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Overview
Synopsis
Divorce Me, Darling! is the sequel to the rip-roaring musical comedy, The Boyfriend. A nostalgic and light-hearted pastiche of the musical comedies of the 1930s, Divorce Me, Darling! follows the young ladies from Madame Dubonnet’s finishing school, who are now ten years older and married to their respective ‘boyfriends’. However, the initial excitement of married life has worn off and the women have escaped to the French Riviera for a husband-free spree on the coast. However, they are unaware that their husbands have done the same thing! Old friends Polly Brockhurst and Bobby Van Husen spend an evening catching up, opening the door to a series of misunderstandings and complications, this time involving a tell-tale lipstick smear, a trio of health nuts, a mysterious cabaret singer and a plot to assassinate a South American president. As tensions mount and extra-marital flirtations increase, can the couples keep their marriages intact? Or will everyone want a divorce? Although the women are no longer her pupils, it is up to Madame Dubonnet (aka cabaret performer ‘Madame K’) to take matters in hand, reunite with her own husband, Percy Browne, and encourage the ladies to do the same. As each couple has their own ‘happy ending’, there are a few more surprises in store!
Show Information
- Book
- Sandy Wilson
- Music
- Sandy Wilson
- Lyrics
- Sandy Wilson
- Category
- Musical
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 1964
- Genres
- Comedy, Romance, Historical/Biographical
- Settings
- Period, Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- The French Riviera, 1936
- Cast Size
- large
- Orchestra Size
- Medium
- Dancing
- Heavy
- Licensor
- Music Theatre International
- Ideal For
- College/University, Community Theatre, Large Cast, Regional Theatre, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Adult, Mature Adult, Young Adult Characters
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Ensemble |
Either Gender |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone, Bass |
Songs
Act One
Here We Are In Nice Again - Dulcie, Nancy, Fay, Hortense, Ensemble
Whatever Happened To Love? - Polly, Dulcie, Nancy, Fay
*Someone To Dance With - Bobby, Ensemble
*Lights! Music! - Mme Dubonnet, Ensemble
*Maisie - Marcel, Pierre, Alphonse
Back To Nature - Lady Brockhurst, Sir Freddy, Cecilia, Prunella, Felicity
*On The Loose - Lord Brockhurst, Dulcie, Nancy, Fay
*Paradise Hotel - Hortense, Gaston, Ensemble
*No Harm Done - Bobby, Polly
Together Again - Tony, Polly, Maisie, Bobby
Act Two
*Divorce Me, Darling! - Polly, Bobby, Tony, Maisie, Dulcie, Alphonse, Fay, Marcel, Nancy, Pierre,
Here Am I, But Where's The Guy? - Hannah
*Out Of Step - Bobby, Maisie, Ensemble
Fancy Forgetting - Hortense, Mme Dubonnet
Together Again (Reprise) - Percival, Mme Dubonnet, Polly
You're Absolutely Me - Hannah, Sir Freddy
Back Where We Started - Polly, Tony, Dulcie, Alphonse, Fay, Marcel, Nancy, Pierre,
*Blondes For Danger - Mme Dubonnet, Ensemble
*Swing Time Is Here To Stay - Maisie, Ensemble
Divorce Me, Darling! (Reprise) - Ensemble
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
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Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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Guide Written By:
Alexandra Appleton
Writer, editor and theatre researcher