Smike

"Smike" is a pop musical adaptation of Charles Dickens' "Nicholas Nickleby", that was once televised for the BBC. The production starred Beryl Reid as Mrs Squeers, Leonard Whiting as Nicholas, and Ian Sharrock as Smike. A cast album was released on Pye records, including the songs from that production, but not all of the songs used in the stage version.

Infobox Musical
name= Smike
caption= Original Broadway Windowcard
music=Roger Holman and Simon May
lyrics=Roger Holman and Simon May
book=Clive Barnett and Simon May
basis=Nicholas Nickleby
productions= Surbiton Assembly Rooms (1973)
awards= It was originally devised in 1973 at Kingston Grammar School by two teachers, Simon May (who became a successful television composer) and Clive Barnett, where it was again produced in December 2005. The third contributor was Roger Holman. The original cast featured Neil Fox.

Songs include "Don't Let Life Get You Down" and "In the Warm Light of a Brand New Day". "We'll Find Our Day" was recorded by Mark Rattray and Emma Robbins, and featured on the album "". Simon May's 1977 album "Summer of My Life" included "Don't Let Life Get You Down" and "In the Warm Light of a Brand New Day".

It was also performed by the young persons' theatre school Sands Theatre Arts School at the Old Fire Station Theatre in Oxford.

It has also often been performed by Amateur Dramatic Societies around the UK, such as JAYMT (Junior Aberdeen Music Theatre) which was performed May 2008, South-West theatre companies Kingston Vale Operatic and Dramatic Society and NEMCOM. It is a very popular musical with people young and old.

In 1976 SMIKE was staged by Bro Pat Taylor and his pupils at Mount Sion C.B.S. Waterford. Ireland. One of the performances was attended by Simon May who sang his hit "Summer of my Life" during the interval of the show.

ong list

;Act I

* Overture (Instrumental)
* The Daily Test (Headmaster & Class)
* Doing Things By Numbers (Class)
* Here I Am (Mr. Nicholls & Class)
* Stop! And Just Think Who You Could Be... (Class)
* Transition Music (Instrumental)
* We've Got The Youngsters' Interests At Heart (Mr. Squeers & Mr. Snawley)
* Wackford, Fanny, Squeersy And Me... (Mr. & Mrs. Squeers, Fanny, Wackford)
* Dotheboys Hall (Mr. & Mrs. Squeers)
* Better Off The Way I Am (Smike)
* Don't Let Life Get You Down (Nickleby & the boys);Act II

* Dawn Music/In the Warm Light Of A Brand New Day (Smike)
* Dotheboys Rock (Bolder & the boys)
* Brimstone And Treacle (Mrs. Squeers & the boys)
* Your Kind Of Woman (Mrs. Squeers & Nickleby)
* We'll Find Our Day (Fanny & Nickleby)
* Here I Am [Reprise] (Nickleby)
* Don't Let Life Get You Down/In The Warm Light Of A Brand New Day [Reprise] (Smeeton & Nicholls)
* Believe (Mr. Nicholls)

External links

* [http://www.mtishows.com/show_home.asp?ID=000123 Music Theatre International: Smike]