Violinist Bjarte Eike and his orchestral group Barokksolistene lead audiences into a 17th Century tavern for a two-part immersive experience. Part one is the Purcell Playhouse, where the Purcell Room in the Queen Elizabeth Hall will transform into a makeshift theatre that reimagines the end of Cromwell’s reign and his puritanical ban on playhouses. It is a new era of theatre music where audiences will experience a fusion of commedia dell’arte, storytelling, masques and strings.
Part two is The Alehouse Sessions where the action moves to the ‘tavern’ (The Queen Elizabeth Foyer), it gives the audiences a chance to grab a beer and dip in and out of the space. Barokksolistene will bring a theatrical spectacle of live classical music by Henry Purcell and John Playford mixed with sea shanties and folk songs performed entirely from memory.
Bjarte says:
“The signature of this project is the interaction on stage between the players and the audience. If it has to be put in a historical context, the project draws its inspiration from the Shakespearian theatre where there was a direct communication between stage and hall – going in-between the story that was being told and occurring events happening in the hall. This is in stark contrast to the 19th-century drama with dark halls looking at the “gods” on stage. It is the latter which the classical mainstream industry has adapted fully.”
Friday 23 September- 9 PM
Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall
Ticketed at £25
