Next performance:
Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne 30th September 2007 at 7.30pm
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AN EVENING WITH
QUEEN VICTORIA
with Prunella Scales
Ian Partridge
Richard Burnett/Michael Dussek
devised and directed by
Katrina Hendrey
Show managed by
Clarion/Seven Muses
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"An Evening with Queen Victoria" has been performed over 400 times throughout the world, in London (the Old Vic, Wigmore Hall), York, Belfast, Dublin, Berlin, Oslo, the U.S. (including Washington and Los Angeles), Canada, Australia (Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane), New Zealand (Auckland, Christchurch), Hong Kong, Taipei, Brunei, Bermuda, etc.
Extract from the show (mp3) available here
This portrait of Queen Victoria is drawn from her own words including her extensive personal diaries and letters. It ranges from the young Princess as an impetuous girl, to the impressive matriarch of her final years. We share the fascinating experiences of her immense reign, and see the Queen at her Coronation, as wife and mother, matron, widow and Empress. We also follow her intriguing relationships with the men in her life, including King Leopold, Lord Melbourne, Prince Albert, John Brown, Disraeli and Gladstone. Above all, we see Victoria through her own eyes, revealing a contradictory and sometimes surprising person - at once vivid and emotional, yet nervous and unself-confident; puritanical yet pleasure-loving. Most endearing is her honesty, and her unexpected humour, all of which Prunella Scales brings irresistably to life.
PROGRAMME (songs in bold)
EVENING AT OSBORNE
OUR POOR OLD PALACE
- J.H. Cross: "Our Poor Old Palace", from "Familiar Studies for the Piano Forte, composed and with permission dedicated to Her Royal Highness the Princess Victoria, July 1931".
- Rossini: "Il Rimprovero", words by Metastasio
- Prince Albert: "Der Ungeliebte", words by Rückert
If only someone would light the path of love and show me the way.
THE CORONATION
- Beethoven: Variations on "God Save The King"
LE GAY LOISIR
- Quadrilles: "Le Gay Loisir (L. Dufrene), "Edward III", "Nevil's Cross", "The Rose" (A. Fleche)
- Prince Albert: "Schmerz der Liebe", words by Prince Ernest
The ship of love battered by the rocks and tempests of life's journey.
LULLABY
- Prince Albert: "Pretty Baby", words by Viscount Fordwick
IDYLLS OF A QUEEN
- "Les Aristos", words by Gustave Leroy (revolutionary song of the 1847-8 upheavals in France)
- Mendelssohn: "Duetto", Songs without words Op. 38 No 6
PRESENTIMENT
- Schumann: "Lieb' Liebchen", Op. 24 No 4, words by Heine
Dearest Love, put your hand on my heart; oh do you hear the hammering in the chamber; there lives a carpenter, evil and dour, who is building me a coffin
THE DREAM
- Tennyson: from "In Memoriam"
- Mendelssohn: "Allnächtlich im Traume ", words by Heine
At night you welcome me in my dreams; with cries I throw myself at your feet. You look me sadly and shake your head while tears flow. You speak a secret word and give me the branch of cypress. I awake and the branch has vanished, and I have forgotten the word.
HIGHLAND INTERLUDE
- Scots Musical Museum, 1803 "The Sun he is sunk in the West", words by Burns from "Leaves from the Journal of Our Life in the Highlands from 1848 to 1861", by Queen Victoria.
- Czerny: from "Brilliant Fantasia for the Piano Forte Commemorative of the Visit of Queen Victoria to Scotland 1842".
- Quadrilles: "The Queen's Scotch Quadrilles", 1842 (P. Musard)
THE QUEEN AT BAY
INDIAN SUMMER
- Frederick Clay: "I'll Sing Thee Songs of Araby", words by W.G. Willis, from the operetta "Lalla Rookh", based on Tom Moore's poem.
DUTIES OF A MONARCH
- Gilbert and Sullivan: "The Working Monarch", from "The Gondoliers"
"The Gondoliers" was performed by the D'Oyly Carte company in the presence of Queen Victoria in the Waterloo Chambers at Windsor Castle, 6th March 1891.
