In selecting "The Merry Widow" for this year's production your Society have every confidence that this will prove to be another happy and attractive Show to add to the many vintage productions of the past.

The Society's last production " The Student Prince " was, as anticipated, a very popular and successful venture and as President I am happy to assure our patrons that, with the loyalty and enthusiasm of our members under the able and professional direction of our Producer, Miss Margaret Boyle, we shall again strive to give another Show to be remembered and with the patronage and the financial support of our Vice-Presidents we hope once again to fulfil the Society's ambition to give a generous sum in support of our local charities.

As in the past may I reiterate that the Society will always welcome applications from anyone interested in joining.    Applications should be made to:— The Secretary, 135 High Street, Rushden.

My personal thanks and appreciation to all concerned.

The Merry Widow - Story of the Play
A ball is in progress at the Pontevedrian Embassy and the atmosphere is electric as they are expecting Anna Glavari who has just inherited twenty millions from her late husband, a Pontevedrian banker. Baron Zeta has instructions that on no account must the widow's fortune go out of Pontevedro, otherwise the country will be bankrupt. The obvious course is to get her safely married again to a Ponte­vedrian so the Baron sends Njegus to fetch Danilo from Maxim's where he spends his time drinking and dancing with the grisettes.

Several flirtations are going on at the ball, quite the most serious being between the Ambassador's wife, Valencienne and Count Camille. Very half-heartedly the lady protests that she is a "highly respectable wife" but is swept off her feet by the ardent lover who writes on her fan "I love you."

Anna arrives and captivates all the men. Whilst she is dancing, Danilo returns; he is a trifle tipsy and eventually falls asleep. That is how Anna finds him and at once recognises him as the young lieutenant whose aristocratic uncle had interrupted their love affair before Anna met her rich husband. She awakens Danilo and instantly the old love revives. But he will not court her for her fortune and she vows she will not have him until he says " I love you." So ostensibly to save the Fatherland, Danilo sets out to find a suitable Pontevedrian husband for Anna. He exposes several intrigues in his quest during a splendid garden party given by Anna. Even poor Camille is encouraged by Valencienne as a blind to court the Widow. Her husband fears that Camille is the most dangerous foreign contestant and hearing that he is already involved with a married woman the Baron orders Danilo to trace the woman. To help him he gives him a fan that he has found—none other than Valencienne's with the incriminating inscription. But Danilo is careless with the fan and Anna thinks he has purposely left it for her to find with its loving message. She is delighted but more determined than ever to make him actually speak the words to her.

In the meantime Camille has persuaded Valencienne to meet him in a garden pavilion. Unfortunately the Baron is told that Camille is tete-a-tete with his "married" lady-love, so he peeps through the keyhole and recognises his own wife. In the commotion which ensues however, Anna swiftly changes places with Valencienne through a back entrance and confounds the Baron when he orders the couple to come into the open. Anna carries the situation by announcing that she has decided to marry Camille. The Baron is shattered to know that her millions are lost to Pontevedro and Danilo is furious to find himself supplanted. He bids Anna a contemptuous goodbye—and departs for Maxim's.

Later that evening in the gardens which are now transformed into some semblance of Maxim's, Anna's party continues. It is gay with Pontevedrian national costumes and uniforms. Valencienne and her friends entertain the guests by masquerading as grisettes. Njegus has tricked Danilo into being led blindfold with real grisettes to the party. He is delighted with the compliment Anna has paid him by decorating her garden to imitate his favourite night-spot. He tells her it is imperative she should give up Camille as her millions must stay in the Fatherland. She consents and also confesses that the incident of the pavilion was a ruse to save a friend. Danilo is overjoyed but still cannot bring himself to speak the words she longs to hear.

The Baron having found out that the elusive fan belongs to his wife swears he will divorce her and marry the Widow himself. But when he proposes Anna tells him she automatically loses her fortune if she marries again. When Danilo hears that he tells her he loves her. And as she jubilantly clasps him in her arms she explains that the fortune becomes the property of her new husband.

It only remains for Valencienne to produce her fan and chide the Baron for not reading what she had replied to Camille's audacious declaration—it was "I am a highly respectable wife" and he is happily reassured of her fidelity.