IT’S MY PARTY AND I’LL LIE IF I WANT TO

Release : immediate

The last couple of years are summarised in parody and song by two leading online satirists, Augusta Lees and Mike Cashman. They have collaborated to produce “It’s My Party and I’ll Lie If I Want To” a book of satirical songs, sketches and parodies, published by Viewdelta Press. The book contains more than 100 QR codes which link directly to videos showing songs or sketches performed.

Mike has published three previous satirical books, including the lyrics for a Brexit Musical and a Covid Musical, both of which are also available on CD, all published by Viewdelta Press.

Augusta is a classically trained pianist and singer who began writing parody songs when her more usual performances stopped during lockdown.

Mike and Augusta worked together on a set of songs for the National Rejoin March – Mike is a speaker at the National Rejoin March rally in Parliament Square. Songs include “12 Stars on a Flag – UK’s Coming Home”, “EU We Will back You”, “We’re the Rejoiners” and “Sweet EU Time”.

The satire takes up the story from Mike’s previous book, “I Don’t Beg Pardon, I’m Talking Bollocks from the Rose Garden”, and covers the last two years of UK politics (and occasionally American issues, e.g. “The Donald Went Down to Georgia”.

The UK pandemic response is examined with “Covid’s in the Air”, “I’m B16, B1617”, “Boris Bonka and the Variant Factory”, and “Don’t Cry for Me, Matt and Gina” amongst others. The Party culture in Downing Street is of course the subject of the title song “It’s My Party and I’ll Lie If I Want To” and many more. The UK’s sewage challenge is explored including “Close to Poo”, “Stuck in the Midden of Poo” (song title suggested by Michael Rosen).

Mike Cashman said “You can be angry, or bitter about corruption in Government; we choose to try to make people laugh about it, and in that way to make more people aware. We both have a following online, but the book provides a package which people can enjoy or can use as a gift to those with similar – or perhaps varying – political views. It’s a unique product with a couple of hundred pages, but also links to more than 100 videos. Augusta is wonderfully witty and you’ll often see comment about the striking combination of an angelic voice contrasted with wickedly funny biting satire”.

Augusta said “Due to the Government’s terrible pandemic response and my medical vulnerability I continue to avoid catching Covid-19, so I can be frequently found lamenting the state of the nation through song via Twitter @augustalees and my YouTube Channel Augusta Lees.”

“Mike and I have only recently crossed paths, so I’m delighted to have been taken on this whirlwind journey that has led to my first publication, but also to have found a talented and witty new friend who is a kindred parody spirit.”

There have already been positive comments from comic Matt Green, artist Cold War Steve, satirist Dillie Keane of Fascinating Aida, and many others.

The book jacket is shown below, and Notes for Editors follow after that picture.

For further press information please contact Mike Cashman email info@viewdelta.com.

Notes to editors–

“It’s My Party and I’ll Lie If I Want To” is now available in paperback, from Amazon for £8.95.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1916248675/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3BS6WDEN11FV2&keywords=viewdelta&qid=1663772322&s=digital-text&sprefix=viewdelta%2Cdigital-text%2C54&sr=1-3-catcorr
“It’s My Party and I’ll Lie If I Want To” ISBN 978 1 9162486 7 0
All Viewdelta books can be found on Amazon by searching for “Viewdelta”. CDs for the earlier books are available from Amazon and from Etsy.
All Viewdelta profits are donated to charities, via the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC).
More information is at www.viewdelta.com, including book jackets for the books, extracts from many of the songs. The page for this book is https://viewdelta.com/its-my-party-and-ill-lie-if-i-want-to/
Viewdelta Press is the trading name of Mike Cashman for publishing purposes.
Viewdelta Press is an official partner of the National Rejoin March.
Mike Cashman can be contacted as follows:
email info@viewdelta.com
Twitter: @ mikecashman1
Mike Cashman has written these political satire song books:

Brexit’s a Trick, not a Treat (2019)

Brexit’s a Musical Trick (2019)

I Don’t Beg Pardon, I’m Talking Bollocks from the Rose Garden (2021)

FURTHER BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES

Mike Cashman retired after careers in teaching, IT, project and programme management, and international development. He is an experienced and lively facilitator and trainer of large and small groups.
Mike’s experience includes project management in countries such as Sierra Leone, recovering from the Ebola crisis, and rebuilding in Nepal after the earthquake. He has been active in his local community to mitigate the impact of coronavirus. His international development experience includes work on DEC projects in Kenya, Ethiopia, Nepal and Sierra Leone.
Mike is married with four children and twelve grandchildren.

