The Ballad of Angel's Alley

The Ballad of Angel's Alley: A Pocket Opera is an Australian musical set in Melbourne's "push" wars of the 1890s, with book and lyrics by Jeff Underhill and music by Bruce George.

“They have to go to New York or London to find a musical that they can put on here.”[2][3] The Ballad of Angel's Alley received a professional premiere in July 1962 at the Russell St Theatre in Melbourne presented by the Union Theatre Repertory Company, featuring Kevin Colson, Mary Hardy, Reg Livermore, Marion Edward and Bob Hornery.

[4] It was part of a season of Australian works at the Union Theatre, the others being revivals of The Shifting Heart, The One Day of the Year and Summer of the Seventeenth Doll.

Reviewing the 1962 Melbourne production, The Bulletin said it was "a loud, fast and funny musical" and "a brilliant success - at least as good as the average imported musical, and the best thing of local origin we have seen for years".

Tiddler dies from influenza rather than in battle, but his daughter Maria takes over the gang.