Theatre / Bristol Musical Theatre
Bristol Musical Theatre presents world premiere of ‘Jack’
Running for nearly 80 years, Bristol Musical Theatre (BMT) are amongst the city’s longest-running amateur theatre organisations.
Within that time, the group has evolved from a light opera company to a collective of “performers, directors, musicians, creatives and volunteers united by a love of musical theatre”.
Their latest production will be a world premiere of Jack, a new collaboration from award-winning composer Phil Dixon and lyricist Elisabeth Major.
Pledging to be “a fresh and electrifying take on a real-life legend and folk hero”, it is the story of notorious 18th century thief and serial gaol breaker, Jack Sheppard – he who coined the original moniker, ‘Jack the lad’.
Poster: Bristol Musical Theatre
The carpenter-turned outlaw was eventually hanged in 1724, at the age of just 22, but only after escaping on four successive occasions; his seemingly indomitable spirit was as alarming to the powerful as it was exciting to the society from which he emerged.
“With a gritty original score and vibrant characters drawn from the Georgian underworld, Jack explores the line between criminality and celebrity, freedom and performance”, says BMT.
As chairperson Debs Tonkin points out, this production is a huge source of pride for the organisation, as well as a chance to reimagine history in new ways. “Jack represents everything we strive for as a community theatre group”, she enthuses; “bold storytelling, home-grown talent from our pool of members, and meaningful engagement with our audience.
“It’s a thrilling new work that not only showcases our group’s creative energy, but also offers vital opportunities for performers, musicians, and volunteers to grow and shine.
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Jack is at The Redgrave Theatre on April 29-May 2; performances at 7.30pm on Wednesday-Friday and both 1.30pm and 6.30pm on Saturday. Tickets are available at www.redgravetheatre.com.
Follow @bristolmusicaltheatre for updates.
Main photo: Sadie Hayes
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