END OF NOTES

Book front cover and spine

Book back cover

ENDS

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PREVIOUS PRESS RELEASES
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PRESS RELEASE Release: Immediate

The political search for Sovereign Tea is fulfilled at last

Viewdelta Press is now supplying Sovereign Tea to all who are searching for it. Mike Cashman explains why people are paying £48.52 or indeed £52.48 for a completely empty box labelled “Sovereign Tea”.

Hugh Grant, Dillie Keane and Lord Michael Cashman (no relation) have commended songs from the Brexit and Covid-19 Musicals.

Mike has previously appeared a number of times on online radio show “Sixteen Million Rising”, including a whole show (Episode 71) which featured his Musical “Brexit’s a Musical Trick” https://www.mixcloud.com/SixteenMillionRising/smr-ep71-a-musical-trick/

But why Sovereign Tea? “I heard some people being very insistent that they had lost their British Sovereign Tea” explains Mike. “I could have asked when they last had it, or when they noticed it was missing. But instead, we decided to supply Sovereign Tea, in a box, containing everything that people knew that they wanted in their Sovereign Tea. It was therefore a completely empty box”.

“We have included some nice graphics on the box, including a survey on people’s preferred option for the Irish Sea – Checks, No Checks, Neither, or Both Checks And No Checks (The British-Government-preferred option). But even then, we realised that people might be a little disheartened to pay £48.52 and receive only a completely empty box. And we didn’t want it to be a disappointment for people when they got their Sovereign Tea. So, we added some free gifts”

With Sovereign Tea oo which is the standard version (pronounced “Sovereign Tea Oh Oh”), the free gifts are 3 books and two music CDs. So, for £48.52, you receive:

Brexits a Trick Not a Treat? book
Brexit’s a Musical Trick, the full-scale Brexit Musical – book and music CD
I Don’t Beg Pardon, I’m talking B*ll*cks from the Rose Garden, the 5-Act Covid-19 Musical – book and music CD.

Viewdelta recently achieved the first sale of British Sovereign Tea oo in Germany to Peter Mundt from Clausthal-Zellerfeld who said: I got two copies, one for myself and one for my brother, because we both care a lot for England – having been annual visitors since 2001 till 2019 (everybody knows why 2020+ visits have not been possible) – and because both of us have a taste for great satire and wordplay. And it’s not just the satire that is deserved and enjoyable, but the production value of the music is incredible. Even when I’m not focusing on the lyrics the music and singing is just great and a lot of energetic fun. Thoroughly recommend.
And the box is just the cherry on top 🙂

The first export of British Sovereign Tea to Germany

With Sovereign Tea II (pronounced “Sovereign Tea Aye Aye”) for £52.48 you get the same 3 books, and 2 USB sticks (4 gigabyte) with the music on USB – the same tracks as on the CDs, plus some bonus tracks in each case that would not fit onto the CDs.

Mike Cashman clarified: “The latest work I Don’t Beg Pardon is not a traditional Musical with a consistent set of characters like Brexit’s a Musical Trick. Nevertheless, a story unfolds through the music, and we found it helpful to arrange the songs in Five Acts, separated by short Shakespearean Interludes, to create a Covid 19 Musical. “

The Five Acts of I Don’t Beg Pardon are:

Act 1 – Preparation, as Leon Berger of English National Opera moves from Boris has Got a Little List in Gilbert and Sullivan style to Ill with Covid in Flanders & Swann style. In between Peter and Abi Cashman and Simon Cragg urge us to Stay in Your House or Flat with a distinct Men in Black sound.

