Overview
Synopsis
It's 1927 and changes are afoot at Grangewood School for Girls. Daisy Meredith is the first scholarship girl from a public elementary school to successfully gain a place at Grangewood. Yet not everyone is happy about this progressive move. Daisy must summon all of her courage, enthusiasm, and plucky resolve to hold her ground against the cruel behavior of fellow students, Sylvia and Monica. They have come up with a series of schemes to ruin Daisy’s reputation and get her expelled. However Daisy is not alone in her efforts to keep her school place and maintain her honor. Her madcap best friend Trixie is on the case! She vows to support Daisy and clear her name. Meanwhile, Daisy and Trixie find themselves on the adventure of a lifetime. They have heard of the long-lost Beaumont treasure which, if found, will restore the Beaumont family wealth and save the school from closure. However, the enigmatic Mr. Scoblowski is also looking for the treasure and his intentions do not appear as noble.
Daisy Pulls It Off is a fast-paced, fun pastiche of the classic girls’ school stories of old. With splendid scrapes, midnight feasts, and lots of jolly hockey sticks, it harks back to a nostalgic bygone era.
Show Information
- Book
- Denise Deegan
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 1983
- Genres
- Comedy
- Settings
- Period, Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- Grangewood School for Girls, England, 1927
- Cast Size
- large
- Licensor
- Concord Theatricals
- Ideal For
- College/University, Community Theatre, High School, Large Cast, Middle School, Mostly Female Cast, Star Vehicle Female, Includes Early Teen, Adult, Late Teen, Young Adult, Child, Mature Adult Characters
Context
Daisy Pulls It Off is based on Winifred Norling’s 1939 novel, The Testing of Tansy. The play premiered at the Nuffield Theatre in Southampton in 1983, where it was revised and then transferred to the Gielgud Theatre (then named the Globe Theatre). The West End production opened in April 1983 and ran for 1,180 performances. It was produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber and directed by David Gilmore, and won the Olivier Award for Best Comedy. In 2002, Gilmore and Lloyd Webber teamed up once more to
to read the context for Daisy Pulls It Off and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
Act One
Miss Gibson, the headmistress of Grangewood School for Girls, introduces the play to the audience. It will be portrayed by members of the fourth form with a little help from the teachers. Daisy Meredith then steps forward and introduces herself. She is the new scholarship girl at Grangewood and comes from a less privileged background than the other students. Her introduction is interrupted by Sybil Burlington, a cruel and conceited student who vows to get rid of lowly scholarship
to read the plot for Daisy Pulls It Off and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
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Lead |
Female |
Non-singer |
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Supporting |
Female |
Non-singer |
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Supporting |
Female |
Non-singer |
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Supporting |
Female |
Non-singer |
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Supporting |
Female |
Non-singer |
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|
Supporting |
Female |
Non-singer |
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Supporting |
Female |
Non-singer |
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Supporting |
Female |
Non-singer |
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|
Supporting |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Supporting |
Male |
Non-singer |
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|
Featured |
Female |
Non-singer |
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Featured |
Female |
Non-singer |
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Featured |
Female |
Non-singer |
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|
Featured |
Female |
Non-singer |
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|
Featured |
Female |
Non-singer |
Songs
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