WANDSWORTH COMMON — THE MUSICAL

Added

IN PROGRESS — NOT FOR PUBLICATION

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Jack Black, Ratcatcher to Queen Victoria

(After "I'm Burlington Bertie from Bow"

Nick Pruce

• WandsworthCommon: Jack Black
• Early performance from Ella Shields
• Bravura performance of Burlington Bertie from Bow by Julie Andrews — with plenty of prop "business".
• PB: It's taken from Star (1968), a biopic about Gertrude Lawrence (Noel Coward's regular partner). It uses all sorts of techniques to evoke the history of music halls.I've never been much of a Julie Andrews fan, but I must say I loved the film as a whole. Gertrude Lawrence was brought up in Clapham, and makes frequent mentions of the fact in the film.
  
  It can be streamed (free) from YouTube: Star

Jack the Ratcatcher

I'm Jack, perhaps you've heard of me

Jack, you've had word of me

Look at my scar, biters rats are

Tearing great slivers of flesh

They've gnawed, they've gnawed through my breeches and now I'm feeling depressed

My uniform's pledged, yes my shame's fully fledged

Without waistcoat and coat I'm undressed.

I'm Jack the Ratcatcher wiv my traps I ketch a

Sparrer, a mole or a rat.

I'm the Rat destroyer to good Queen Victoria

Look, 'ere is my famous polecat;

'Ere's Polly the ferret, unequalled in merit

Both of them first-raters at rats; 'ere's my parrot,

I'm Jack, Jack, yes I'm Mister Black,

Called the Battersea Otter down 'ere

Cause I fish the Black Sea wivout lines or nets, see

I'm Jack the Ratcatcher, my dear.