Merrie England
Music by Edward German. Libretto by Basil Hood.
Music by Edward German. Libretto by Basil Hood.
Merrie England is an English light opera set in the court of Queen Elizabeth I, exploring themes of love and rivalry against a backdrop of May Day celebrations and historical personages.
About The Play
About The Play
THIS PRODUCTION IS NOW COMPLETELY SOLD OUT.
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except for
EXTRA PERFORMANCE BY POPULAR DEMAND ON MONDAY, 11 JUNE AT 4.00PM
★★★★★ Five Stars, The Public Reviews
★★★★ Four Stars, Whats On Stage
Originally written for the Savoy Theatre in 1902 and a longtime British musical classic, this rediscovery celebrates both the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee as well as the 150th anniversary of the birth of composer Edward German. Merrie England plays at the Finborough Theatre for a limited run of nine Sunday and Monday evening performances and Tuesday matinees.
Edward German’s patriotic pageant deals with love and rivalries at the court of Queen Elizabeth I as the monarch visits the townsfolk of Windsor to celebrate May Day. With a plot that includes such historical personages as Sir Walter Raleigh and the Earl of Essex, murder plots and tales of witchcraft unravel to the background of the May Day revels…
An English light opera in the style made famous by Gilbert and Sullivan, Merrie England features a prominent chorus and a range of principal numbers including ballads, patter songs, duets and quintets. German’s engaging score, evoking the colourful Tudor period, includes the ballad Dan Cupid hath a Garden; Queen Elizabeth’s song, O Peaceful England; and the stirring The Yeomen of England which was performed at Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2002.
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