Overview
Synopsis
Revolving around the music of British band, Madness, Our House follows the story of London lad Joe Casey. On the night of his sixteenth birthday, an over-excited Joe takes Sarah, the girl of his dreams, out for a romantic evening. On a whim, he breaks into a new building development near his house to show Sarah the view over north London. When the police come, Joe faces a tough decision: to run, or give himself up. It is at this point that the story splits in two as we follow the fortunes, and misfortunes, of Good Joe and Bad Joe. Good Joe stays, hands himself over to the police and faces imprisonment and social embarrassment,. However Bad Joe flees, leaving Sarah alone, and turning his lucky escape into a high-risk future in illegal business. Once released from juvenile detention, Good Joe fights to keep Sarah as she drifts further away from him, caught up in university life. Meanwhile Bad Joe gets in with a criminal crowd and becomes a successful, if dishonest, businessman in property development . He meets Sarah once more and she is bowled over by his new, confident lifestyle. Swept away, Sarah marries Bad Joe in Vegas but soon lives to regret her decision. Meanwhile, Good Joe struggles to earn an honest living and must accept that Sarah has a new life and a new boyfriend. But when his beloved Casey Street is threatened with demolition, he turns to Sarah once more in her new role as a lawyer and the pair rekindle their love.
The two differing paths of Joe Casey’s future are carefully watched over by Joe’s deceased father, who regrets his own criminal choices that saw him neglect his family. As the parallel worlds of Good and Bad Joe Casey head towards an explosive climax, we find out which decision the 16-year-old Joe made--to turn his back on a life of crime and do the right thing.
Show Information
- Book
- Tim Firth
- Music
- Madness
- Lyrics
- Madness
- Category
- Musical
- Age Guidance
- Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 2002
- Genres
- Comedy, Romance
- Settings
- Contemporary, Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- london, 1980s
- Cast Size
- medium
- Orchestra Size
- Medium
- Dancing
- Some Dance
- Licensor
- Music Theatre International
- Ideal For
- Large Cast, Star Vehicle Male, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Late Teen, Young Adult, Mature Adult, Adult Characters, Medium Cast
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Alto |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Ensemble |
Either Gender |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone, Bass |
Songs
Act One
*Our House - Joe & Ensemble
My Girl - Emmo, [Bad] Joe, Lewis
Simple Equation [reprise] - Dad
Magistrates’ Court [All I Wanted/My Girl] - Kath, Dad, Ensemble
*Baggy Trousers - Reecey, Mr. Jesmond, [Bad] Joe
Simple Equation [reprise] - Dad
Embarrassment - [Good] Joe, Kath, Ensemble
*Embarrassment [reprise] - [Bad] Joe, Ensemble
*Driving In My Car - [Good] Joe, Sarah, Lewis, Emmo, Billie, Angie
My Girl [reprise] - Sarah, Dad
Driving In My Car [reprise] - [Bad] Joe, Dad
Simple Equation [reprise] - Dad, Ensemble
Shut Up - Reecey, [Good] Joe
Tomorrow’s Just Another Day / The Sun and the Rain - [Good/Bad] Joe, Sarah, Ensemble
Act Two
Night Boat to Cairo - Dad
*Wings of a Dove - Billie, Angie, Ensemble
One Better Day - [Good] Joe, Kath, Dad, Ensemble
Our House [reprise] - [Good] Joe, Dad
Rise and Fall - [Good] Joe
House of Fun / Rise and Fall / My Girl - [Good/Bad] Joe, Mr. Pressman
N.W. 5 - Sarah, Dad
Embarrassment [reprise] - [Good] Joe, Ensemble
It Must Be Love - Sarah, [Good] Joe
The Sun and the Rain [reprise] - [Good/Bad] Joe, Ensemble
Simple Equation - Dad, [Bad] Joe
*Primrose Hill / Our House [reprise] - [Good] Joe, Dad, 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