A Runaway Girl: History and Key Facts

A Runaway Girl is an Edwardian musical comedy in two acts written in 1898 by Seymour Hicks and Harry Nicholls. The composer was Ivan Caryll, with additional music by Lionel Monckton and lyrics by Aubrey Hopwood and Harry Greenbank. It was produced by George Edwardes at the Gaiety Theatre, London, opening on 21 May 1898 and ran for a very successful 593 performances. It starred Hicks's wife, Ellaline Terriss and the comic actor Edmund Payne.

The work had stiff competition in London in 1898, as other successful musical comedy openings included A Greek Slave and The Belle of New York. A Runway Girl ran at Daly's Theatre in New York City in 1898 and again in 1900. Marie Celeste portrayed Winifred Grey in the 1900 Broadway cast.

The story concerns an Englishwoman who joins a group of musicians in Italy who are really bandits. It is set in Corsica and Venice.

Source and attribution

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