Half A Sixpence

A musical based on H.G Wells novel ‘ Kipps’. Half a Sixpence tells the tale of a humble clerk, Arthur Kipps, who finds himself working in a Folkestone drapery emporium together with his shop workers: Buggins – the pessimist, Sid – the socialist, Pearce – the dandy and the shop girls: Flo, Kate and Victoria. The drapery is run by a demanding owner, Mr Shalford, who is obsessed with three working values: system, efficiency and economy. As a child in an orphanage, Kipps meets a young girl, Ann, who becomes his childhood sweetheart.

As a token of their love, Kipps breaks a sixpence in two and shares it with Ann. As they grow up they drift apart. Now as one of the older apprentices, Kipps finds himself working in the drapery. However, just as life is getting him down, Ann turns up unexpectedly in Folkestone to seek out Kipps and rekindle their happiness. This isn’t the only surprise for Kipps for after a chance encounter with Chitterlow, an extravagant playwright, Kipps inherits a small fortune. Now with “money to burn” Kipps is drawn towards the high life and aspires to be a “proper gentleman”.

Forgetting his work pals and childhood sweetheart, Kipps moves up the social ladder to rub shoulders with the gentry. He is soon captured and engaged to the well educated Helen Walsingham who tries to mould Kipps into something he isn’t. Kipps soon realises that he’s not cut out for the high life, breaks off the engagement with Helen and seeks out Ann. However, just as Kipps is settling down with Ann, building a mansion and planning out his future, fate deals Kipps a blow and he and Ann soon find their newfound wealth is no more. But for Kipps, fate is a strange thing that always seems to change especially for the best as there is one more twist in the tale.