Anything Goes was ARC's (or what the company was named at the time, 'Darebin ARC') 3rd production and the first one to be performed at the Banyule Threatre.

Synopsis

Nothing is as pleasing as the old-age tale of Boy-Meets-Girl and the complications which ensue, and no one puts it on stage better than ANYTHING GOES. Our hero and heroine, Billy Crocker and Hope Harcourt respectively, meet at an overcrowded party one night in the early '30s. Unfortunately, Hop slips away into the night without giving her address to Billy

This is the background for the excitement that starts at the New Yoeak sailing of the "America" bound for England. To ensure a fun-filled cruise, Reno Sweeny, famed evangelist, is on board with her four beautiful "Angels".

Into this arena arrives Billy, a young man on his way up in the Wall Street world, who is there to deliver his boss' passport. Billy, as it turns out is the same young man who fell for Hope Harcourt and who has been searching for her ever since. Hi is also a good personal friend of Reno Sweeny.

Reno greets Billy warmly and then the deck stewards begin to call, "All ashore that's going ashore". Billy starts for the gangplank when a girl appears, the splendid girl who he has not been able to get out of his mind. "Are you sailing?" she asks.. "You bet I'm sailing" is the rejoinder.

There is another celebrity sailing, but he is very much under wraps. "Moonface Martin", a onetime ship's gambler and "Public Enemy 13", is hiding on board. Billy wants Moonface's friendship by getting the FBI off his trail and Moonface joins in Reno's efforts to help Billy win Hope away from the pleasant by lame-brained English baronet, Sir Evelyn, to whom she is engaged.

Moonface is able to supply Billy with a cabin, one that a pal number "one" on the "wanted" list, had been warned against occupying. Meanwhile, Reno, in an effort to give Billy a clear field with Hope, is busy weaving a spell around Hope's intended, the titled Englishman.

Billy has just a few days to win Hope, whose mother is all for the baronet, the ship's officers are searching the ship for a man who is the occupant of the gangster's cabin, and Billy and Moonface have to resort to varied disguises to avoid being caught.

Its a wonder that all the romances are sorted out and disaster is averted but indeed they are aboard the magical ship where "Anything Goes".

Performance season

The performance season ran over a week and included 3 performances:

• Thursday 9th July - 8pm
• Friday 10th July - 8pm
• Saturday 11th July - 8pm

Artistic Team

Cast

Producers (ARC Committee)

Production Team