Volpone - The Fox

Performances 5th - 10th July 2010 at St Albans Old Town Hall.

Find out more below and buy tickets now!

“VOLPONE - THE FOX” is a brilliant satirical comedy by Shakespeare’s more popular contemporary, Ben Jonson (also the author of “The Alchemist”). It is about greed for gold and the foolish and awful things people will do in the hope of gain.

The central character is the eponymous Volpone. He is a wealthy London aristocrat who loves gold. He is a voluptuary rather than a miser and enjoys life in excess. He makes his money by pretending to be old, sick and dying. His clever servant, Mosca, brings in guests who visit Volpone, bringing him presents of gold and jewels in the hope of being named his heir.

“Volpone” is chock-full of grotesques – jealous husbands, crooked lawyers, and cunning servants. Seduction and trickery combine with love of luxury to make this a dramatic, decadent, fun and funny show. A naïve Scottish knight called Sir Politic Would-Be and his uninvited patronage of a fellow traveller and countryman, Peregrine, provides the very silly subplot.

The production will be staged as a promenade performance in a journey around St. Albans Old Town Hall. We start in the grand, upstairs stateroom - Volpone’s bedroom, where he receives his guests. A live jazz band will play classic songs of the 1920s as we are setting the production in England, in 1930.

Street scenes will be played on the upstairs landing between the stateroom and the staircase and in the downstairs lobby. The two trial scenes will be played in the genuine Courthouse, with all its atmosphere and age.

A chorus of dancing girls, dressed as 1920s flappers will dance to live music and sing songs and will also guide the audience round the venue to watch the various scenes.

The nature of the staging and size of the venue will limit us to a maximum of only 100 audience members each night, so watch this space for when tickets become available!

There will be some seating available in each performance area for audience members who cannot stand to watch a long scene. For any disabled audience members, there is also a lift at the Old Town Hall.

“VOLPONE – THE FOX” will be a lush, lively production with Art Deco style and a very funny story!