Compared to Oliver! This show is now virtually unknown but was originally described by one critic ‘a breathtaking theatrical adventure which restores spectacle to British musicals on a huge imaginative scale’.
The story focuses on two families, the Jewish Blitzteins and the Cockney Lockes. Mrs. Blitztein and Alfie Locke have adjacent stalls on Petticoat Lane: she sells herring, he sells fruit; they do not like each other. Their children, Georgie Locke and Carol Blitztein, are in love with one another.
ACT 1
The action opens on Bank underground station where the residents of Petticoat Lane are sheltering from yet another air raid. (Our Hotel)Amongst them are the two prominent families of the street, the Blitztein's led by their patriarchal mother and the Lockes led by father Alfred. The two welcome home their sons Georgie Locke and Harry Blitztein who are home on embarkation leave of a week before shipping out to fight. Harry has a new girlfriend in tow, Joyce who is not only not Jewish but married much to his mother's horror. Georgie meanwhile has caught sight of Mrs Blitztein's daughter Carol who has grown into a beautiful young woman during his absence and Georgie is instantly smitten.
Carol likewise is rather struck by the young soldier and they quickly hit it off before their parents interfere and spark of their usual round of bickering which never involves them actually speaking to each other but through other people (Tell Him Tell Her)with the argument settled down Georgie pulls Harry to one side informs him that he is in love... with Carol. Whilst Harry is not against such a union he advises against it as he knows there could be trouble (I Wanna Whisper Something). The wireless is put on so the residents can listen to the news which includes a speech by Churchill and then they listen to Vera Lynn (The Day After Tomorrow) Ernie Nearmiss, Alf's best friend arrives to inform them that the Blackwell's house has been destroyed by a bomb and Mr and Mrs Blackwell were still inside at the time having refused to go down the shelter.
Their son Tommy, who is in the shelter with the Blitzteins, is thankfully asleep and doesn't hear but Mrs Blitztein decides that tomorrow she will send Tommy and her son Siddy into the country for safety. The next day the children of the street apart from Franie Locke, Georgie's sister are assembled to be evacuated and are waved goodbye by their mums (We're Going to The Country). No sooner have the children gone than the bombings get worse; the firemen and ARP are kept very busy and every morning the residents of Petticoat Lane emerge from the shelter not knowing what to expect but they are determined not to let it get them down (Another Morning) on this particular morning they emerge to find the gas mains have been hit and they are not allowed into their houses. Also Princlet Street has been completely destroyed leaving several families homeless including the Murphey's and Sen's. Alf takes the Murphey's in whilst Mrs Blitztein takes the Sen's. Mrs Blitztein is very frustrated and begins to have a long rant about Hitler which is soon joined by others (Who's This Geezer Hitler?) Harry re-appears after a week's disappearance and he is immediately put to work by his mother as punishment for not telling her where he was.
Carol and Georgie manage to get a minute to themselves and it is revealed that they have been spending a lot of time together over the last week. Georgie who is off to fight tomorrow asks Carol if she'll wait for him but before she can answer their parents appear again. Mrs Blitztein is in full flow about her children and how they have disappointed her, Carol by breaking off her relationship with a Jewish boy because of Georgie and now Harry by going off with a married woman.(She's At It Again). An official appears on the scene to do a census of all the people in the area who have foreign sounding names to find out how many of them there are and how long they've been in the area etc. Whilst this is going on Alf and Ernie have a patriotic rant (As Long As This Is England). That night Carol and Georgie sneak out together to spend one last night together before Georgie goes abroad.
Their parents look for them but in vain. Carol and Georgie have a laugh at both their parents and their stubborn ways and reflect on how the fact they are from such different backgrounds actually make them more suited (Opposites). They are interrupted by the air raid siren but rather than going down to the shelter they take cover in a doorway (Magic Doorway) Mrs Blitztein looking for Harry discovers them instead and is not happy. Georgie volunteers to go to Joyce's and see if Harry is there. Carol meanwhile goes off to find Harry herself leaving Mrs Blitztein alone with her cake tin ("Bake a Cake"). She then overhears some men in the process of stealing lead pipes and is shocked to discover Harry amongst them. Harry announces to his mother he's not going back to the army as he's had enough. Mrs Blitztein is about to go after him when a bomb goes off nearby followed by a scream from Carol.
