George & Ira Gershwin's Pardon My English

A rare outing...

Sometimes classed as a forgotten show, the Gershwin's 1933 Pardon My English has seldom seen the limelight since it's first 43 performance run at the Majestic Theatre on Broadway the same year. But now Musicals Tonight! who specialise in reviving rare musicals, have chosen it to close their 2014/15 season, in concert at the Lion Theatre.

Farcical and sometimes ridiculous, Pardon My English is the story of prohibition in pre-war Germany, but in reverse. After the government bans all non alcoholic drink to boost sales of beer and wine, a tricksy Golo Schmidt opens a speak-easy, Club 21, where citizens can fill themselves up with cream soda and ginger ale. Hot on his heels is Commissioner Bauer, who makes it his mission to shut down the illegal operation. But when Golo hits his head in a car accident, he wakes up with the strange notion that he is now Michael Branleigh, a wealthy British socialite. Things then take a real turn for the mad-cap when he takes a shine to Bauer's daughter Lise.

A screw-ball satire, this often-overlooked show has all the hallmarks of a classic Gershwin show, with obscure songs that have stood the test of time. A must see for fans of the incredibly influential duo!