MUSIC & LYRICS

Styles

Gloria is a sung-through theatre show with rich and varied music styles. These include Andrew Lloyd Webber melodies, jazz-inflected Rodgers & Hart-style tunes, and clever lyricism reminiscent of Gilbert & Sullivan and Stephen Sondheim. We resonate with Gloria’s heritage and breadth of influences in contemporary music in England, with numbers from traditional afrobeat, modern afrobeats and ska.

There are 22 musical numbers with 15 short reprises.

Songs

Prologue

01 - I Trust In Me (Verse 1 only)

Gloria has written this song. When she sings it in the opening scene (an open-mic cafe) the song receives minimal applause. Gloria reprises the full song in Act II to strengthen herself as she walks London’s streets alone. The song is again reprised towards the end of Act II, sung by the full cast as We Trust In Us, the song having been adopted by the Young Queen as the new national anthem.

Act I

02 Gloria (song)

Gloria sings this to herself as she begins her dream, alone in a boat on the sea, bound for England.

03 Purity (Monochromatic)

Tyburn and the BBs introduce themselves and their mission: keeping England racially pure.  Part brutal, part ridiculous.

Gloria (Reprise #01)

Gloria now doubts her dream of England.

04 Robot Rob

George sings about his oppressive boss (Rob) at his work in the dream factory.

05 Island Home

George sings of his isolation and pressure to be St. George. 

Gloria (Reprise #02)

Gloria, feeling she now has a “home” asks: “When will this world hear me sing?”

06 Things

Britney and Boo sing of the “things” we (the English) “won” worldwide ie. the contents of the British Museum.

07 Expectation (No Dragon Slayer)

Britney and Boo sing to slacker George about their feats and how he needs to man-up.

08 Love, Please (Love's A Dream)

George sings of his dream of love. Arthur gives dismissive responses.

09 The English

4 verses, choruses and responses. Voice: Arthur/George/Britney with Gloria singing responses after each chorus. (demo:Bernadette Bangura/Nick Cox)

The English Family (Arthur/George/Britney) regret their loss of empire but sing proudly of the English language: Shakespeare, the Beatles etc. They don’t understand why Gloria speaks English, so she tells them ie. colonisation.

Purity (Monochromatic) (Reprise #01)

Tyburn questions each if they have sighted an “alien invader”. Each denies it.

10 War Makes A Man

Arthur and Tyburn sing to George, goading him to take a sword and fight.

Purity (Monochromatic) (Reprise #02)

Tyburn demands the family identify the strange woman (Gloria). They feign ignorance.

11 Cool To Be You 

Gloria and George sing call and response as third person, a story of black girl meets white boy. They will ignore what they (the haters) say, cos it’s cool to be you.

12 The Next Rainbow

Gloria and George are downhearted by rain but cheer themselves - since rain is needed for the next rainbow.

13 Crowns of Peace

Gloria and George come to the statue of General Wolseley who led the campaign to colonise Ghana. Gloria sings to the statue.

Purity (Monochromatic) (Reprise #03)

Tyburn questions whether George is loyal and is hiding an “alien invader”. George does not stand up for Gloria, calling migrants “scum”.

14 So Natural (When I Say I Love You)

George says “I love you” to Gloria. She wants to say it back but can’t because it doesn’t feel natural.

Act II

15 Kasa Ahasa (300 Tongues) (ask Kwame) (rough demo) 

Gloria wanders the streets of London alone at night. Scary strangers shout at her. These shouts soften into Welcome! In many languages - she is embraced by the diverse crowd. 

Gloria (Reprise #03)

Gloria, downhearted, is ready to abandon her dream of England.

Love, Please (Reprise #01)

George dreams he is holding Gloria in his arms then he wakes. 

Robot Rob (Reprise #01)

Rob sings how George’s dream of a farm with female partner has infected the computers and chases George out.

War Makes A Man (Reprise #01)

The Queen’s Minister sings a TV news announcement that the war against the Dragon must continue. The Queen suggests a new national anthem to end the war. The Minister dismisses this. Tyburn enters and warns an “alien invader is at large”. 

16 Chop It Off

Boo and Warriors say Gloria violence is the answer to her problems. She rejects this.

17 I Trust In Me

Gloria now reprises her strengthening anthem from the opening scene.

18 Seize Her!

The Minister orders Tyburn and Border Brigaders to seize Gloria.

Expectation (No Dragon Slayer) (Reprise #01)

Britney and Arthur make fun of George, that he is “still here” and not gone off to the War.

Back for Good

Ottobah has returned from the War. He sings of his journey, enslavement, escape, becoming a successful author in London. 

Things (Reprise #01)

Britney signs to George about those things more valuable than the material things in life, “like forgiveness and love”.

The English (Reprise #01)

Arthur sings to George how he failed in heroic mission but is still venerated.

Island Home (Reprise #01)

George is downhearted. His story is at an end. He has lost his job, his self-respect, his love. 

Supahero (Snippet #)

George sings how he needs Gloria.

Expectation (No Dragon Slayer) (Reprise #02)

Boo tells George that Tyburn has captured Gloria.

Dragon Waltz of Fear

The Dragon sings that he (the Dragon) is only the Fear within George, within all of us. He instils fear because he himself is afraid. George embraces the Dragon.

Back Where You Came From

Tyburn sings to Gloria how she is being sent back to where she came from.

Her Majesty Requests Your Presence

The Minister relays the message to Gloria.

Purity (Polychromatic) (Reprise #04)

The Border Brigaders sing that Tyburn has never been tested. They test him showing he is a mix of many races. Tyburn reveals his long-suppressed desire for colour in his life. All join in.

Cool To Be You (Reprise #01)

As she sings Gloria looks up at George’s portrait. She saddens. The music stops. 

The Whole World Loves Me

Gloria has everything she dreamt of: acceptance by the English, her song “I Trust In Me” is the new national anthem but George and his love are absent. 

Supahero 

Gloria and Gloria sings how they are each others’ superhero.

We Trust In Us (Reprise of I Trust in Me)

All cast sing Gloria’s song, it being adopted as the new national anthem.

Epilogue

Cool To Be You (Reprise #02) 

All sing as Gloria and George act out the lyrics of black girl meets white boy. We’ll ignore the haters because it’s cool to be you.