Hat Shows

Here you'll find details of Flanders and Swann's first ever appearance together in a school revue, followed by the major London and New York dates of the HAT shows. While the numbers sung varied from week to week and sometimes night to night, the songs listed were the most frequently in their repertoire. At a later date this page will also provide a complete tour list of the UK, US, Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong.

GO TO IT Westminister School Revue St David's Institute, Exeter 26th July 1940 First public performance Produced, devised and presented by M.H.Flanders. Musical arrangements: Donald Swann Further performances: Moreland Hall Hampstead 28th August 1940 Rudolph Steiner Hall 29th August 1940	GO TO IT! Moreland Hall, Hampstead; performed by the pupils of Westminster School. 'The Lighthouse-Keeper's Daughter' – Melodrama by Michael Flanders, music by Donald Swann. Michael Flanders (as the Villain), Ian Abrahams, D.S.Brock

AT THE DROP OF A HAT New Lindsey Theatre Club, London 31st December 1956 – 20th January 1957 Self-promoted A Transport of Delight, Song of Reproduction, The Hog Beneath the Skin (The Warthog), The Youth of the Heart, Greensleeves, Sea Fever, A Gnu, Bed, Vanessa, Je Suis le Tenebreux, Songs For Our Time (Philological Waltz, Satellite Moon), Topical Song (Harold Macmillan). Encore: Happy Song. Interval A Song of the Weather, Mopy Dick, Design for Living, Tried by the Centre Court, Misalliance, Miranda, Kokoraki, Madeira, M'Dear, The Hippopotamus. Encores: Smoking is Permitted, The Safety Curtain, The Public May Leave.	Flyer for the first AT THE DROP OF A HAT show. The New Lindsey Theatre Club, 31st December 1956

AT THE DROP OF A HAT Fortune Theatre, London 24th January 1957 – 2nd May 1959 Agent: Cliff & Minster A Transport of Delight, Song of Reproduction, The Youth of the Heart, Greensleeves, Sea Fever, A Gnu, Too Many Cookers, Vanessa, Je Suis le Tenebreux, Songs For Our Time (Philological Waltz, Satellite Moon). Encore: Happy Song. Interval A Song of the Weather, The Reluctant Cannibal, Mopy Dick, Design for Living, Tried by the Centre Court, Misalliance, Miranda, Kokoraki, Madeira, M'Dear, The Hippopotamus. Encores: Smoking is Permitted, The Safety Curtain, The Public May Leave. Numbers added: Bed, Good Literature, Friday Morning (Carter), Putting Out the Dustbins (Carter), Take Me Back to Byker (Carter), Silver in the Stubble (Carter).	AT THE DROP OF A HAT in the West End. Fortune Theatre, London, 24th Jan 1957. Photo: Angus McBean

AT THE DROP OF A HAT The Nine O'Clock Theatre (John Golden Theatre), New York 8th October 1959 – 14th May 1960 (previews from Sat 3rd Oct 1959) Agent: Alexander H. Cohen A Transport of Delight, Song of Reproduction, The Hog Beneath the Skin (Warthog), The Youth of the Heart, Greensleeves, The Wompom, Sea Fever, A Gnu, Judgement of Paris, Songs For Our Time (Philological Waltz, Satellite Moon, Happy Song). Interval A Song of the Weather, The Reluctant Cannibal, In the Bath, Design for Living, Tried By Centre Court, Misalliance, Kokoraki, Madeira, M'Dear, The Hippopotamus. Numbers added: Say Who You Are (Carter).	AT THE DROP OF A HAT on Broadway. John Golden Theatre – renamed The Nine O'Clock Theatre. 8th Oct 1959. 'The Happy Wanderers', a troupe of imported London buskers, perform on the awning.

AT THE DROP OF ANOTHER HAT Theatre Royal, Haymarket 2nd October 1963 – 21st March 1964 (Public Dress Rehearsal before invited audience 30th September 1963) Theatre Management: H.M.Tennant The Gasman Cometh, Sounding Brass, A Sloth, Bedstead Men, Los Olividados, The Rat Race, Sea Fever, By Air, Slow Train, Old Hat (Kokoraki), Ill Wind, Ostrich Song, First & Second Law. Interval All Gall, Horoscope, Old Hat (Madeira M'Dear), Wompom, Friendly Duet, In the Bath, Armadillo Idyll, Built-Up Area, In the Desert, A Song of Patriotic Prejudice. Hippo Encore. Numbers added: Guide to Britten.	AT THE DROP OF ANOTHER HAT in the West End. Theatre Royal, Haymarket, 2nd Oct 1963. New show, new theatre

AT THE DROP OF ANOTHER HAT Globe Theatre, London 29th September 1965 – 19th February 1966 (Public Dress Rehearsal before invited audience 28th September 1965) Agent: Robert Fenn Associates Twice Shy, From Our Bestiary, Bedstead Men, By Air, Slow Train, Ill Wind, Sounding Brass, Los Olividados, Say Who You Are (Carter), P* P* B*** B D*******, A Sloth, A Song of Patriotic Prejudice. Interval The Gasman Cometh, Hororscope, Armadillo Idyll, Twenty Tons of TNT, Lovely War, Motor Perpetuo, Built-up Area, In the Desert, Commonwealth Fair, First & Second Law. Hippo Encore.	AT THE DROP OF ANOTHER HAT West End return. Globe Theatre, London. 29th September 1965.

AT THE DROP OF ANOTHER HAT Booth Theatre, Broadway 31st December 1966 – 9th April 1967 Agent: Alexander H. Cohen The Gas-Man Cometh, From Our Bestiary, Bilbo's Last Song, By Air, Slow Train, First & Second Law, Sloth, P* P* B*** B D*******, Los Olividados, In the Desert, Motor Perpetuo, More Songs for Our Time, A Song of Patriotic Prejudice. Interval All Gall, Hororscope, Armadillo Idyll, Twenty Tons of TNT, Ill Wind, Food for Thought, Prehistoric Complaint, Commonwealth Song, Twice Shy.	AT THE DROP OF ANOTHER HAT final run on Broadway. Booth Theatre, 31st December 1966.