The thrilling plot of this musical takes us back to the events of the 5th of November 1605.
This politically charged performance is continually infiltrated with jaunty and catchy musical
numbers that elevate the intensity of the hot blooded drama on stage. This tale of religious
persecution and injustice presents the ambitious, yet fateful plot to bring down both the
British monarchy and the government.
Guy Fawkes, often seen as the centrepiece of this annually celebrated event, has little more
than a walk on part as this performance avoids falling into cliched retellings of this notorious
piece of history, as the writers attempt to “flesh out people’s knowledge” on the motivation
behind the scheme.
Directed by Hannah Chissick, the spotlight falls on the story of co-conspirator Thomas Percy
(Sam Ferriday). We witness him and Martha Percy (Nicole Raquel Denis) lead the plot to
blow up the Houses of Parliament. Yet Thomas’ attraction towards violent protests and
conflict leaves her isolated and morally compromised. This treacherous conspiracy was an
attempt at complete revolution that came within hours of succeeding as the show portrays
one of the most intriguing tales in Britain’s history as it’s never been seen before.
The production’s focus on its vibrant soundscape is set to blow the audience away with
memorable original folk and string tunes. Since the release of the original EP back in 2020,
the Treason soundtrack has gained an international audience as it has been streamed one
million times across 96 countries. Whilst remaining a spectacular and vivid affair, it could
however be said that the performance contains plenty of musical spark, yet not enough plot.
There remained a general lack of fluidity throughout the performance as the show did little to
convey the complexities of the situations leading up to November the 5th.
Like the plotters, the performance may not have been pulled off to completion. Yet with some further fine
tuning I am confident that Treason will be an explosive piece of theatre that is bound to blow up.
Image by Danny Kaan provided via Capital Theatres Press Release.