The next day at Victoria Georgie is waiting for Carol to see him off and for Harry to report for duty. When Harry doesn't show, Elsie, his former girlfriend who is still rather taken with him tries to buy him time by distracting the Sgt Major. (Leave It To The Ladies) Mrs Blitztein arrives after having been at the hospital with Carol all night, she is upset that Harry has not turned up and informs Georgie that Carol couldn't come to see him off. Georgie informs Mrs Blitztein of love for Carol and his intention to marry her when he returns and is surprised when she agrees and seems more gentle towards him than before. The soldiers depart and Mrs Blitztein is left alone.
ACT 2
Act Two opens six months later with Carol, now blind alone on Petticoat Lane thinking of Georgie whom she hasn't seen at all in that time (Far Away). The Sunday market is slowly beginning to set up and people are discussing Carol and how the bombing seems to have calmed down at last. Alf is pleased as he's had a letter from Georgie to say he's coming home for good after losing a kidney, even better he doesn't want Carol or her mother to know he's coming so Alf thinks he's going to finish with Carol.
The market is soon in full swing (Petticoat Lane) and the children return from the country (We've Been to See The Country). With the children back the market continues with Elsie commenting on the variety of people you meet at the Petticoat Lane market (Down the Lane). Carol who is helping out on her Mum's Pickled Herring stall asks if what Franie has told her about Georgie coming home is true. Mrs Blitztein is forced to admit it is. Carol is confused as to why Georgie didn't tell her he was coming home and worries that he has gone off her because she is blind. Mrs Blitztein tries to reassure here daughter but is secretly thinking the same thing. Military Police arrive to enquire about Harry who is still on the run from the army followed by Joyce who hasn't seen Harry herself in ages. Mrs Blitztein is in despair, her daughter is blind and unhappy and her son is a crook on the run. In a moment of desperation she offers up a prayer to her late husband Jack pleading for guidance (So Tell me Jack).
That evening the adults are assembling in the pub leaving the children outside to amuse themselves with a game of Mum's and Dad's (Mum's and Dad's) after the others are scared off by Tommy Blackwell and his horror book Georgie emerges from the pub very drunk and depressed. Feeling a failure as a soldier, a son and a boyfriend he is drowning his sorrows. He is approached by Harry who reveals that he has spent the last 6 months working on the black market and hiding from the military but has come back to see Carol having only just heard about it. Georgie confesses that he too is yet to see Carol and it's clear whilst on one side he wants to see her he's too scared to. He makes out that Harry had the right idea running off and missing out on the fighting and death. Harry on the other hand seems to be fed up with life on the run and is clearly beginning to wish he'd just faced his duty. The two agree to meet up later as its too public where they are.
Georgie now alone goes into a drunken rant (Who Wants To Settle Down) Mrs Blitztein is next to discover him, she welcomes him home and tries to sound him out about Carol. Georgie admits the army was too much for him and all the killing and violence has altered his view on life and Carol probably wouldn't like the new him. Mrs Blitztein rubbishes the whole thing telling him that they've all had to put up with the same thing at home and it hasn't changed them. She tells Georgie that she's very proud of him for going to fight for them and facing up to his responsibilities, unlike Harry, whom she is very ashamed of. She admits she misjudged Georgie because of her dislike of his father but tells him that she would be proud to have Georgie in her family. Georgie admits he still loves Carol as much as he ever did if not more so but he doesn't think he's good enough for her. Mrs Blitztein informs him that in Carol's eyes no one else apart from him would be good enough. She goes to fetch Carol whilst Georgie is reunited with his father and Franie.
Carol is brought to Georgie and two enjoy an emotional reunion where Georgie proposes. (Is This Gonna Be A Wedding) At the wedding Alf is still not happy about his son marrying a Blitztein but he resigns himself to it but not without a few snide remarks. Harry then appears to congratulate Georgie and Carol and announce he's going back to the army (Duty Calls). The wedding party depart and Mrs Blitztein is left alone when a bomb hits. She is rescued by Alf but neither are very gracious either in thanking or receiving that thanks and they leave arguing but in a huge step forward they are with each other directly and not through other people. Harry goes back to the Army.