Brexit Musical

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We have recorded the songs for this CD – also available on USB. This was done in a socially distanced manner, recording one singer at a time.

CD / USB – Brexit’s a Musical Trick

Click the links below to hear excerpts from the songs in the Brexit MusicalOr click here to see John Asher, Leon Berger, Mike Cashman, Helga Perry and Zena Wigram chatting with Peter Cook about making this Musical, including some extracts of several songs.

Act 1 – Camerine (click to hear excerpts of the songs)
BORIS VALBORIS, who has struggled all his life so far under the injustice of not being Prime Minister, considers whether to lie or not to achieve his aims. The VOTERS form groups who “know what they’re voting for”. CAMERINE had ordered a referendum, which has a surprising result as REES-MOGGI points out; CAMERINRE then runs away prematurely to the surprise of EOIAUN MACSTAY BLACKSCOT, leaving Implementation behind. VALBORIS reflects on his mistakes; his long-term associate GOVERT was prepared to back him if he tweeted support for LAUNDRETTE as part of his team, but in his disorganisation he fails to do this and his life starts to fall apart. He wonders nonetheless if he can be one of the best “Foreign Secs”.


Act 2 – Theryline (click to hear excerpts of the songs)
At the end of the day they have need of a Leader, and although LAUNDRETTE proposes that this should be decided on the basis of how many children the candidates have, others don’t agree with this and THERYLINE ends up as the Leader. She survives being called a “Closet Remainer” by REES-MOGGI. He and his friends look forward to “Lovely Tax Breaks”. We hear from the pub landlord FARAGIER and WIDDY as to how they deal with the floating voter. THERYLINE examines her life; she knows that VALBORIS and GOVERT love her, but is it enough? But it then starts to go downhill for THERYLINE, as she reflects in “A Poll Full of Votes” with CROSBI (who sings “she’s doing everything all wrong”) though she then has a touching scene with ARLINE; is this a love match, as we can certainly see that someone is “DUP”ed? The irrepressible street urchin CORBOCHE asserts that we should not forget him and his people, and he is never heard of again. The QUEEN of the fictional country is unimpressed by all the antics and makes her feelings known before going orf to the races.
FOUR BLOKES WITH PASTE BUCKETS are hard at work reminding the others what they said, as the PEOPLE shout for LEAVE or REMAIN.
VALBORIS and DAVID DAVINE consider how much longer they can stay with THERYLINE and “One Day More” is their conclusion, leaving THERYLINE “On my own”. But stably and strongly she battles on and obtains an Agreement which she agrees with. Under attack however in “A Little Vote of Pain”, she dies, for her life force to depart and run through fields of wheat

Act 3 – Boris ValBoris (click to hear excerpts of the songs)
A mute and now apparently lifeless VALBORIS is carried in (“Bring Him In”) by GAVINI, and placed on the throne. CAMERINE reflects on how different this is from his hopes in “I Dreamed a Dream”. VALBORIS is given his instructions by his BACKERS who really need an environment more amenable to tax avoidance. GRIEVOUS laments the “Empty Houses, Empty Benches” as his friends are all gone, until a WISE LADY sporting a spider tackles the Lie.
VALBORIS faces a crisis. Suddenly his fate is in the hands of one man who, with a flick of his pen, could destroy everything that VALBORIS has worked for. He finds he cannot leave at Hallowe’en as he planned, and furiously expels 21 MPs, but then ponders whether he is now in an impossible position.
But CUNNINGS bolsters him in his quest for optimism and support, and points out that they have ignored all their previous promises. VALBORIS looks forward to a glorious future; others will shut down as they face coronavirus but he will be Superman and will avoid shutdown, and under herd immunity most of the dead will be old people. This may succeed or fail, but as CUNNINGS and VALBORIS sing in the final song “Failure doesn’t matter in the past”.

You can find excerpts from the songs by clicking the links above, or see further details of the CD (or USB) by clicking “What’s on the CD”


We have recorded songs for a further CD/USB:


CD Two – I Don’t Beg Pardon, I’m Talking B*ll*cks from the Rose Garden


 also known as “Covid-19 Musical” (following a similar suggestion by The Sunday Times )

In five Acts, and with interludes of adapted Shakespeare, inspired by Gilbert & Sullivan, Flanders & Swann, Shakespeare, the Beatles, the Who, Lynn Anderson, Tammy Wynette, David Bowie, Noel Coward, Bob Marley, The Archers, Youmi Zuma , Simon & Garfunkel, Diana Ross, Tom Jones, Queen, C W McCall, Men in Black. and several musicals and traditional songs, this album offers something for all satirical musical tastes,
and this now has its own web page – please click this link

The book “I Don’t Beg Pardon” and both the CDs are mock-ups in this photo, but see below for CD /USB contents.

