this quickly so there often
is not enough time to give actors notes. This means that notes have to been checked and ready to be given to Richard
for the next day. The notes are crucial during the runs because they are much more about how the ‘whole’ works.
Richard continues to remind actors of this - he tells them that even the individual notes to certain actors should be
received corporately, as this helps other actors to solve other problems sooner.
Today we have continued to work on the Hotel Breevort scene. After notes, the ensemble spends the time working
out how to be debutants and waiters which requires a great deal of choreography. They are working very hard to
master the many moves for this.
Friday
Today we begin to rehearse the number ‘Sun in the Morning’ in the Hotel Breevort. This is a very heart-warming
tune which everyone enjoys. Slowly Philippe and James, the musical director, work on it with Richard observing
their work. He talks to Philippe about the necessity to turn the movements into very un-naturalistic gestures. The
song evokes a certain elation – it’s about how even if you lose a great deal of what you have, you’re still happy. So
each character, whether a waiter or a debutant, must show how their character goes through a transformation as they
are convinced by Jane/Annie Oakley as she sings this song. The number has a range of different moves, which create
the effect of being swept away by a feeling of awe and happiness. So most of the morning is spent rehearsing this.
The afternoon is spent working on the preceding scene with Jane, Julian and the remaining principle cast.
Saturday
Today Richard speaks to the cast about the proposed action for next week and how he wants it to go. The diner
chairs and tables will be arriving with the other bits of furnishing, which should provide more of a reality for the
cast. We continue to work through the morning with Jane and Julian, while Philippe works with the ensemble in the
Clare. Towards the afternoon the ensemble join us in the Maria Theatre to work on the songs with James. Everyone
seems very tired, as they have worked very hard this week. We run the complete show for Richard and all to see - he
takes extensive notes (seven pages!)
Week Six (Oliver Mears)
Monday
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We start our week of runs. Beforehand Richard tightens up some moments in the final scene, mainly to do with
precision timing on moves. Before we start, Richard says that each run will have a theme: for this one, it's 'listening'
– all characters must listen to each other as much as possible and thereby keep it fresh as possible: 'imagine that this
time no one has ever said what they say to you, before'. The run is a success for a first time – only the odd chair
misplaced and the odd line forgotten, otherwise the shape is strong. After lunch Richard goes through his notes for
an hour, and decides that he will do concentrated working notes for the rest of the week rather than do runs – once
again, flexibility is a key facet of the director here. I continue working with one of the children in another room.
Jessie, because she started first, is actually the person who needs it the least, but Richard's latest note is key: focus on
a character even when you don't have a line to say or a move to perform. The tendency of all children to drift off a
little on stage now has to be countered as we go into the last week of studio rehearsals. In the last hour Richard
works on the first scene, and once again issues to do with narrative coherence crop up – fortunately April is here to
work on these and take the problems away with her.
Tuesday
Richard decided that he would rather tighten up the show as it currently exists than have a run every day – one of his
big strengths is adapting to the situation as it is rather than what it would ideally be. So we start working through the
piece from the top again. Matt McKenzie, the sound designer, is increasingly important as he experiments with
sounds in the rehearsal room. With a minimal set, Richard has said from the start how crucial sound is going to be to
conjuring up the atmosphere of some very different localities in the show, as well as the all-important noises in the
'trick' scene, which have to be followed by the cast with minute attention to detail. Today we have some train noises
for scene 2, and work in moments when there will be a 'jolt' in the train sound which the cast will need to follow- at a
particular moment, one of these moments will be for Jane to fall into Julian's arms, very romantically! Everyone is
acutely conscious that there will be problems that are not present that will inevitably crop up on stage, and Richard is
very good at anticipating these and warning people that, for example, their exits might be more difficult than they
currently are in the rehearsal room. Apart from these things, Richard focuses on the first two scenes, working in
great detail once again, mainly on quite choreographic moments involving the chorus/ensemble. He's always keen to
get them working together like clockwork. While allowing them space to improvise and create, there are moments
when they must behave like the classical Greek chorus, i.e. effectively as one actor. This necessitates enormous
precision in listening to the music and moving when appropriate. Richard has also decided that the big 'Show
business' number will need some choreography, but has yet to decide exactly what it is.
Wednesday
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We continue to work through the piece. Increasingly Richard is preoccupied with issues to do with pacing. The
length of time that people take to pick up cues is obviously crucial to this – we now can't have long pauses as people
process ideas or words, and Richard focuses on tightening this up so that no one ever says 'um' or 'oh' or 'er'
extraneously before a line, thus slowing down the pace. He is very time-conscious, and determined that the running
