GOD BLESS ARCHIE DEAN.
Archie has a dilemma. He’s been told he isn’t good enough to make it into Heaven, but they won’t let him into Hell either because they don’t know what his sin was. It appears that Purgatory for eternity is on the cards, but Toby, Hell’s doorman, offers him a deal. He’ll give him one month of borrowed time back on earth, during which he must commit a cardinal sin to gain entry to Hell. Archie reluctantly accepts, but when put to the task, he is incapable of being evil.
He makes hilarious attempts to commit adultery, to rob a bank and to commit murder, but on ever occasion he ends up being honourable instead of evil. He even fails miserably at attempting suicide. But St. Peter is watching from the Heavenly wings and in this story of good versus evil, the outcome is eventually a happy one!
CHARACTERS:
ARCHIE........A shy, gullible innocent. Strong acting and comedy. Baritone.
TOBY............A bit of a Devil. Almost a stand-up Comedian. Baritone.
STELLA........Archie’s unfaithful girlfriend. Strong comedy. Mezzo.
NATHAN......Stella’s Lover. A Gangster. Comedy. Singing optional.
St. PETER.......The one in Heaven. Character role. No singing.
GABRIELLE...A Guardian Angel, in disguises, Character role. Soprano.
EDDIE............ Friend of Archie. Strong comedy. Baritone/Tenor.
ESTHER..........Eddie’s equally ‘kookie’ wife. Strong comedy. Mezzo.
MARTHA.......An ‘unattractive’ friend of Archie. Comedy. No singing.
SAMANTHA...One of Toby’s ‘Hells Angels’. A Vamp.
KNUCKLES, CHARLIE....Gangsters. One dumb. One extremely camp.
COP................A rather useless policeman. Character role. Tenor.
GRANDMA.....Archie's ancient and loveable granny. Mezzo.
Several other character cameo roles.
SETS:
Hell. An Apartment. A Hotel. A Bedroom. Outside A Bank. A Hospital Room. Somewhere in time and space. On the Railway Tracks. Heaven.
(With the nature of the show, many of the settings can be fairly abstract!)
CHORUSES:
Deep in the Bowels of Hell. Tonight’s The Night. People of The Night.
God Bless Archie Dean. I Only Did What I Thought I Ought To Do. Life Ain’t Easy. Another Angel.
DANCES:
Firey Opening dance in Hell. Couples dance in ‘Tonight’s the Night’. Jazzy dance for ‘People of the Night’. BIG production numbers for ‘God Bless’ and ‘Another Angel’ and ‘Life Ain’t Easy’. Tap for ‘One Hell of A Place is Hell’.
PERFORMED BY:
First Act Musical Company, Belfast. Ulster Operatic Company. Newbridge Musical Society, Kildare. Carrick-on-Suir Musical Society. Nenagh Musical Society. Roscrea Musical Society. Marian Choral Society, Tuam. Castlerea Musical Society. Shannon Musical Society. New Ross Musical Society. Jarlath's College, Tuam. Kilkenny Musical Society. Rush Musical Society. Scariff Musical Society. Encore Theatre Company, Galway. Vocational College, Athenry.
ACCOLADES:
Adjudicator's Special Award to Peter Kennedy for "Outstanding Contribution to Musical Theatre in Ireland" at the Northern Ireland Festival of Light Opera. 1989.
2 Best Overall Show Nominations.
8 Best Comedian Awards from 11 Nominations for "Toby".
5 Best Comedienne Awards from 8 Nominations for "Stella".
3 Best Actor Nominations for "Archie".
2 Best Choreography Awards from 3 Nominations.
PRESS:
"Archie Dean should take Peter (Kennedy) to the Big League. His characters and his comedy would be at home with the finest Damon Runyan creations!" Charles Fitzgerald. Ulster News Letter.
"This show puts Peter Kennedy on the map as a writer of hilarious musical comedy." Belfast Telegraph.
"The one-liners just keep on coming, and the physical comedy has the audience in stitches. God Bless Archie Dean deserves to play to full houses for the week." Connacht Tribune.
"If musical theatre is about pure entertainment, then this show presses all the right buttons. I've rarely heard a festival audience laugh so much!" Munster Express.