Act 2 – Expedition, which takes place mainly at Barnard Castle and includes the title track together with The Ballad of Dom and Bojo and Stand By Your Dom,

Act 3 – Prevention, which sees teachers preparing for schools opening, MPs doing silly walks round Parliament and a Bob-Markey-style Man Up, Mask Up, Protect Another Life with guest singer from South Africa Thabani Dube. We hear more Flanders and Swann in A Song of Idiotic Prejudice about the world-beating UK Test and Trace system.

Act 4 – Distraction – is where the pesky subject of Brexit rears its head, including an Abba Style Portaloo by guest Carole Williams that celebrates Kent becoming the Toilet of England (as featured on BBC Have I Got News for You)., and concludes with an imperious Britannia Waves the Rules from soprano Zena Wigram orchestrated by Roger Knight.

Act 5 – Congestion, Reflection, and Reward of the Undeserving. Leon Berger and Selwyn Tillett give us The Virus Cometh in which we seem to be stuck in a never-ending cycle, much as when The Gas Man Cometh for Flanders and Swann. Leon and Selwyn sing together Lords of Delight offering seats in the House of Lords at very reasonable rates. Into this eclectic English mix we must, of course, hear from The Archers, and David Rees sings The Archers Comment to the Archers’ theme tune. Patrick Hart brings us a traditional Kentish country and western song with Kent Convoy, except that this convoy is stationary. And Leon completes Act 5 with another Gilbert & Sullivan masterpiece, bringing Iolanthe up to date with Public Inquiry Nightmare which is the song to hear in order to discover when the Public Inquiry will be held.

Recorded under strict social distancing guidelines; the cast was recorded one singer at a time before the result was mixed by Ben Chambers of online pro-European radio show, Sixteen Million Rising. This was also true for Brexit’s a Musical Trick.

Star of Seventies Saturday morning kids’ show TISWAS, John Asher, the English National Opera’s Leon Berger and soprano Zena Wigram are just three of the voices to appear on the CD/USB of Brexit’s a Musical Trick.

The musical Brexit’s a Musical Trick adapts all the major tunes from Les Misérables as political satire and is the brainchild of author Mike Cashman who wrote and published all the parody lyrics. He says: “I love Les Misérables because it explores some epic themes of truth, commitment and consequences. Brexit’s a Musical Trick is a fictional story of an imaginary country seeking a Brexit from the European Union. It starts with the character Boris Valboris, who has struggled all his life under the injustice of not being Prime Minister, and who has to decide whether to lie or not in order to achieve his objective. The consequences of this decision reverberate right through the musical, up to the final song and dance between Valboris and Cunnings as they delight in concluding Failure Doesn’t Matter in the Past.”

In the three acts of the musical, Camerine, Theryline and Boris Valboris each play their part en route to that elusive Brexit, interacting of course with Govert, Faragier & Widdy, Blackscot, four blokes with paste-buckets, Laundrette, Corboche, Grievous, Cunnings, Rees-Moggi and many others.

The music CDs and USBs are available from Amazon and from Etsy, and all profits from sales will be donated to charities fighting the effects of coronavirus, initially via the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC).

Feedback

The best thing to come out of Brexit– Hugh Grant, retweeting the video of I am the very model of a prejudiced Etonian
This book is a chance to howl in laughter instead of anger. A laser-like humorous side swipe at the Brexit madness.’ Lord Michael Cashman (no relation), on Brexit’s a Trick, Not a Treat?

