| Houp La! | |
|---|---|
 Gertie Millar as Tillie | |
| Music | Nat D. Ayer & Howard Talbot |
| Lyrics | Percy Greenbank & Hugh E. Wright |
| Book | Fred Thompson & Hugh E. Wright |
| Productions | 1916–1917 St Martin's Theatre, West End |
Houp La! is an Edwardian musical comedy extravaganza, with music by Nat D. Ayer and Howard Talbot, lyrics by Percy Greenbank and Hugh E. Wright, and a book by Fred Thompson and Hugh E. Wright. The story combines the comic financial troubles of a circus owner with a love triangle.
The original production of the show was mounted by Charles B. Cochran at London's new St Martin's Theatre, opening on 23 November 1916 and starring Gertie Millar, George Graves, Nat Ayer and Ida Adams. It was the first production at the St Martin's,[1][2] which was leased by Cochran.[3] Although the critics found the music innovative, and the cast included stars of the day, the show ran for only three months in London. A Manchester production followed.
- ^ "A Cosy New Theatre", in The Times, 24 November 1916, p. 11
- ^ Wearing, J. P., The London stage, 1910–1919: a calendar of plays and players, vol. 1 (Scarecrow Press, 1982)
- ^ Cochran, Charles Blake. The Secrets of a Showman (1925), p. 224