Much acclaimed for its light hearted and uplifting effect, the musical Salad Days heralded a new dawn of optimism following the war years. Written by Dorothy Reynolds and Julian Slade, it tells the story of Timothy and Jane, two young lovers newly graduated from university and trying to escape the pressures put upon them by their respective parents to marry well and get a responsible job. The pair aspires to resolve the first dilemma by marrying each other however; finding suitable work poses a greater problem. While walking in the park, they chance to meet a tramp who offers to pay them to look after his piano for a month. Little do they realize the piano has magical powers and all who hear its enchanting strains, are irresistibly urged to dance understandably causing something of a commotion. Enter P.C Boot in the form of Jeffrey Holland to provide a solution to the problem but he too succumbs to the piano’s magic charms, something his station sergeant seems bemused by. The adventure draws to a close when the tramp returns to claim his property, leaving a future filled with hope for those who fell under its spell. Originally intended as an end of summer show, Salad Days went on to transfer into the West End becoming one of the longest running musicals of all time. This production was staged at The Belgrade Theatre, Coventry in 1973.