Breaking the Rules: the extraordinary life and visceral music of Carlo Gesualdo

★★★★ “Daring and vivid psychodrama” - The Guardian​

​​A collaboration project between The Telling and The Mancunium Consort. ​Award-winning writer, Clare Norburn’s acclaimed play with visceral music explores the extraordinary life of 16th/17th-century composer-prince Carlo Gesualdo.

After a childhood of privation with The Jesuits in preparation for a life in the priesthood, the unexpected death of Gesualdo’s brother leads to a sudden change of fate. Overnight, Gesualdo is now expected to produce an heir and is quickly married off to the world-wise Maria d’Avalos. Her cruel treatment of him leads inexorably to Gesualdo committing his infamous murder of Maria and her lover.

Rising star vocal group The Mancunium Consort play Gesualdo’s consort of singers: they control the “playlist”, providing a soundtrack of Gesualdo’s deeply personal and unconventionally expressive music, including his madrigals and monumental Tenebrae Responsories. Their singing triggers memories of his past, as Gesualdo contemplates the tumultuous events that led to the murder. Now facing death and eternal damnation, the only thing that can save him is to face up to what happened that night 23 years before.

​The drama is directed by BAFTA-nominated director, Nicholas Renton.

Actor TBC.

Doors open 7pm. Each half will be approx 40-45mins with an interval.

This performance is supported by The Foyle Foundation, The Marchus Trust, The Radcliffe Trust, The Ida Carroll Trust and The Fidelio Charitable Trust.

You may also like the following events from The Telling Music:

• This Saturday, 27th September, 07:30 pm, Vision: the imagined testimony of Hildegard of Bingen & her haunting chant in Chichester
• This November, 2nd November, 07:30 pm, Breaking the Rules: the extraordinary life and visceral music of Carlo Gesualdo in Lewes
• This November, 9th November, 07:30 pm, Breaking the Rules: the extraordinary life and visceral music of Carlo Gesualdo in Folkestone

Also check out other Arts events in Isleworth, Theatre events in Isleworth, Performances in Isleworth.