The Boy Friend by Sandy Wilson

Set in the carefree world of the French Riviera in the Roaring 1920s The Boy Friend is a comic pastiche of 1920s shows (in particular early Rodgers and Hart). The title is an obvious parody of The Girl Friend. Its relatively small cast and low cost of production make it a continuing popular choice for amateur and student groups. The Boy Friend is a musical by Sandy Wilson. The musical’s original 1954 London production ran for 2078 performances making it briefly the third-longest running musical in West End or Broadway history (after Chu Chin Chow and Oklahoma!) until it was surpassed by Salad Days. This musical marked Julie Andrews’ American stage debut. Sandy Wilson wrote a sequel to The Boy Friend. Set ten years later and appropriately a pastiche of 1930s musicals (in particular those of Cole Porter) it was titled Divorce Me Darling! and ran for 91 performances at London’s Globe Theatre in 1965. It is sometimes revived as a “double bill” with The Boy Friend.