According to press materials, it was the only Broadway hit musical ever performed by a labor union. The original production, presented by the International Ladies Garment Workers Union, which used Broadway's Princess Street as a meeting hall, it was supposed to run only at weekends, but soon the actors quit their jobs, joined Actors' Equity and the musical became the longest-running show until Oklahoma! in 1945. The show spoofs everything from fascist dictators to industrial relations and advertising claims.

A recording of the score was made by Harold Rome and Barbra Streisand in 1962, and since then the musical was only performed once in 1978 Off-Broadway.

The Cock Tavern production will be directed by Rachel Grunwald, who has worked at the Tricycle, Soho and Almeida Theatres as well as for the Royal Shakespeare Company. Musical direction is by Joseph Finlay, who has had works performed by the Britten Sinfonia, the London Sinfonietta, members of the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Singers, and has had works programmed as part of the Cambridge Britten Festival and The Spitalfields Festival.

The cast comprises David Barnes, Mark Gilllon, Laura Kate Gordon, Josephine Kiernan, Elain Lloyd, Elizabeth Pruett, Rachel Rose Reid, Matthew Rutherford and Adam Walker.

To book tickets, contact the box office on 0844 477 1000 or visit www.cocktaverntheatre.com for more details.