The Magic Basket

cover art

The Magic Basket is a musical for children written in 1940 by Australian composer Alfred Wheeler, with the book and lyrics written by Bronnie Taylor.[1] The musical was originally published by Australian music publisher Allan & Co. Pty. Ltd. The story involves a group of children whisked to a magical land on the Moon, where they help the Sandman to recover his bag of sleep-dust from Goblins. The children are transported in a magic basket by Mrs Mustard, the Old Woman who Sweeps the Sky.[2]

Characters

  • The King of the Moon
  • The Queen of the Moon
  • Lord High Chancellor
  • The Sandman
  • Mr Moonshine
  • Mrs Mustard
  • Face-ache, the leader of the Goblins
  • Twinkle, the leader of the Moonbeams
  • Children
  • Goblins
  • Moonbeams, ladies-in-waiting to the Queen
  • Newsboy

Musical numbers

  • Oh isn't it fun to live in the moon? (sung by Moonbeams)
  • Whatever can we do (sung by chorus)
  • I sweep the sky (sung by Mrs Mustard and chorus)
  • My basket brave and I (sung by chorus)
  • Derry derry down Oh! (sung by Queen and chorus)
  • Galloping, galloping up in the sky (sung by Children)
  • The Sandman (sung by Children and the Sandman)
  • Tippetty tippetty toe (sung by Children)
  • Goblins bold are we (sung by Goblins)
  • If you will be a meddlesome Matty (sung by Children)
  • The deed is done (sung by Children)
  • Bong! goes the gong (sung by chorus)
  • One song before we part (sung by solo and chorus)
  • Lullaby (sung by chorus)

Productions

  • 1940 Lauriston Girls' School, Melbourne (premiere)[3]
  • 1940 Wyalong, New South Wales[4]
  • 1940 Mount Barker, South Australia[5]
  • 1943 Cloncurry, Queensland[6]
  • 1943 Adelaide, South Australia[7]
  • 1944 Benalla, Victoria[8]
  • 1945 Port Pirie, South Australia[9]
  • 1945 Newcastle, New South Wales[10]
  • 1946 Adelaide[11]
  • 1946 Newcastle, New South Wales[12]
  • 1946 North Lismore, New South Wales[13]
  • 1946 Newcastle, New South Wales[14]
  • 1947 Broken Hill[15]
  • 1947 Wagga Wagga, New South Wales[16]
  • 1947 Lismore, New South Wales[17]
  • 1947 Shepparton, Victoria[18]
  • 1947 Grafton, New South Wales[19]
  • 1948 Mackay[20]
  • 1949 Wyalong, New South Wales[21]
  • 1949 Southport, Queensland[22]
  • 1949 Scone, New South Wales[23]
  • 1950 Nanson, Western Australia[24]
  • 1950 Hay, New South Wales[25]
  • 1950 Maddington, Western Australia[26]
  • 1951 Launceston, Tasmania[27]
  • 1951 Sunshine, Victoria[28]
  • 1951 Burnie, Tasmania[29]
  • 1952 Maryborough, Queensland[30]
  • 1952 Braidwood, New South Wales[31]
  • 1952 Adelaide, South Australia[32]
  • 1952 Grafton, New South Wales[33]
  • 1953 Southbrook, Queensland[34]
  • 1954 Kygole, New South Wales[35]
  • 1954 Broken Hill, South Australia[36]
  • 1954 Townsville, Queensland[37]
  • 1954 Lithgow, New South Wales[38]
  • 1955 Parramatta District Primary Schools, starring Bob Winley as Mr Moonshine and Elaine Marriott as The Queen
  • 1957 Penrith, New South Wales[39]

References

  1. ↑ "AusStage".
  2. ↑ "The magic basket: a juvenile operetta". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
  3. ↑ "Untitled". 24 July 1940. p. 12 – via Trove.
  4. ↑ "DISTRICT SCHOOL CONCERT". 5 December 1940. p. 1 – via Trove.
  5. ↑ "SUMMERTOWN". 12 December 1940. p. 3 – via Trove.
  6. ↑ "Grand Concert". Cloncurry Advocate. 26 November 1943.
  7. ↑ "Rosary School Annual Concert". Southern Cross. 3 September 1943.
  8. ↑ "Benalla". Advocate. 22 November 1944.
  9. ↑ "Warnertown Children Present ThreeAct Play". Recorder. 17 December 1945.
  10. ↑ "Concert at N. Lambton for Children's Homes". Newcastle Sun. 15 December 1945.
  11. ↑ "St. Aloysius College Annual Concert". Advertiser. 5 October 1946.
  12. ↑ "Brevities". Newcastle Sun. 25 March 1946.
  13. ↑ "Operetta Night at North Lismore School". Northern Star. 15 November 1946.
  14. ↑ "Brevities". Newcastle Sun. 25 March 1946.
  15. ↑ ""The Magic Basket"". 6 October 1947. p. 6 – via Trove.
  16. ↑ "Bright Concert at St. Andrew's". Daily Advertiser. 11 October 1947.
  17. ↑ "NTH. Lismore School Operetta". Northern Star. 11 November 1946.
  18. ↑ "Lemnos Ss Concert". Shepparton Advertiser. 23 December 1947.
  19. ↑ "School Concert at Tucabia". Daily Examiner. 29 December 1947.
  20. ↑ "District News". Daily Mercury. 4 December 1948.
  21. ↑ "Successful Concert Held at Ungarie". West Wyalong Advocate. 22 December 1949.
  22. ↑ "St. Hilda's Concert". South Coast Bulletin. 7 December 1949.
  23. ↑ "Personal". Scone Advocate. 27 April 1949.
  24. ↑ "Nanson Convent School". Geraldton Guardian. 9 November 1950.
  25. ↑ "St. Andrew's Sunday School Concert". Riverine Grazier. 10 October 1950.
  26. ↑ "Maddington News". South Western Advertiser. 24 August 1950.
  27. ↑ "Happy Party at St. Giles". Examiner. 17 December 1951.
  28. ↑ "The Magic Basket". Sunshine Advocate. 19 October 1951.
  29. ↑ "St. Giles' Home Christmas Party". Advocate. 17 December 1951.
  30. ↑ "Crowd Liked the Children's Efforts". Maryborough Chronicle. 15 October 1952.
  31. ↑ "School News". Braidwood Dispatch and Mining Journal. 5 December 1952.
  32. ↑ "News in Brief". Advertiser. 20 May 1952.
  33. ↑ "Maclean Convent Concert Well Attended". Daily Examiner. 8 December 1952.
  34. ↑ "Southbrook News". Pittsworth Sentinel. 8 December 1953.
  35. ↑ "Infants School Staff Are Very Busy". 25 September 1951. p. 7 – via Trove.
  36. ↑ "Church News". Barrier Daily Truth. 2 October 1954.
  37. ↑ "St. ANne's SCHOOL SPEECH NIGHT". Townsville Daily Bulletin. 30 November 1954.
  38. ↑ "Happy Contest by Juveniles". Lithgow Mercury. 4 October 1954.
  39. ↑ "The Idea of Education Week is Being Well Received by Adults". Nepean Times. 8 August 1957.
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