Sun 19 Apr
|All Saints Centre
Purcell, The Musical - Lewes
Under pressure to finish a song, a series of surreal experiences transports composer Henry Purcell back in time. Plus his wife keeps bursting into his songs.
Time & Location
19 Apr 2026, 19:30 – 21:20
All Saints Centre, Friars Walk, Lewes BN7 2LE, UK
About the event
★★★★
“this is one show that deserves greater exposure…”
The Times
★★★★
“… the way the drama allowed a remarkable cross section of Purcell’s music to be performed was quite striking.”
Planet Hugill
A play with music by award-winning writer Clare Norburn and BAFTA-nominated BBC director, Nicholas Renton (Mrs Gaskell’s Wives and Daughters, Musketeers, Lewis).
1695: in his final illness, composer Henry Purcell (Niall Ashdown) is experiencing feverish dream-like hallucinations in which the past, present and fantasy collide, and his songs take on a life of their own. His bedroom is transformed into a theatre and Purcell revisits his past including his childhood memories of the Great Fire of London and his early romance with his wife.
Interwoven into the drama are Purcell's compositions: from bawdy theatre ballads and joyful celebrations of love, to slow airs, a ‘mad song’, and numbers from his semi-operas.
Niall Ashdown (Creating Carmen, Whose Line Is It Anyway?, The Comedy Store Players) stars as Purcell alongside actor-singers Sarah Lambie and Héloïse Bernard, Jo Lawrence on violin, Miriam Nohl on cello and Oliver John Ruthven on harpsichord.
Doors open 7pm. Each half will be approx 40-45mins with an interval.
Supported by a grant from Continuo Foundation, Boris Karloff Charitable Foundation and Angel Early Music.
Tickets
General Admission
Sale ends
19 Apr, 19:00
Concession tickets are for individuals at state pension age or receiving benefits. Seating is unreserved. If you require a wheelchair space, we can arrange one upon your arrival. If you require a ticket for your carer, please contact steph@thetelling.co.uk
From £5.00 to £22.00
£22.00
£18.00
£5.00
Total
£0.00