The Scarlet Pimpernel

About

Shoreline Productions presents… The Scarlet Pimpernel

Batman…Superman…Wonder Woman….They would not exist without the unique original superhero, the one and only Scarlet Pimpernel! Based on the novel by Baroness Orczy, this stunning, swashbuckling musical version of the romantic, action-packed story bursts onto Shanklin Theatre's stage from 28th-31st May, courtesy of Shoreline Productions. Alongside several film versions, this iconic story has been parodied many times, from the Carry On films to Blackadder – and the original is every bit as funny as its variations.

The Background

It is the height of the French Revolution, with aristocrat after aristocrat facing 'Madame Guillotine'. English nobleman Sir Percy Blakeney has just won the love of beautiful French actress and singer Marguerite St Just…But Citizen Chauvelin, on a quest for more aristocratic heads to remove from their bodies, is not above using Marguerite's chequered past for his own ends, leading her new husband to question her true allegiances, as he leads his bounders into action against the carnage in Paris

The Story

The story is carried on the shoulders of a sweeping score by Frank Wildhorn, primarily known for the wonderful Jekyll and Hyde: the songs of The Scarlet Pimpernel are every bit as emotionally charged, and in the hands – or rather voices – of our principal actors they are unforgettable. You will laugh as the Bounders tell you all about The Creation of Man; you'll shed tears along with Marguerite as Bryony Bishop's pure soprano vocals deliver When I Look At You; you'll shiver to Stuart Adams' Chauvelin as he sings Falcon in the Dive, and Bertie Everson's awesome tenor voice will delight you as he portrays the unlikely hero Sir Percy.
Expect passion, peril and panache as heroes rise, secrets burn and the fight for Liberty, Equality and Fraternity comes at a deadly cost. Our cast have taken on specialised training so that, under the aegis of well known stage fighting expert Ed Nash, they can bring you thrilling sword combat. Disguises, daring rescues and forbidden love collide in a story that leaps from revolutionary France to elegant Georgian England. If you enjoyed Les Miserables, Jekyll and Hyde and Phantom of the Opera…you'll love The Scarlet Pimpernel!