5.0 out of 5 stars

In these strange, dark times, it’s important to laugh and enjoy some good humour… Whatever your views on Brexit, something for everyone in this inspired, satirical take on the ongoing process. Book and CD well worth a look and listen. Amazon Review

Very witty Dillie Keane, “Fascinating Aida”

ENDS

Notes to editors–

More information is at www.viewdelta.com, including covers for the books and CDs, and extracts from the songs, and previous Press Releases
An interview with the cast of I Don’t Beg Pardon by Peter Cook, including some of the songs, can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiv4bjdHx9Q
A similar interview for Brexit’s a Musical Trick is at https://brexitrage.com/futurama-the-festival-of-brexit/brexits-a-musical-trick/
Viewdelta Press is the trading name of Mike Cashman for publishing purposes
Mike Cashman can be contacted as follows:

email info@viewdelta.com
Twitter: @ MikeCashman1
Singers include Leon Berger (English National Opera), Zena Wigram (soprano), and John Asher (TISWAS) – and several British & international guest singers for I Don’t Beg pardon
The books are available individually from Amazon.

Mike Cashman has written these political satire song books

Brexit’s a Trick, not a Treat?
Brexit’s a Musical Trick
I Don’t Beg Pardon, I’m Talking Bollocks from the Rose Garden
The music can be purchased individually from Etsy or Amazon on CD or USB

There are corresponding Facebook pages and hashtags
Brexit’s a Trick not a Treat            #BrexitsATrickNotATreat
Brexit’s a Musical Trick                   #BrexitsAMusicalTrick
I Don’t Beg Pardon                           #IDontBegPardon, #Covid19Musical

FURTHER BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES

Mike Cashman retired after careers in teaching, IT, project and programme management, and international development. He is an experienced and lively facilitator and trainer of large and small groups
Mike’s experience includes project management in countries such as Sierra Leone, recovering from the Ebola crisis, and rebuilding in Nepal after the earthquake. He has been active in his local community to mitigate the impact of coronavirus
Mike is available to deliver talks on the Art of the Parody, or run parody song-writing workshops.
Mike also writes more serious pieces about politics in social media and on www.viewdelta.blogspot.com
Mike is married with four children and ten grandchildren, expecting to have twelve grandchildren by the end of the week.

END OF NOTES

_____________________________________________________________________________________

22 February 2021 Release immediate

Book and Music of Covid-19 Musical released I Don’t Beg Pardon, I’m Talking Bollocks from the Rose Garden– by the author and singers of Brexit’s a Musical Trick.

Highlights of the work include; Portaloo (Toilet of England) song, The Virus Cometh, Man Up, Mask Up, Protect Another Life, Lords of Delight , Boris Has Got a Little List, Barnard Castle – Dom’s Ditty , The Ballad of Dom & Bojo, The Donald Went Down to Georgia, and With No Tender, a song and sketch about illegally-contracted PPE procurements.

What would Abba, Bowie, Elvis, Flanders & Swann, Gilbert & Sullivan, Shakespeare, Bob Marley, Queen, The Archers, Tammy Wynette, CW McCall, Britannia, John Lennon and others have said about the events of 2020?

Mike Cashman and the English National Opera’s Leon Berger answer this with the satirical Covid-19 Musical I Don’t Beg Pardon, I’m Talking Bollocks from the Rose Garden. The music was created under strict social distancing guidelines; the fifteen singers were recorded separately before the CD was mixed and mastered by Ben Chambers of Embrace Music.

The title song refers, of course, to Dominic Cummings’ press conference in the Downing Street Rose Garden to attempt to explain his road trip to Barnard Castle to test his eyesight. This follows The Ballad of Dom and Bojo in Act Two Expedition, but the Prime Minister is urged to Stand By Your Dom.

In Act 1 the musical starts with Boris Johnson declaring that he’s Got A Little List of people who would not be missed, and Leon the expert patter baritone delivers a five-verse account of Johnson’s expendables. Leon joins with Selwyn Tillett on the piano for Ill with Covid, an update of the Flanders & Swann Ill Wind (the French horn song).

Leon is the Flanders & Swann literary executor and archivist and says: “Mike has updated the Flanders & Swann satire in keeping with the original style”.

The Cashman family join in with Stay in Your House or Flat, an NHS fundraiser by Peter and Abi Cashman and Simon Cragg. and with the Act 2 Expedition song Barnard Castle – Dom’s Ditty about Cummings’ trip to the tourist spot.

