My father, Tony Russell, composed the music for ‘The Matchgirls’ and, Bill Owen (of Last of the Summer Wine fame), the script and lyrics. They would often meet in our family home in South London, where they collaborated closely, working with passion and commitment on the creation of the musical. Bill, a fervent socialist, was dedicated to telling the story and making this event known. The show, which was directed and choreographed by Gillian Lynne, had its debut in Leatherhead Theatre in 1965, to a standing ovation. In 1966 it transferred to the West End’s Globe Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue.

The musical brings to life a true story, the Matchgirls Strike of 1888. It highlights the collective power of one community in the poorest part of Victorian London to fight for change. It shows the courage and commitment of these East End girls, who stood up for better worker’s rights, conditions and fair wages.

The script, the lyrics and the music bring to life the plight and determination of these workers. The rousing songs, jazzy score and heart-warming love story, combined with moments of humour and the sheer joy of singing and dancing capture the lively spirit of these Cockney girls, whilst retaining the profound drama of its central theme. The first song ‘Phosphorus’ communicates the dangers the girls faced from working with this toxic element in the match making process. The threat of Phossy Jaw, the destruction of the face and inner mouth, was discounted by the company as an occupational hazard.

With the support of Annie Bessant, a Fabian, who was a campaigner for women’s rights, the factory’s deplorable conditions were exposed and publicised, eventually bringing about parliamentary intervention. Bryant & May asked the girls to refute the article. In the musical, when they refused, Kate, the strike leader, was sacked, the girls found the strength to fight for justice. All the girls walked out in solidarity singing, ‘We’re gonna show ‘em.’

This musical is not just a historical piece. The Matchgirls Strike helped build the momentum for the broader labour rights movement in the UK. It has great relevance to modern times as there are workers in the UK and throughout the world still being exploited.

The amateur production of this musical is available and has been popular for performance since its inception in 1967. It has leading roles for females and key roles for males. With the recent resurgence of interest in the Matchgirls 1888 Strike it seems the perfect time to stage this show. In support of this, the handwritten score has been updated and engraved. If you would like to put on the show or want to learn more about it, the music, band parts and script can be hired directly from Concord: https://www.concordtheatricals.co.uk/p/11361/the-matchgirls.

It has long been a wish of the recently deceased Tom Owen, and myself, to get the original show performed by professional actors again. With this end in mind the score of the full length show has also been restored. In 1966 performances were limited under censorship. Today there is freedom to stage the show in many different ways and as the words in one of the songs says: “To set the Thames alight from here to Tilbury.”

If you would like to find out more about the original show, please contact Anita Scorer,
anitascorer@btopenworld.com.