70, Girls, 70
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70, Girls, 70: A West End Senior Caper
"70, Girls, 70" is a musical comedy that brought a unique twist to London’s West End, opening at the Vaudeville Theatre on June 17, 1991, and running through September 1991 for approximately 100 performances. With music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and a revised book by David Thompson and Norman L. Martin adapted by Joe Masteroff, it’s based on Peter Coke’s 1958 play *Breath of Spring*. The show follows a gang of spirited seniors at a New York retirement home who turn to stealing furs to save their beloved Sussex Arms from developers. Starring Dora Bryan, this stripped-down revival of the 1971 Broadway flop traded grandeur for intimacy, earning mixed reviews but leaving a charming mark on London’s theatre scene.
Origins and Reinvention
The musical sprang from *Breath of Spring*, a British comedy filmed as *Make Mine Mink* in 1960, about elderly thieves with a cause. Kander and Ebb’s original Broadway version debuted in 1971 at the Broadhurst Theatre but lasted just 35 performances, weighed down by a lavish production that clashed with its quirky plot. For London, director Paul Kerryson reimagined it after a Leicester Haymarket staging, slashing the orchestra to five musicians reorchestrated by Julian Kelly and setting it on a single, modest set. This leaner take, produced by Richard M. Mills and Apollo Leisure, aimed to spotlight the story’s heart: seniors rediscovering purpose through mischief.
The Cast and Creative Team
Dora Bryan led as Ida Dodd, the ringleader with a twinkle, joined by Pip Hinton as Eunice, Joan Savage as Emma Finch, and Brian Greene as Walter. Shezwae Powell and Buster Skeggs added vocal punch as Melba and Fritzi, with Len Howe as Harry rounding out the gang. Kerryson’s direction kept it tight, favoring character over spectacle, while Kelly’s reduced orchestrations preserved Kander’s jaunty melodies like “Coffee in a Cardboard Cup” and “Yes” and Ebb’s sly lyrics. The team leaned into the cast’s seasoned charm, many being West End veterans, to sell the seniors’ larcenous spree with warmth and wit.
West End Reception
Critics were split on "70, Girls, 70." Some, like *The Stage*, praised its “cosy intimacy” and Bryan’s “delightful” turn, noting the scaled-back approach suited its oddball charm better than Broadway’s bombast. Others found it “slight” or “dated,” missing the pizzazz of Kander and Ebb’s *Cabaret* or *Chicago*. Audiences enjoyed the toe-tapping score and the cast’s gusto, with “Broadway My Street” and “The Elephant Song” earning cheers, but its roughly 100-show run exact figures vary suggests it didn’t ignite the box office. Still, its 1991 cast recording captured its spirit, offering fans a keepsake of this scaled-down romp.
Legacy and Later Echoes
Unlike Kander and Ebb’s juggernauts, "70, Girls, 70" remains a niche gem. Its West End outing outlasted Broadway’s blink, and a 1992 UK tour with Wendy Gadian conducting a pit band kept it alive briefly. A 2006 Encores! concert in New York, starring Olympia Dukakis, and a 2023 Group Rep revival in LA reaffirmed its cult appeal, with *Broadway World* calling it “an absolutely delightful gem.” The 1991 London version, with its intimate rethink, proved the show’s quirky heart could shine sans excess, leaving a legacy as a love letter to age-defying pluck and theatrical grit.