The Acts are separated by very short Lockdown Shakespeare plays performed by Mike Cashman and friends, reimagining the bard’s work under social distancing conditions.

Act 3 is Prevention, and Leon and Selwyn deliver A Song of Idiotic Prejudice, another Flanders & Swann update, which proclaims that everything English (especially the track and trace system) is best. MPs undertaking silly walks round Parliament and teachers expected to maintain social distancing among young children are not forgotten. The Act also features the outcome of a request to Mike from the Masks Matter Facebook group who sought to increase mask-wearing among Black and Minority Ethnic communities at the height of the pandemic in 2020; Man Up , Mask Up, Protect Another Life, is the result and Thabani Dube, a Bob Marley impersonator from a South African township sings this with feeling.

The Shakespearean interlude next is a treat from Rachel Swan, When Shall we Three Tweet Again in which Truss, Patel and Gove share their plans. Written in March 2020, this prophetically includes the blind eye turned to the Patel bullying report. with focus on how “charming” she is.

2020 has, of course, been subject to some distraction. Lucia da Paiva Kynch opens Act 4 Distraction with Brexitian Fantasy and the Act is the spot for soprano Zena Wigram who moved from I’m Just a Girl who Can’t say Go (reprising her role as “Theryline” in Brexit’s a Musical Trick ) to Onward Brexit No-Dealers with Leon Berger, leading to an imperious Britannia Waives the Rules fully orchestrated by Roger Knight.

Zena commented “This has been an opportunity to give people something to smile about in a situation that in many ways is very sad – though to be honest some of the songs make me laugh out loud”.

The Act is also enlivened by Port-A-Loo sung by Carole Williams, celebrating the rebranding of Kent as the Toilet of England organised by Mike’s co-author Peter Cook , whose Operation Pisspot road sign-label-protest featured on BBC Have I Got News for You? The book includes Alo Vera and Got to Leave Old Durham Town by Peter Cook

Act 5 has the longer title Congestion, Reflection, and Reward of the Undeserving. Leon and Selwyn give us The Virus Cometh in which we seem to be stuck in a never-ending cycle, much as when The Gas Man Cometh for Flanders and Swann. (Leon Berger recounts how he heard a gas engineer at the Swann household say “Did you write that song?” to Donald, and Swann admitted that he had; “Well I wish you hadn’t”, the disgruntled gas engineer told him. “They sing it at me everywhere”). Leon and Selwyn sing together Lords of Delight offering seats in the House of Lords at very reasonable rates. Into this eclectic English mix we must, of course, hear from The Archers, and David Rees sings The Archers Comment to the Archers’ theme tune. Patrick Hart brings us a traditional Kentish country and western song with Kent Convoy, except that this convoy is stationary. And Leon completes Act 5 with another Gilbert & Sullivan masterpiece, bringing Iolanthe up to date with Public Inquiry Nightmare which is the song to hear in order to discover when the Public Inquiry will be held.

Mike Cashman clarified “This is not a traditional Musical with a consistent set of characters like Brexit’s a Musical Trick. Nevertheless, a story unfolds through the music, and we found it helpful to arrange the songs in Five Acts, separated by short Shakespearean Interludes, to create a Covid 19 Musical.“

The USB version of the music includes bonus tracks such as With No Tender, a song by Carole Williams and sketch by Mike Cashman about the illegal procurements and the work of the Good Law Project, The Donald Went Down to Georgia and I Would Fly 500 Miles covering a Prime Minister flying to Scotland “for an oyster snack” both sung by Patrick Hart, and another Leon Berger Gilbert and Sullivan parody, I Am Prime Minister of all UK (subtitled I’ll Argue All Night and Concede on Fish).

The book is available from Amazon. The CD and USB versions are available from Amazon and from Etsy. All profits from sales will be donated to charities fighting the effects of coronavirus, initially via the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC). Images of the CD case are shown below.

