Freeborn John Live

[The Knowledge]

REV HAMMER’S

FREEBORN JOHN

Featuring: REV HAMMER, NEW MODEL ARMY, LEVELLERS, MADDY PRIOR, RORY MCLEOD, ROSE KEMP, PHIL JOHNSTONE & HARRY S FULCHER

Cast:

Rev Hammer as ‘Freeborn’ John Lilburne, Maddy Prior as Elizabeth Lilburne, Justin Sullivan (New Model Army) as Nehemiah Warton, Rory McLeod as Vox Populi, Rose Kemp as Mary Overton, plus Phil Johnstone as Will o’The People and The Levellers as...themselves

"An epic folk-rock opera" Guardian ***

English history has provided us with no more dramatic or colourful a character than England's first radical, ‘Freeborn’ John Lilburne, unsung hero of the English Civil War. Lilburne's unflagging opposition to arbitrary authority was a lifelong vocation, and he became known by the people of England as "Freeborn John". Struggles for freedom of speech, freedom of the press, of conscience and many other 'liberties' and 'freedoms' we now take for granted resulted in his being whipped and pilloried by the King's Star Chamber, imprisoned by Parliament, banished into exile and twice put on trial for his life by Oliver Cromwell.

Brought to life in an astonishingly vivid and tangible way by the inimitable Rev Hammer, Freeborn John tells the story of this true English people’s hero in an exiting, entertaining and hugely informative way. The original studio album of Freeborn John was completed (and released on Cooking Vinyl) in 1996. It was thought highly unlikely that it would ever be performed live.

In the spring of 2005, Levellers’ Beautiful Days Festival approached Rev Hammer with a commission to perform the whole album live on its own stage at the August 2005 festival. It was a huge challenge to reassemble the cast, reproduce the studio album for live performance and to deliver the project within any semblance of ‘the budget’. At 8.30 on the opening night of the festival, musicians, signers, the English Civil War Society and a few thousand festivals goers gathered on a green hill in the grounds of Escot House, Devon for the world premiere of Freeborn John. The rest as they say is history; British History. Some of it over 300 years old.

Freeborn John tours from 12 – 17 February 2008

Tickets are on sale now!

Tues 12 BARNSTAPLE Queens Theatre 01271 324242 www.northdevontheatres.org.uk

Wed 13 NORTHAMPTON Derngate 01604 624811 www.royalandderngate.co.uk

Thurs 14 LEEDS City Varieties 08456 441 881 www.cityvarieties.co.uk

Fri 15 KINGS LYNN Corn Exchange 01553 764864 www.kingslynncornexchange.co.uk

Sat 16 LONDON Union Chapel 0870 264 3333 www.unionchapel.org.uk

Sun 17 BUXTON Opera House 0845 127 2190 www.buxtonoperahouse.org.uk

www.revhammer.com

www.myspace.com/revhammeronline

[Guest Flip]

Cannot wait!!!

Had Buxton tickets for absolutely yonks but coming round to doing Leeds as well...

This show is the most amazing thing ever!!! Revs a genius!!!

[William of Walworth]

We've booked Union Chapel tickets already, for 16th February

[5co77ie]

Saw Rev today he was in high spirits despite us both waiting at the train station for an hour for our train - even more remarkable considering his journey was running four hours over! He said there's still tickets available and they're still wondering how well it'll work indoors - sounds like they've made a few changes - so it'll be worth seeing!

Would love to go but it's a school night - it's such a great night's entertainment, it still burns strong in my memory - so if you can go do - you won't be disappointed.

Edited January 3, 2008 by 5co77ie

[groove st]

we have tickets to northampton but we too shall be playing out on a school night but didn't wanna miss this

[William of Walworth]

Just emailed the Rev this afternoon to ask him (nicely!) what time his Union Chapel show starts and finishes.

Its our Valentines night out and I want to plan our evening a week on Saturday with enough time for a romantic meal

[Guest Flip]

Well, the Buxton show was excellent!!

Levs did Lowlands of Holland alongside Burford Stomp, Maddy Prior was joined by Rose Kemp (her daughter), Rev was on top form as were New Model Army, Rory Mcleod and all the cast!!

It really worked well on stage and the Buxton Operahouse is a lovely venue..

Definately think they should take it on tour around the Castles of Britain one summer!!

[ElNobo]

The show at Kings Lynn was top quality as well even with the Mart blaring away outside. I felt it worked very well on stage indoors and by the time the second part kicked off after the interval the crowd were in good spirits heckling and cajooling the Bishop.

[William of Walworth]

Have already posted about this on the 'Levellers' thread on Glastonbury Chat, but we had a fine old time on Saturday just gone. Rose Kemp is great, didn't know she was Maddy's daughter. Everything went well, really impressive performance. And at the Union Chapel, in the interval, we nipped outside to the Compton Arms round the back to get some proper beer!

We got back a bit late and got ranted at by the Bishop for our pains at the start of the second half, I mean act