Lyr Req: The Night I Appeared as Macbeth

Subject: Lyr Req: The Night I Appeared as Macbeth
From: Flash Company
Date: 05 May 04 - 11:58 AM

Anyone have the words to this old Music Hall song?
It includes the immortal words:-

They made me a present of Mornington Crescent,
They threw it a brick at a time.

FC

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Night I Appeared as Macbeth
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 05 May 04 - 12:51 PM

Look here

That's a direct link to the song, there's lots of music hall and monologue stuff at that site.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Night I Appeared as Macbeth
From: Flash Company
Date: 06 May 04 - 07:40 AM

Nice one, Kevin

FC

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Night I Appeared as Macbeth
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 06 May 04 - 08:34 AM

A Pleasure FC

Looking at the words on the site, you need to ignore some of the line breaks to get a decent scansion and/or rhyme, but it's usually obvious.

I tend to use the site to remind myself of Billy Bennett's stuff. I took a gamble that "Macbeth" might be there and sure enough it was. My old partner in crime Don(m?) Bonito used to sing it, but I could have anly cobbled together about half from memory.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Night I Appeared as Macbeth
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 06 May 04 - 03:14 PM

Andrew Franks gave a wonderful rendition in the Theatre Bar singaround at Sidmouth one year....

Kitty

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Night I Appeared as Macbeth
From: Kenny B (inactive)
Date: 06 May 04 - 07:04 PM

If you are looking for a recording it is
Included on this Clinton Ford CD

Kenny B

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Night I Appeared as Macbeth
From: Billy Weeks
Date: 07 May 04 - 07:49 AM

Michael Kilgarriff's monumental index gives Hargreaves as writer (probably William, who wrote 'Burlington Bertie From Bow') and the date as 1919. It was sung by Billy Merson, who also recorded it , but the finest performance I ever heard was by Eddie Reindeer in a BBC broadcast in the late 1950s. This exists as a unique airshot acetate disc recorded by a friend. If I outlive him (just a slim chance) it'll be mine.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Night I Appeared as Macbeth
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 08 May 04 - 12:15 PM

THE NIGHT I APPEARED AS MACBETH is sung by Martin Connor on "Shakespeare Revue" [Original London Cast], That's Entertainment CD 1237, 1998; or Jay CD 1354, 2001.
Also by Ian Whitcomb on "You Turn Me On!"/"Mod, Mod Music Hall" (2 LPs reissued as one CD), Sundazed 11044, 1997.

Lyrics below copied from http://www.monologues.co.uk/Night_I_Appeared_As_Macbeth.htm

THE NIGHT I APPEARED AS MACBETH
William Hargreaves, 1922.

'Twas through a YMCA concert
I craved a desire for the stage.
In Flanders one night, I was asked to recite.
Gadzooks! I was quickly the rage.
They said I was better than Irving,
And gave me some biscuits and tea.
I know it's not union wages,
But that was the usual fee.
Home I came, bought a dress,
Appeared in your theatre, and what a success!

CHORUS: I acted so tragic the house rose like magic.
The audience yelled, "You're sublime!"
They made me a present of Mornington Crescent.
They threw it a brick at a time.
Someone threw a fender, which caught me a bender.
I hoisted a white flag and tried to surrender.
They jeered me; they queered me,
And half of them stoned me to death.
They threw nuts and sultanas, fried eggs and bananas,
The night I appeared as Macbeth.

The play, though ascribed to Bill Shakespeare,
To me lacked both polish and tone,
So I put bits in from Miss Elinor Glyn,
Nat Gould, and some bits of my own.
The band played the Barber of Seville,
And being too long, they made cuts,
When I entered somewhere in Scotland
And finished in Newington Butts.
Oh, the flowers - what a feast!
They threw it in bagfuls, self-raising and yeast.

CHORUS: I acted so tragic the house rose like magic.
I improved the part with a dance.
The pit had a relapse, so RAMC chaps
Were wired for to come back from France.
I withdrew my sabre and started to labour,
Cried, "Lay on, MacDuff" to my neighbour.
I hollered, "I'm collared!
I must reach the bridge, or it's death!"
But they altered my journey; I reached the infirm'ry
The night I appeared in Macbeth.

The advertised time for the curtain
Was six-forty-five on the sheet.
The hall keeper he having mislaid the key,
We played the first act in the street.
Then somebody called for the author.
"He's dead," said the flute player's wife.
The news caused an awful commotion
And gave me the shock of my life.
Shakespeare dead! Poor old Bill!
Why, I never knew the poor fellow was ill.

CHORUS: I acted so tragic, the house rose like magic.
They wished David Garrick could see,
But he's in the Abbey. Then someone quite shabby
Suggested that's where I should be.
Lloyd George and Clemenceau, they both carried on so,
The King of the Belgians rushed in with Alfonso.
They pleaded, unheeded,
And all of them cried in one breath:
"There's another war coming if you don't stop humming,"
The night I appeared in Macbeth.

EXTRA CHORUS: I acted so tragic, the house rose like magic.
I gave them such wonderful thrills!
My tender emotion caused such a commotion,
The dress circle made out their wills.
The gallery boys, straining, dropped tears uncomplaining.
The pit put umbrellas up; thought it was raining.
Some floated, some boated,
And five of the band met their death;
And the poor programme women sold programmes while swimmin',
The night I appeared as Macbeth.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Night I Appeared as Macbeth
From: Flash Company
Date: 15 May 04 - 09:51 AM

I think I may change the chorus about Lloyd George for current usage:-

Tony Blair then came in with a hideous grin,
And told me 'Give up chum, You're not going to win.
Just stop it, or cop it, I can't stand here wasting my breath!'
But I wasn't persuaded till George Bush invaded
The night I appeared as Macbeth!

FC