The Arcadians is an Edwardian musical comedy styled a "Fantastic Musical Play" in three acts with a book by Mark Ambient and Alexander M. Thompson, lyrics by Arthur Wimperis, and music by Lionel Monckton and Howard Talbot. The story concerns some idyllic Arcadians who wish to transform wicked London to a land of truth and simplicity.
First produced by Robert Courtneidge, the musical opened at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London, on 29 April 1909, and ran for 809 performances. This was the third longest run for any musical theatre piece up to that time. The production starred Phyllis Dare, Dan Rolyat and Florence Smithson. A Broadway production opened in 1910 and ran for 193 performances, and the piece was toured extensively, and revived professionally, in Britain. A silent film version was made in 1927, and the piece was popular with amateur theatre groups, particularly in Britain, through the 20th century. Recordings of some of the numbers were recorded in 1909 and 1915 by original members of the London cast, and more substantial excerpts and one complete performance have been released on compact disc.
The Arcadians may refer to:
The Arcadian Singers of Oxford (aka The Arcadian Singers) is a choir based in Oxford, England, originally formed in 1976 as a madrigal choir. It is a leading choir in the city and performs a wide range of music.
The choir consists of between 16 and 24 singers, drawn mainly from the students and staff of Oxford University. It performs at least one concert each term in Oxford, and in recent years has released two CDs (Jubilate Agno and Salvator Mundi), recorded in the chapel of Merton College. The choir has also been broadcast on BBC Radio 3, and each year participates in the Easter Liturgy at Ampleforth Abbey as well as touring.
The choir has performed in many venues around Oxford, including college chapels (recently Brasenose College, Exeter College, Hertford College, Keble College, Pembroke College, and University College), the Sheldonian Theatre, the University Church and St Michael at the Northgate. The choir has also sung at St Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey in London.
The Arcadians is a 1927 British comedy film directed by Victor Saville and starring Ben Blue, Jeanne De Casalis and Vesta Sylva. It is a silent adaptation of the musical The Arcadians. It is on the BFI 75 Most Wanted list of missing films, but the British Film Institute has reported that an "incomplete and deteriorating nitrate print ... was apparently viewed prior to July 2008". It was made at the Lime Grove Studios in Shepherd's Bush.