Captain Swing and the Blacksmith
Captain Swing and the Blacksmith is a riotous performance of passion and tragedy, brought to life with spellbinding voices, fiddle and accordion. The show presents the historical background of the novel ‘Captain Swing and the Blacksmith’. Set in Wiltshire, against the backdrop of the agricultural uprising known as the ‘Swing Riots’, the story and characters were inspired by folksong. The show creates an echo of the world of the riots by performing songs of the period as well as original material with spoken word. The result is a ‘folk operetta’, engaging audiences with the spirit of the time, the hardships, dramas and passions of the people who challenged the status quo. Finely executed arrangements, combined with dramatised source material, are the show’s strength, as well as the opportunity for audience participation in the rabble-rousing verses of rebellion.
