A SAMUEL FRENCH, LTD. TITLE

Thomas Tallis

Full-Length Play, Drama  /  7w, 7m

Jessica Swale

Thomas Tallis is a portrait of the life of one of Britain’s most successful composers set against the tumultuous political backdrop of the renaissance.

Thomas Tallis

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    7w, 7m
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Docudrama/Historic

Details

Summary

Living under four monarchs, Tallis was forced to adapt his compositions to suit their religious demands, but at what cost? In Swale’s vividly imagined play, we follow the contrasting fates of Tallis and a young priest, from the dissolution of the monasteries through Mary’s bloody reign, via encounters with a young Elizabeth and the mysterious Dr Dee, to their dramatic conclusion.

REVIEWS

This "ambitious portrait of the 16th-century composer cleverly combines drama and music
FINANCIAL TIMES

The play can be performed with four actors doubling, as below, or with a bigger company as desired. There are eighteen roles.

Actor 1 – Thomas Tallis, the Bishop, Dr DEE, the Guard.

Actor 2 – Queen Cathe rine, the Commissioner, Joan, BETHAN,
Mrs Prest, Elizabeth I, Mary.

Actor 3 – Henry VIII, the Priest, Edward’s atten dant, the
PLASTERER, Mr Prest.

Actor 4 – The Boy King (Edward)

The girl and the singer in Scene Two can be played

  • Time Period 16th Century / Elizabethan
  • Features Period Costumes

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £55 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

Scripts

Available Formats:
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Authors

Jessica Swale

Jessica Swale
Jessica Swale is a writer and director. She is Artistic Director of Red Handed Theatre Company and a returning playwright at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. Plays include Nell Gwynn (winner of the Egerton Foundation New Play Award 2015), All's Will that Ends Will (Bremen Shak ...
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