CD /USB – Brexit’s a Musical Trick

Recording , socially distanced, one singer at a time.
Ben Chambers at the sound desk and Zena Wigram (Theryline, Laundtretter, Arline, & Chorus) singing


The extracts below from many of the songs will give you a good flavour of the Musical. These extracts are generally the beginning of the relevant song, with the instrumental introduction usually cut from the extract – the full track will of course be on your CD or USB.
These extracts are from the tracks before they were mastered, and are here simply to give an initial appreciation of the full Musical. What is on the CD will be fully mastered, and even better !

The action takes place in a fictional imaginary country which is considering a Brexit from the European Union. Please consider any resemblance between characters in the musical and living rational sentient 21st century politicians to be purely coincidental.

Brexit’s a Musical Trick Song / Original Song Title/ time of full track
[In the list below we show the new song name, then the original song title which inspired the song, and then the length of the full track in minutes and seconds. More than 77 minutes of fabulous music in total on the CD!]

Act 1 Camerine
Do or Die? / Who am I / 2.43

Do or Die – BORIS VALBORIS considering his dilemma. Should he lie or should he tell the truth? His future depends upon it

We Know What We’re Voting For (4-part chorus) / Do you hear the people sing / 4.18

4 groups of voters each announce that they know what they’re voting for. There is a majority voting Leave , but for different reasons.

Hasty Referendum / Valjean  arrested and forgiven / 1.52

After some bending of the rules the Leave team wins the referendum as REES-MOGGI confirms. However EOIAUN MACSTAY BLACKSCOT, the LORD OFF THE ISLES questions CAMERINE’S early departure: “You forgot Implementation; would you leave this task behind?”

What Have I Done? / What Have I done? / 3.34

VALBORIS is forced to question his future. GOVERT was prepared to treat him as a leader, but VALBORIS has failed to live up to his hopes for a new life, missing his chance to write a speech and tweet LAUNDRETTE, and now GOVERT is now a challenge to VALBORIS. . Is VALBORIS now an outcast for ever? Or might there be some future for him?

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Act 2 (Theryline)


At The End Of The Day We Have Need of a Leader / At The End Of The Day / 2.28

They don’t have CAMERINE as a leader, and they don’t have VALBORIS , but at the end of the day they have to have someone
After the elimination of GOVERT and the FOX and the CRAB , the leadership is between THERYLINE and LAUNDRETTE

What Have We Here, Oh You Closet Remainer? / What Have We Here, Little Innocent Sister?/ 2.28

REES-MOGGI accuses THERYLINE of having made a speech for “Remain” and being a closet Remainer. GRIEVOUS encourages the MPs to sort the matter out. THERYLINE insists that she is now part of the Leave team, but REES-MOGGI is suspicious

Lovely Tax Breaks / Lovely Ladies – The Docks / 4.02

THERYLINE is lured deeper and deeper into the murky world of REES-MOGGI and the tax evasion, and in end has to recognise that she herself is tainted with this and may as well go along with the tax evaders. Meanwhile they privately comment on the need to achieve “No Deal”

Master Of The Spiel / Master Of The House / 4.59

FARAGIER is busy entertaining his followers, though this seems to have very little to do with what else is going on . WIDDY reflects on life with FARAGIER

In My Life / In my life (Love Montage) / 1.17
THERYLINE considers her position. She knows that VALBORIS and GOVERT love her, but is it enough? She decides to be brave, and therefore strongly and stably seeks her fortune in the outside world. She knows that her strength lies in being quiet, and even silent if she wishes to be very strong,

A Poll Full Of Votes / A heart full of love (Love Montage) / 2.00
THERYLINE and CROSBI wonder who can be blamed for THERYLINE’S losses. She assesses her newly fragile lead, and realises she needs the help of ARLINE. They have scarcely seen each other before; is this a love match?

Labour People / Little People / 2.25

The street urchin CORBOCHE warns us not to underestimate the “Many” on the ground. “The Many make a sound; the Few gang are in charge” . This is a very impressive speech. He is never heard of again.

One’s Mascot / Valjean  arrested and forgiven / 1.52

The QUEEN (of the fictional country seeking a Brexit from the European Union, do keep up) is unimpressed at being delayed on her way to the races in order to open Parliament, and wears a blue and yellow EU hat in protest. She leaves THERYLINE to sort out the mess that Theryline has created with ARLINE

Leave And Remain  – Led By Donkeys / Red and Black – ABC Café / 4.34

Much to everyone’s surprise, FOUR BLOKES WITH POSTERS AND PASTE BUCKETS start reminding the other characters what they have said in letters a metre high , since most of them seem to have forgotten. Choruses of people declare their support for LEAVE or REMAIN


Do You See The People March ? / Do You Hear The People Sing  ? – Peoples Song / 2.04
Many people call for both sides to stick to the Truth so that a Final Decision can be made in the polling booth.

