18:00, Tue 13th – Sat 17th August 2024 at Lion & Unicorn Theatre, Camden
Summer Vacation
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In 1850s Victorian England, a prison chaplain is tasked with cleansing the souls of those sentenced to death or transportation for the most heinous crimes. In a dirty prison cell, the Chaplain meets three convicts: Edie, a young woman from the inner-city slums with a dream of dancing in the music hall and forced into prostitution in order to survive, John, a coachman for a wealthy family who killed his master after his love was taken from him, and Jamie, a young boy forced to steal for his starving mother and brother and sentenced to transportation as a result. Throughout, the Chaplain is also plagued by the voice of a mysterious woman who lurks in the cell’s shadows, and the Chaplain is certain he has met her somewhere before. As the musical unfolds and the Chaplain’s mental state deteriorates, it becomes clear that he too has sins he must confess…
Though the show is dark in its themes, it hopes to be a moving show with humorous elements. The show explores the nature of the hypocrisy of those in positions of power, as well as deeply human ideas as the power of love for one another and the human capacity for forgiveness.
As a story told through classic musical theatre numbers, The Chaplain promises an emotional exploration of love, hate, faith and power abuse underscored by bloodthirsty Victorian law in the hope of drawing parallels with the not-so-distant society of today…