Children's Musicals by Jan Stroud for your school, choir or youth group

The Happy Prince
Award-winning song and dance musical

“Our children perform Jan’s musicals as if touched by a magic wand”

Pauline Davison. N.Tyneside Music Service

The addition of a fabulous, vibrant, fully scripted play to Jan Stroud’s award winning music makes 'The Happy Prince' one of the most exciting, professional and high quality musicals available to 7-12 year olds. Devised by The Children’s University, our new script brings Oscar Wilde’s best-loved story right up to date. Suitable for large or small groups, this magical production will engage and excite everyone, from the most able singers and dancers to the novice performer. With characters including cockney urchins who are showered with gold as they dance in the street and a flirtatious Canary, there is plenty of light-hearted fun as children learn the true meaning of giving from the Prince and the Swallow. This is an ideal dance project.

10 Songs – Production Time 60-70 mins - Cast Size – flexible with over 100 very short speeches for individuals if required and opportunities for dancers and mime artists.

Hear a sample of the songs: Please ensure that pop-up blockers are switched off. A Friend Like You Flame of Love Perfection City The Matchgirl Find the Sunshine Golden Bedroom Ball Medley Good Time Girl Last Goodbye Civic Pride (all mp3 format)

THE NEW SCRIPT

The musical content of The Happy Prince has always been of a high professional quality, with a production standard that is rarely available to this age group. Until now, we have never seen a script that matched our high quality music but we are so impressed with this script that we have acquired it to include in our production packs for schools and theatre groups.

The script is exceptionally professional and poetic, written in a style that remains faithful to Oscar Wilde’s intentions but, as the storyline adopts the format that the performance is actually a rehearsal of ‘The Happy Prince’ taking place in a school, there is a present day, totally modern and energetic atmosphere.

The production is suitable for very large or very small groups with ten songs, dances, many small speaking parts, opportunities for solos, duets and talented dancers and one very major role that could be taken by an adult or able child. Given that the play is actually a rehearsal, actors can carry and refer to scripts, making this production ideal for children who don’t like learning lines!

Of all our musicals, ‘ The Happy Prince’ is the one that has achieved the most recognition in a competitive and commercial environment. The musical was originally conceived as an animation project. Film companies, producers and directors then developed the musical for television. Jan Stroud’s adaptation won a place in the finals of The International Musical of the Year in a field of competitors that included famous Broadway based theatre companies.

North Tyneside Music Service produced the musical, using children from several schools in the area and performed it in the Whitley Bay Playhouse. The Music Service worked with The Children’s University and commissioned a fully scripted play. The script utilised and moulded the ideas in our animation Treatment and evolved a dramatic format that is ideal for children’s performance and use in schools. This script, together with a CD of vocal guide tracks sung by celebrities and broadcast quality backing tracks for 10 songs, ranging in styles from pop anthems and ballads to jazz, disco and a 1940’s medley, makes The Happy Prince one of the most exciting and vibrant musicals available for children to perform.