A Country Girl: History and Key Facts

A Country Girl, or, Town and Country is a musical play in two acts by James T.

By the Pop Culture Files editorial team•Updated September 30, 2026•2 min read•✓ Fact-checked

Source: http://www.siue.edu/COSTUMES/actors/pics.html

Drawing of en:Hayden Coffin in en:A Country Girl, from a book entitled "Players of the Day", published in London by George Newnes, circa 1902. — Public-domain work · Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

A Country Girl, or, Town and Country is a musical play in two acts by James T. Tanner, with lyrics by Adrian Ross, additional lyrics by Percy Greenbank, music by Lionel Monckton and additional songs by Paul Rubens.

The musical opened at Daly's Theatre in London, managed by George Edwardes, on 18 January 1902 and ran for 729 performances, which was the fourth longest run for any piece of musical theatre up to that time. It starred Hayden Coffin, Bertram Wallis, Evie Greene, Huntley Wright, Lilian Eldeé, Topsy Sinden, Ethel Irving and Rutland Barrington. Isabel Jay joined the cast later, and Gertie Millar starred in the 1914 revival.

The show also enjoyed a Broadway run at Daly's Theatre, starring Melville Stewart, and later revivals and tours. The piece was popular with amateur theatre groups, particularly in Britain, from World War I until about 1960.

This was Lionel Monckton's first score as principal composer, and his songs included "Molly the Marchioness", "Try Again, Johnny", and "Under the Deodar".

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