ENDS

For further press information please contact Mike Cashman email info@viewdelta.com..

Notes to editors–

An interview with the cast by Peter Cook, including extracts of some of the songs, can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiv4bjdHx9Q

The team have also produced the CD of a Brexit Musical, Brexit’s a Musical Trick, available from Amazon, using all the major tunes from Les Misérables .

An interview for Brexit’s a Musical Trick is at https://brexitrage.com/futurama-the-festival-of-brexit/brexits-a-musical-trick/

More information is at www.viewdelta.com, including book jackets for the books extracts from many of the songs, and links to the interviews

Viewdelta Press is the trading name of Mike Cashman for publishing purposes
Mike Cashman can be contacted as follows:
email info@viewdelta.com
Twitter: @ mikecashman1
Skype: mike.cashman2

This musical was recorded in a socially-distanced way and then mixed. Singers include Leon Berger (English National Opera) and Zena Wigram (soprano).

The CDs, USBs and the earlier books are available from Amazon.

Mike Cashman has written these political satire song books

Brexit’s a Trick, not a Treat (2019)
Brexit’s a Musical Trick (2019)
I Don’t Beg Pardon, I’m Talking Bollocks from the Rose Garden

There are corresponding Facebook pages and hashtags
Brexit’s a Trick not a Treat #BrexitsATrickNotATreat
Brexit’s a Musical Trick #BrexitsAMusicalTrick

I Don’t Beg Pardon #IDontBegPardon, #Covid19Musical

FURTHER BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES

Mike Cashman retired after careers in teaching, IT, project and programme management, and international development. He is an experienced and lively facilitator and trainer of large and small groups.
Mike’s experience includes project management in countries such as Sierra Leone, recovering from the Ebola crisis, and rebuilding in Nepal after the earthquake. He has been active in his local community to mitigate the impact of coronavirus. His international development experience includes work on DEC projects in Kenya, Ethiopia, Nepal and Sierra Leone.
Mike is available to deliver talks on the Art of the Parody, or parody “sing-a-long” sessions or run parody song-writing workshops.
Mike also writes more serious pieces about politics in social media and on www.viewdelta.blogspot.com
Mike is married with four children and ten (soon to be twelve) grandchildren.

END OF NOTES

_______________________________________

24 November 2020 Release immediate

PRESS RELEASE

TISWAS star John Asher and ENO’s Leon Berger unite
to record socially-distanced production of Brexit Musical

Star of Seventies Saturday morning kids’ show TISWAS, John Asher, the English National Opera’s Leon Berger and soprano Zena Wigram are just three of the voices to appear on the new recording of satirical musical, Brexit’s a Musical Trick.

Performed under strict social distancing guidelines, the cast of ten singers was recorded one singer at a time before the result was mixed by Ben Chambers of online pro-European radio show, Sixteen Million Rising.

The musical adapts all the major tunes from Les Misérables as political satire and is the brainchild of author Mike Cashman who wrote and published all the parody lyrics. He says: “I love Les Misérables because it explores some epic themes of truth, commitment and consequences. Brexit’s a Musical Trick is a fictional story of an imaginary country seeking a Brexit from the European Union. It starts with the character Boris Valboris, who has struggled all his life under the injustice of not being Prime Minister, and who has to decide whether to lie or not in order to achieve his objective. The consequences of this decision reverberate right through the musical, up to the final song and dance between Valboris and Cunnings as they delight in concluding Failure Doesn’t Matter in the Past.”

Highlights include:

ACT 1 CAMERINE

“Do or Die”

“We Know What We’re Voting For”

“Hasty Referendum”

ACT 2: THERYLINE

“At the End of the Day we Have Need of a Leader”

“What Have We Here, oh You Closet Remainer”

“Lovely Tax Breaks”

“Master of the Spiel”

“Leave and Remain – Led by Donkeys”

“One Day More at Chequers”

“A Little Vote of Pain”

ACT 3 BORIS VALBORIS
“Bring Him in”

“I Dreamed a Dream”

“Empty Houses, Empty Benches”

“There was a Wise Lady who tackled a Lie”

“Help Us Out”
“Aint it a Laugh?”

