17-year-old Jamaican pop singer Millie Small – whose My Boy Lollipop single sold 1.5 million copies – made her acting debut in this Anglia Television production, which aired on ITV on 28 December 1964 in the Play of the Week timeslot.
Millie played Selina Brown, a lonely and disillusioned young Jamaican girl who hit the road to travel from Liverpool to London to spend her first ever English Christmas with her glamorous “world famous” second cousin, Lillabelle Astor (Elisabeth Welch).
Her high expectations (she’s dreaming of crunchy snow, holly and carol singers) differ from reality.
But the people she meets along the way – including elderly down-and-out stage magician Jasper Waxo (Ron Moody) and lorry driver Dave (Bryan Mosley) – make this a joyful celebration of companionship and community.
Lillabelle turns out to be broke, but rather than disillusion Selina she pretends to be “Nellie”, her own maid – a trick which has a fairytale ending.
The writer was Robert Gould. John Jacobs directed. The musical play featured seven new songs composed by Dolores Claman with lyrics by Robert Gould himself.
Selina Brown
Millie Small Jasper Waxo
Ron Moody Lillabelle Astor/Nellie
Elisabeth Welch Mr Johnson
Harry Baird Dave
Bryan Mosley Mr Hallan
Tommy Godfery Miss Pike
Patsy Smart Selina’s Mother
Louise Nelson Hector
Kenny Lynch Mrs Mac
Virginia Clay Miss Pendleton
Avril Fane Mr Jerome
David Perry Ticket Clerk
George Betton
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Millie played Selina Brown, a lonely and disillusioned young Jamaican girl who hit the road to travel from Liverpool to London to spend her first ever English Christmas with her glamorous “world famous” second cousin, Lillabelle Astor (Elisabeth Welch).
Selina Brown
Miss Pike
