Carousel Story Guide

The time is 1873, the place a small town on the coast of Maine, New England. Billy Bigalow, a handsome and proud barker for the carousel owned by Mrs Mullin in the local amusement park, and Julie Jordan, a lovely young girl who works at the local mill, fall in love and run away together, although is costs both of them their jobs. When they return, married they face a hostile town.

In the difficult months that follow, Billy is unable to get work and Julie becomes pregnant.

Finally it is June and time to get ready for the first clambake of the season, but Billy is desperate and bitter, and agrees to join his unsavoury pal Jigger Craigan in a robbery. The robbery goes wrong and Billy, fearing the shame of being put in prison, kills himself.

Fifteen years later Billy, looking down from heaven, sees that all is not well with his child, an attractive but rejected young girl. He returns to earth for one day, makes himself visible to his daughter and gives her a star. The star, together with Billy's fatherly advice, brings the girl new joy and self assurance. Billy, satisfied that he has done something real fine for his daughter, returns to heaven.

Inverness Opera Company has performed the show twice before in 1972 and 1988.