time of Monday's run is reduced – in a musical especially, Richard is very clear that any longeurs are death. So
whereas before it was not a major concern, as actors experimented and created with different line readings, now
Richard is set on making sure every word has a clear intention without any extras. Today Richard also wants
everyone to focus on diction – the clarity of the words – in order to make sure that next week, in the larger space,
every word can come across, and therefore the story as well. Neither of these two things have necessarily been top
priority before now, as Richard was keen not to inhibit the performers, but with just over a week to the first
performance, now is the time. Other than that, we continue to work through the first act of the show, which is also
the longest. Much of the time on the tent scene is again taken up with ensemble notes as Richard fine tunes the big
picture.
Thursday
Today we move onto the second act, tightening and refining the boat scene, the Breevort Hotel scene, and the last
scene. The latter is the biggest focus of work as a rewrite has come through which seeks to emphasise Annie's
motives more clearly. Other than that, a large chunk of time is spent on the Hotel scene and the activities of the
'millionaires' – those ensemble actors playing the rich people with 'long white gloves' mentioned in the script. As we
don't have a cast of thousands, precision is again the key as every move must represent their status and breeding.
Richard doesn't believe in 'parties' as theatrical events – instead, every social gathering in his eyes is full of status
battles, and tense with what is socially at stake. Phillippe does great work on the movement of the millionaires, while
keeping up a constant hub of activity from the waiters in the scene to give an impression of a busier, larger place
than can obviously be totally represented in the Young Vic. We also work repeatedly on the now infamous 'chicken
salad' scene, which was possibly once very funny but has lost much of its sap. Richard and the cast work for literally
hours on a comic solution to Annie's problem of trying to eat something at the Hotel, and various ideas are tried and
discarded as Richard does what he calls 'opening it up to the panel'. In the end a temporary solution is found which
may or may not survive stage rehearsals. We have all reached the point now where people can't wait to be on stage
to achieve the next levels of performance and adrenalin – a natural stage in rehearsal and one which we're all
impatient for.
Friday
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Today we had our final run before we go on stage – an important moment when most, if not all, the main elements
need to be in place. As it took place in front of many members of staff at the Young Vic, it was also a great
opportunity for the cast to start gauging audience responses and, for example, working out how laughs will effect
their lines afterwards. It's at this point that variations in line delivery can be experimentally driven by how the
audience reacts. This will also have an impact on the remaining cuts still to be made. Also, excitingly, Irving Berlin's
granddaughter attended the rehearsal (his daughters were also supposed to but in the end were unable to attend).
Probably conscious that everyone was trying to sense her reaction, she was incredibly polite and enthusiastic about
what Richard has been trying to do with the show, and supportive of the changes we've made. As none of the
original lyrics have been altered, she was also delighted at the quality of the musical standards. Today was also the
first opportunity for everyone to hear the music for the film of Annie's world tour after the interval, which Jason Carr
the musical supervisor has spent some time creating. It's a very witty piece of music, with moments from the original
score blended with music from the countries that Annie visits as she tours the world in the film (ie Big Ben chimes
for London, Wagner for Germany, Cossack music for Russia) and the whole thing gets a big laugh when bravely
played by two of our pianists – an early chance for us to hear what the multiple pianos will sound like, even with
only two. The run itself is a great success, with lots of laughs, and Julian and Jane continuing to develop their
characters and relationship. Now for the stage!
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18. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Books
The American Dream, Jim Cullen (Oxford University Press: 2003)
Broadway Babies Say Goodnight, Mark Steyn (Faber and Faber: 1997)
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, Dee Brown (Holt, Rineheart & Winstone: 1970)
Changing Stages, Richard Eyre and Nicholas Wright (Bloomsbury: 2000)
Daily Life in the United States, 1940-1959, Eugenia Kaledin (Greenwood Press: 2000)
Irving Berlin: A Life in Song, Philip Furia (Schirmer Books: 1998)
Irving Berlin: American Troubadour, Edward Jablonski (Henry Holt: 1999)
The Mammoth Book of Native Americans, Jon Lewis (Running Press: 2004)
The Pocket Guide to Musicals, Maureen Hughes (Remember When: 2008)
As Thousands Cheer, Laurence Bergreen (Hodder and Satoughton: 1990)
DVD
Annie Get Your Gun, Irving Berlin (Warner Brothers: 2000)
Websites
 buffalobill.org
 fmtcurrent.blogspot.com/2006/07/little-annie-get-your-gun-history.html
 rnh.com



memory.loc.gov/learn/lessons/97/dream/thedream.html
americansc.org.uk/online/American_Dream.html
musicals101.com

http://www.lasr.net/travel/city.php?City_ID=OK0313040&VA=Y&Attraction_ID=OK0313040a001

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sitting_Bull

books.google.co.uk/books?id=dAvsj5yRW_0C&pg=PA69&lpg=PA69&dq=annie+oakley+buffalo+bill's+w
ild+west+show&source=bl&ots=wE6SJ8h7P0&sig=Zbs3K23AP630e0k4x2E8Z3V8cE&hl=en&ei=143QSpXNAoq14Qaj0fT_Ag&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CA8Q6
AEwATgK#v=onepage&q=annie%20oakley%20buffalo%20bill's%20wild%20west%20show&f=false

lkwdpl.org/wihohio/oakl-ann.htm
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