Sun 16 May 2021 05.30 EDT
This light, witty, devilishly well delivered âplay with musicâ within a play with music is loosely based on the bestselling 1895 novel of the same title by Marie Corelli, itself loosely based around the myth of Faust. Here, thereâs a twist to the tale. Satan, who secretly longs for redemption, is damned more deeply every time he succeeds in converting a soul to evil. Hence his suffering when impoverished writer Geoffrey Tempest succumbs to the temptations of fame, fortune and a kiss from the lips of the woman he loves.
In this online stage version, set in the 1920s, Tempest has written a pretentious âplay with musicâ â emphatically not âmusical comedyâ â also loosely based on the Faust legend. It is being rehearsed at the splendid Mayfair home of Tempestâs new acquaintance, Prince Lucio Rimânez (AKA Satan), with the assistance of one of Lucioâs earlier fallen souls, Amiel, and a succession of identi
The Sorrows of Satan: A musical play by Luke Bateman and Michael Conley
May 6, 2021 Last updated:
May 6, 2021
It’s an intricate plot, laced with some subversive humour – that the female character is simply called ‘The Woman’ (Molly Lynch), for instance, is itself a kind of commentary on how women were treated a century ago. There is an objection to some of the more overtly misogynistic lyrics (in the show within the show), arguably from a surprising source, but the discussions around what could or should be sacrificed to make a show more appealing have some contemporary applicability. THE SORROWS OF SATAN – Michael Conley (Prince Lucio Rimânez) Luke Bateman (Geoffrey Tempest) Stefan Bednarczyk (Amiel) Molly Lynch (Lady Sybil Elton) – Photo by Jane Hobson.