Music Chris Harriott Book Dennis Watkins | Lyrics Dennis Watkins | |
Productions 1986 Sydney/Melbourne1988 Penrith | ||
Pearls Before Swine is an Australian musical with book and lyrics by Dennis Watkins and music by Chris Harriott. Billed as "in the tradition of South Pacific and Apocalypse Now", it is a satirical take on Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War, suggesting that one of the world's worst cabaret entertainers, Lamont Cranston, was responsible for the My Lai Massacre.
Contents
14 pearls before swine
Production history
Pearls Before Swine opened at Sydney's Belvoir St Theatre on 13 May 1986. It was directed by Geoffrey Rush with choreography by Mark Daly and musical direction by Harriott. The cast included Dennis Watkins (Lamont Cranston), Valerie Bader, Terry Serio, Robyne Dunn, Toni Allayliss, Jonathan Biggins, Mark Daly and Jenny Vuletic. The production moved to the Everest Theatre at Sydney's Seymour Centre between 5 June and 5 July 1986. It then transferred to Melbourne, playing at the Universal Theatre from 15 July 1986 to 24 August 1986.
Penrith's Q Theatre revived the musical in June 1988 and this production also played at the Riverside Theatres Parramatta's Lennox Theatre.
Reception
Critical reaction was highly positive. The Sydney Morning Herald called Pearls Before Swine "a highly subversive, thoroughly entertaining, flawlessly constructed piece of propaganda that is beautifully directed by Geoffrey Rush". The Age said that the musical "bounces along with tremendous verve and gusto, pillaging and plundering and laying siege to good taste" and "if it's not a smash hit with Melbourne audiences, I'll be surprised".
Virgin Records released a cast recording in 1986.
Musical numbers
Musical numbers taken from the cast recording: