performed in London at Theatre Royal, Stratford East, in December 1960, followed by a provincial tour

directed by Jessica Taylor

"First Star of the Evening"	"Today I'm not Speaking to You"
"We're from Missouri"	"What are You Going to Wear to the Hanging, Mrs. Brown?"
Muff Potter is found guilty of murder	...until Tom Sawyer testifies that it was Injun Joe, who swears revenge on Tom and bolts from the courtroom

from the press: "An excellent musical" (The Financial Times) "A loyal and lively version of Tom Sawyer...There is a lot of spirited teamwork that Twain would have liked" (Kenneth Tynan, the Observer) "The book, music and lyrics are by Tom Boyd and it is the first time the book [The Adventures of Tom Sawyer] has been adapted as a musial. It makes an entertaining musical and the cast give good performances. Most of the tunes are pleasant to listen to, and a catchy and amusing tune was "Today I'm Not Speaking to You", sung by Tom and Becky, which did not have a reprise, but certainly deserved one. "We're From Missouri" is a pleasant song telling of the loyalty to state boundaries, and it would have been fascinating to have heard more of "What Are You Going to Wear to the Hanging, Mrs. Brown?". (Richmond Times-Dispatch) "At the King's Theatre, Southsea is the musical version of Tom Sawyer... described by one critic as a spirited pocket Oklahoma" (The Portsmouth and Southsea Journal) "Tom Sawyer is a driving colourful show full of sturdy vitality and sharp satire." (The Stage - full review below)

Above: Review from The Stage - below: page from Theatre World Annual, 1961

See the original student production at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama under the title "We're From Missouri"

Back to Tom's CV forward to TOM SAWYER REVIVAL 2010