A New Musical
Book by Thomas
Edward West Lyrics by
Alison Hubbard
Music by
Kim Oler
Based on the play by
Sir Arthur Wing Pinero
(1921)
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The Story Oliver Bashforth, a British soldier, returns from a fierce World War I battle crippled, disfigured and despondent about his future. To avoid his social-climbing mother and dour stepfather, Oliver sequesters himself in a lonely cottage in rural Sussex, with no one to keep him company but the reclusive housekeeper, Mrs. Minnett. A local legend surrounds the cottage; once part of an Elizabethan manor house that was destroyed by fire, the cottage was used for centuries as a honeymoon retreat. According to the legend, anyone who honeymooned there would be married for life. Mrs. Minnett feels that she broke the spell when her husband was killed in the war. Time passes and Oliver encounters Laura Pennington, an unattractive country girl who completely sympathizes with his feelings. The two lonely souls decide to marry, even though neither loves the other. Over the course of time, the two begin to fall in love and, as they do, Laura and Oliver undergo a mysterious and inexplicable change... |
Copyright © 2008 Thomas Edward West, Alison Hubbard and Kim Oler
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