“Failure Doesn’t Matter in the Past”

Recorded during the Summer, at locations across the UK, the project was a unique challenge for all the participants. Cashman says: “Ben expertly mixed lines which were all individually recorded, with sound placement, synchronisation sound effects, and mastering, to bring the sound of a full West End musical to your home. You will hear Arline singing against Theryline, blatantly interrupting, but you might not realise that both of these characters are sung by Zena Wigram. Similar dramatic vocal battles are played out in One Day More at Chequers”

John Asher who, with Chris Tarrant was part of the original line up for TISWAS, (and was in West End Theatre such as No No Nanette , and he recorded a hit single Let’s Twist Again) , sings Rees-Moggi, Govert, Blackscot, Corboche, Grievous, two of the blokes with paste buckets, and Cunnings, together with chorus roles. He says: “In what has been an exceptionally difficult year for many working in theatre and television it was a real delight, and a huge amount of fun, to work on this satirical musical. Recording our performances individually was a unique challenge for all of us because we’re so used to performing and interacting with others on stage or in the studio but recording it with Mike in the room worked well. He knew plenty of comic effects that he wanted but was also very open to us ad-libbing some more.”

Based on the cast’s work in production the lyrics were then updated, and a new edition of the paperback libretto was released in November.

Early reviews of the CD have been positive:

Cashman is donating all profits from the sale of the CD and the book featuring all the lyrics to the Disasters Emergency Committee which is currently supporting charities tackling covid-19 around the world.

The CD and the book are available from Amazon.

ENDS

For further press information please contact Mike Cashman by email info@viewdelta.com

Notes to editors– SYNOPSIS and CD COVER ARTWORK follow below

Viewdelta Press is the trading name of Mike Cashman for publishing purposes
More information at www.viewdelta.com, including book jackets for the books and extracts from the songs.
A full synopsis of the plot of the three Acts of the Musical follows below.
Mike Cashman can be contacted as follows:
email info@viewdelta.com
Twitter: @viewdelta
Skype: mike. cashman2
This is a full-scale musical, e.g. including big chorus songs, recorded socially-distanced, one singer at a time, and then mixed.
Singers include Leon Berger (English National Opera) and John Asher (presented TISWAS with Chris Tarrant).
The most popular tunes from “Les Misérables” are all used on this CD
The book “Brexit’s a Musical Trick” includes 30 more satirical songs, such as “No Deal Wizard”, “Goodbye Speaker’s Green Chair”, “Bridge Over Doubled Borders” and “Any Deal will Do”. Copies of the book are available for review
The CD and the book are available from Amazon
Mike Cashman has written these political satire song books (and one more dealing with recent events is imminent)
Brexit’s a Trick, not a Treat (2019)
Brexit’s a Musical Trick (2019)

There are corresponding Facebook pages and hashtags
Brexit’s a Trick not a Treat #BrexitsATrickNotATreat
Brexit’s a Musical Trick #BrexitsAMusicalTrick

FURTHER BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES

Mike Cashman retired after careers in teaching, IT, project and programme management, and international development. He is an experienced and lively facilitator and trainer of large and small groups.
Mike’s experience includes project management in countries such as Sierra Leone, recovering from the Ebola crisis, and rebuilding in Nepal after the earthquake. He witnessed the direct impact on these projects of the loss of overseas value of sterling as a result of Brexit.
Mike is available to deliver talks on the Art of the Parody, or run parody song-writing workshops.
Mike also writes more serious pieces about Brexit and politics in social media and on www.viewdelta.blogspot.com
Mike is married with four children and ten grandchildren.

END OF NOTES

SYNOPSIS of the Musical

Act 1 Camerine

We begin by hearing Boris ValBoris considers his options (“Do or Die”).
(“Can I conceal the truth from everyone? And lead this gang until the vote is done?
And must the cause I did decry, Be just my cause though there’s no ‘why’, Must I lie?”)

