A comedy musical first staged at the Merlin Theatre in Frome last year is set to return to the venue as part of the 25th anniversary celebrations of the Frome Festival.
Kairos Theatre Company, which is based at the Merlin Theatre and draws performers from across the region, will take its production of King of Fools on a short summer tour before returning to Frome for a gala performance on Thursday 2nd July.
The company said it had not expected to revive the show after its original run, but the reaction from audiences prompted a return.
Before coming back to Frome, the production will be staged at the Mission Theatre in Bath on 25th June, the Athenaeum Theatre in Warminster on 26th June and the St Ives Theatre on 27th June.
Written by Martin Dimery, who served as director of the Frome Festival for 15 years, King of Fools is a fictional story set in the court of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn.
The musical centres on the real-life court jesters Will Sommers and Jane Fool, about whom little is known. In the story, Will discovers Jane performing in a tavern and arranges an audition for her at Whitehall Palace before Henry and Anne. After an “X Factor” style selection process, Jane secures a position at court.
However, her success comes at a cost as she becomes caught up in a plot involving Henry and Thomas Cromwell to reject Anne Boleyn, leading to a daring and humorous escape attempt.
The musical score was written by Martin Dimery in collaboration with Helen Turner, who played keyboards with bands led by Paul Weller, including The Style Council. Helen has also composed for and recorded with West End performer Frances Ruffelle.
Songs in the production draw on a range of styles including Broadway, Music Hall and rock music.
The show is directed by Anne Dimery, a founder member of Kairos Theatre and chair of the Merlin Theatre board.
Tickets are available online and from the Frome Festival box office at the Cheese and Grain.
Pictured clockwise: Steve Middle as Henry the Eighth; Sarah Wingrove as Anne Boleyn; Sean Andrews as Will Sommers and Leonie McCaslin as Jane Fool.a
