With China Masques at Southwark Cathedral this December, for one night only, we ordinary folk will be able to enjoy entertainments performed only once before at the Elizabethan and Jacobean Courts, and in doing so bear witness to some of the political intrigues of the time.
With Queen Elizabeth getting older, and having no successor, Sir Robert Cecil, risking treason, is secretly negotiating with the King of the Scots to take over the throne. He also has a wish to open up a trade route to China, and the arrival of a foreign visitor gives him some hope of this, but will the Queen approve of his plans? If she does then will the new King be of the same mind?  A mostly true tale of political intrigue, social change and one man’s obsession with porcelain, performed in glorious costume in one of London’s most historic buildings.
The English Department of the University of Sussex approached British East Asian theatre company Red Dragonfly Productions in 2017 to look at the opportunities in bringing court entertainments with Chinese themes, written by Jonson and Davies, back to the stage. Red Dragonfly decided it would be a good idea to weave a narrative around some of these pieces, to give them context and narrative, so brought in writer Ross Ericson.  This was how the China Masques came about, an exciting new piece of experimental drama that brings to life the sumptuous celebrations of the Elizabethan and Jacobean Courts.
China Masques is at Southwark Cathedral on 4th December 2018.
