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Purcell, The Musical - Wolverhampton
Purcell, The Musical - Wolverhampton

Sat 18 Apr

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Arena Theatre

Purcell, The Musical - Wolverhampton

Composer Henry Purcell is suffering from feverish hallucinations where the past, present and fantasy collide, and his songs take on a life of their own.

Time & Location

18 Apr 2026, 19:30 – 21:20

Arena Theatre, Wulfruna Street, Wolverhampton WV1 1SE, 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 suffering from feverish hallucinations. His bedroom transforms into a theatre and the past, present and fantasy collide. As Purcell revisits his childhood and early romance with his wife, his life-story becomes tangled up with his role as London’s leading theatre composer.


Interwoven into the drama are Purcell’s compositions which take on a life of their own: 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 five actors and actor-musicians.


Each half will be approx 40-45mins with an interval.


Supported by a grant from Continuo Foundation and The Grimmitt Trust.

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