ALONE
- Jubilee 1897
- J.S. Bach: Fugue in E, Book 2, "The Well Tempered Clavier"
- Queen Victoria's Journal: The Last Entry, 13th January 1901.
The pianist was Richard Burnett with the following exceptions:
* For the performance on 7th September 2003, pianist was David Ward.
* For the performance on 11th September 2004, pianist was David Owen Norris.
* For some performances in Australia, pianist was Patrick Lawrence.
* For performances on 12th June, 7th & 8th July 2005, pianist was Michael Dussek.
Recent performances include:
CityStage, Springfield, Massachusetts (16th-19th Dec 1999)
Wigmore Hall, London (13th Jan 2000)
Hall for Cornwall, Truro (16th Jan 2000)
Palace Theatre, Westcliff-on-Sea (25th-30th Jan 2000)
Concert Hall, Reading 8th June 2002
Chiswick Town Hall 9th June 2002
Greenwich Theatre 11th & 12th June 2002
Spa Pavilion Theatre, Felixstowe 28th June 2002
St George's Church, Beckenham, Kent 17th May 2003 at 8.00pm
Canolfan Leisure Centre, Beaumaris, Isle of Anglesey 29th May 2003 at 7.30pm
South Hill Park Arts Centre, Berks 7th Sep 2003 at 8.00pm
Red Pear Theatre, Antibes 19th & 20th March 2004
Mayfield Parish Church, Sussex 8th May 2004 at 7.30pm
The Opera House, Buxton 11th September 2004 at 7.30pm
Walthamstow Hall, Sevenoaks 11th October 2004 at 7.30pm
Adelaide Festival Centre 1st to 3rd November 2004 (4 performances)
Fairfax Studio, Melbourne 6th and 7th November 2004 (4 performances)
Ford Theatre, Geelong 9th November 2004
Maidment Theatre, Auckland 12th to 14th November 2004 (4 performances)
Founders Memorial Theatre, Hamilton 16th November 2004
Regent, Palmerston North 17th November 2004
Baycourt Theatre, Tauranga 18th November 2004
The Opera House, Wellington 20th and 21st November 2004 (3 performances)
Civic Theatre, Cairns 23rd and 24th November 2004
Civic Theatre, Townsville 25th November 2004
Pilbeam Theatre, Rockhampton 26th November 2004
Playhouse, Canberra 29th and 30th November 2004
Performing Arts Centre, Albury 1st December 2004
Queensland Conservatorium, Brisbane 3rd and 4th December 2004 (3 performances)
Gold Coast Arts Centre 5th December 2004
Theatre Royal, Hobart 7th and 8th December 2004
Princess Theatre, Launceston 9th December 2004
Sydney Theatre 11th and 12th December 2004 (3 performances)
Regal Theatre, Perth 14th and 15th December 2004 (3 performances)
Queen's Hall, Edinburgh 14th May 2005
Clwyd Theatr, North Wales 2nd to 4th June 2005 (3 performances)
Devinshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne 12th June 2005
The Capitol, Horsham 19th June 2005
Norwich Playhouse 2nd July 2005
Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham 7th & 8th July 2005
Louisa Center for the Performing Arts, Colorado Springs 26th to 30th July 2005 (7 performances)
Berkhamsted Collegiate School 23rd October 2005 at 7.30pm
Theatre Royal, Bath 6th November 2005 at 7.30pm
Civic Theatre, Chelmsford 24th February 2006 at 7.45pm
Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon 3rd March 2006 at 7.30pm
New Vic Theatre, Newcastle under Lyme, 15th May 2006 at 7.30pm
Birnam Institute, Birnam, Perthshire 2nd September 2006 at 7.30pm
Blake Theatre, Monmouth 16th September 2006 at 7.30pm
New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich 25th & 26th October 2006 at 7.45pm
St Donat's Arts Centre, South Wales 31st March 2007 at 7.30pm
Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan 21st April 2007 at 7.30pm
Aberystwyth Arts Centre 22nd April 2007 at 7.30pm