One Day More At Chequers / One Day More / 3.56

There is “One Day More” at Chequers, as THERYLINE seeks a consensus, and there is only one thing on everyone’s mind; if you resign at the meeting, will you lose your car and chauffeur immediately and have to get a taxi home? FARAGIER patrols the grounds making sardonic comments. DAVID DAVINE and VALBORIS have decisions to make

On My Own / On My Own / 4.01

After VALBORIS has left her THERYLINE faces up to her lonely existence very stably and strongly


An agreement running to 585 pages / Stars / 3.01

THERYLINE achieves her destiny, as she finally establishes an Agreement that she thoroughly agrees with


A Little Vote Of Pain / A little fall of rain – Javert at the barricade / 3.35

This is a sad track because after being wounded several times THERYLINE dies, but (after the excerpt )her soul leaves her body to run through fields of wheat . Her ghost may haunt VALBORIS in future years

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Act 3 (Boris ValBoris)


Bring Him In / Bring Him Home – The Night / 3.29

GAVINII and the other TORINES carry in a mute and apparently lifeless VALBORIS . Can he be revived ? Can anything be done?


I Dreamed a Dream / I Dreamed a Dream / 4.08

CAMERINE laments what might have been, and wonders about the future now

Help Us Out / Come to me / 3.42

TORINE backers implore VALBORIS in a touching scene where they share their worries about the loss of their tax breaks


Empty Houses, Empty Benches / Empty Chairs at  Empty Tables – Café song / 2.48

GRIEVOUS laments the lies to the QUEEN that have led to the empty benches


There was a wise lady who tackled a lie / There was an old lady who swallowed a fly/ 3.00

A WISE LADY with a spider sets about tackling the lie to the QUEEN


Who is this Man ? (Handicapped by Benn) / Soliloquy – Javert’s suicide / 4.20

VALBORIS faces a crisis. Suddenly his fate is in the hands of one man who, with a flick of his pen, could destroy everything that VALBORIS has worked for.


Ain’t It A Laugh / Beggar at the Feast / 1.52

VALBORIS and CUNNINGS emerge victorious and enjoy their new-found freedom to do whatever they like. All past promises are forgotten as they dance towards the Sunlit Uplands


Failure Doesn’t Matter / Beggar at the Feast / 1.32

The next year is not quite as planed for VALBORIS and CUNNINGS. But they can always think of a new way every week to tackle any problem put to them, and VALBORIS is quick to see how even a deadly virus can be turned to his advantage. All past promises are forgotten because there is no need to be bound by the promises of yesterday

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What’s on the CD / USB – Brexit’s a Musical Trick


Here are the sleeve notes for the CD

Brexit’s a Musical Trick (not a Treat).
The action of this Musical takes place in an imaginary country seeking a Brexit from the European Union.
Any resemblance between the characters in the musical and any living, sentient, rational politicians should be treated as coincidental.

CAST
John Asher: Blackscot, Camerine, Corboche, Cunnings, David Davine, Govert, Grievous, Rees-Moggi, & 2 of LedByDonkeys
Rachel Ashley: Theryline (On My Own)
Leon Berger: Boris ValBoris & 2 of LedByDonkeys
Fred Cashman: Faragier, Gavini, Torine Backer
Mike Cashman: the Court
Georgy Holden: Torine Backer
Grachan Kindrocki: Torine Backer
Lucia da Paiva Kynch: Camerine (I Dreamed a Dream)
Helga Perry: Widdy
Zena Wigram: Theryline, Laundrette, Arline, Royal One, People’s Vote Marcher, Wise Lady
Marston York: Crosbi
Additional chorus contributions from members of the cast
Produced, Arranged, Mixed and Mastered by Ben Chambers of Embrace Music
Cover graphic elements by Spiffing Covers

With immense appreciation for the talents of Boubil & Schonberg for the memorable tunes of “Les Miserables”
This CD produced under copyright licence 2020 from MCPS/ PRS for Music.
The resulting lyrics and performance are copyright (c) Viewdelta Press 2019,2020.
This CD is for home use only. No part of this recording may be reproduced, broadcast or otherwise shared without the consent of Viewdelta Press. Any such action would also infringe the copyright of the music owners such as Warner Chappell,

Full lyrics and stage directions are in the book “Brexit’s a Musical Trick” available from from Amazon and from Etsy.

http://www.viewdelta.com

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/brexits-a-musical-trick-cd-for-covid-19-charities



CD/USB – I Don’t Beg Pardon, (I’m Talking B*ll*cks from the Rose Garden)
also known as
Covid-19 Musical

This now has its own web page – please click this link
Get the CD !

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