The voters start to consider how to vote. They voice their different interests but unite their various concerns (together?) on the line “We Know What We’re Voting For”. The referendum is held. “Leave campaign from the beginning, made some claims that were not right. But it seems the scores show winning, For the Leave team?
That is right.
But now Dave you left so early; something surely slipped your mind? You forgot implementation. Would you leave this task behind?”

Camerine nonetheless decides to depart, warning his Party as he does so. After a confrontation between ValBoris and Govert, ValBoris rues his wasted chance (“What have I done?”).

Act 2 Theryline

The Torines nonetheless need to have an election (“At the end of the day we’ve a need for a leader”) and Laundrette drops out leaving Theryline as the new leader.

Theryline is caught with the notes for a speech in which she spoke for Remain (“It’s a hell of a speech”), but she tries to persuade Rees-Moggi and the Ergines that she is now on their side (“Well it’s true that I spoke and I spoke as Remainer, But I thought at that time that the Leave team would lose. Now I’ve moved into the Leave gang, no-one should grieve, please accept my excuse”).

They decide to watch her carefully. Her backers explain the importance of tax evasion. (“Lovely Tax Breaks”). They wear down Theryline’s resistance, but she still holds out for a transition period.

We then meet Faragier, with Widdy; he is making a song and dance about being in charge (“Master of the Spiel”). This seems to have very little to do with what else is going on.

Theryline sings about her destiny (“I saw the polls”) and what else she needs (“Strong and stable”). She reflects with Crosbi on what then goes wrong (“A poll full of votes”). The DUP comes to the rescue.

Theryline plans to “Cut that Corboche down to size”, but the irrepressible Corboche bounces cheekily up. (“They laugh at me because I don’t have number 10 keys. They laugh at me because of low support by MPs. I tell them I have lots of support on the ground. The world is big but Labour people turn it around”).

The queen is unimpressed by Theryline’s antics. (“Well you’ve buffered up One’s Ascot, One does not think much of that. One attends but wears One’s mascot, Blue and yellow EU hat”).

Jamesonne, Willeau, Benni and Ollyvert arrive with paste buckets. (“It is time for us all to decide to go wild. Do we fight for the right to a night with a paste bucket now? Have you asked of yourselves What’s the price they may pay? It’s not simply a game for 4 Remainers to play. The colour of these boards Is changing day by day.”).

People march and sing seeking a Final-Say. (“Do you see the people March?”)

Theryline feels she has a plan with redlines; Tories head off to Chequers. In a dramatic interaction ValBoris and his pal David Davine consider how much longer they can stand Theryline (“One Day More” is their conclusion).

But Theryline keeps looking to the stars and achieves her Deal (“585 page agreement”) even if ValBoris and his pal will fall. “) .

Theryline is wounded in an attack (“A little vote of Pain”). ValBoris is by her side.(“You think you’ll live Ther’line, I think I’ll shove, As you are in the job which still I’d love.”) and Theryline dies, but her soul leaves her body to run through fields of wheat.

ACT 3 Boris ValBoris

Gavini carries in a mute and apparently inactive ValBoris (“Bring him in”) and sits him on a chair as the new leader. Rees-Moggi is joined by some Backers, some of them Russian, and they sing (“Help us Out”) to ValBoris, who promises “We will be out by Autumn”. ……

Camerine makes a surprise return to sing a sad refrain (“I dreamed a dream”, realising “But there are dreams that cannot be”).

Mr Grievous returns to bemoan that Parliament is not sitting (“Empty House and Empty Benches”). However, this question is taken to a Wise Lady by Lord Pannini QC (“There was a wise lady who tackled a lie – A lie to the Queen with never a sigh. The lie will die.”)

We meet Cunnings however who is quite amused by events

“Ain’t it a laugh? Hey this is real. You missed your chance, To do a Deal.”

Events then move on towards their conclusion. “Ain’t it a Laugh” we are told again by the leader and his assistant. “Failure Doesn’t Matter in the Past”