"Married! Do you think your Mother and I should have liv'd comfortably so long together, if ever we had been married?"

The Convict's Opera

The world’s first musical - and one of the best – gets a fantastic re-imagining from director Max Stafford-Clark and writer Stephen Jeffreys (The Libertine).

We shift the setting to a creaking convict ship bound for Australia. To pass the time, the convicts put on an opera – an opera set in the world they’ve left far behind, and will probably never see again…

It’s the tale of treacherous highwayman Macheath and sweet Polly Peachum as they juggle love and deceit in the dirty underbelly of 18th century London.

A co-production with Sydney Theatre Company, with a cast of talented actor-musicians drawn from Britain and Australia, this show brings together the classic folk songs of the original with some modern musical surprises – and plenty of infamy, intrigue, fun and romance.

Director Max Stafford-Clark; Music arranged by Felix Cross
Set Designer Dale Ferguson; Costume Designer Tess Schofield
Lighting designer: Nick Schlieper; Sound designer: Paul Charlier

Click here for THE CAST.


Based on The Beggar's Opera by John Gay.

A co-production with Sydney Theatre Company with a cast of actor-musicians drawn from the UK and Australia.

UK PERFORMANCES 2009


15 - 24 Jan Salisbury Playhouse
01722 320117
www.salisburyplayhouse.com
27 - 31 Jan Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham
01242 572573
www.everymantheatre.org.uk.
3 - 7 Feb Library Theatre, Manchester
0161 236 7110
www.librarytheatre.com.
10 - 14 Feb/b> Oxford Playhouse
01865 305305
www.oxfordplayhouse.com.
17 - 21 Feb Nuffield Theatre, Southampton
023 8067 1771
www.nuffieldtheatre.co.uk.
24 - 28 Feb West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds
0113 213 7700
www.wyplayhouse.com.
3 - 7 Mar Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry
024 7652 4524
www.warwickartscentre.co.u.
10 - 14 Mar Liverpool Playhouse
0151 709 4776
www.everymanplayhouse.com.
And then... TBC