Oliver Cromwell: The Musical!

by Alan Taylor
was performed at:

Thursday 25th February, 1.10pm
St Alfege Church, Greenwich

Charles I - Cara Curran
General Cromwell/President of the Court - Dario Dugandzic
John Lilburne - Isabelle Paige
General Ireton/Solicitor General - David Matthews
Generals/Judges/Policemen - Ben Mahns-Mardy, Alex Haig
Jailer/Policeman - Matt Straw
Parliamentary Soldiers, Public, Protestors - Isabelle Paige, Hannah Cole, Sarah Chapman, Rachel Lissenburg, Carly Main, Kym Armstrong, Gemma Matthews
Band - Robin White, flute, David Cohen, clarinet, Anna Michel, violin, Fiona Clarey, cello, Hatty Stubbs, piano

The Story

The seventeenth century English Civil War took place between the armies of King Charles I, who wanted absolute power, and Parliament who wanted to hold him to account. The Parliamentary Army won, after a bloody and bitter war. The story begins after the war. Most of the words come from historical documents - Oliver Cromwell's words, King Charles's words, and those of other important actors in the drama. Between these words I have placed choruses and arias using words from the contemporaneous King James Bible.

It was at the end of the Civil War that the first recorded call in human history was made for everyone (well, all men at least) to have votes. This was revolutionary. The drama deals with the failure of these demands, the use of arbitrary power to put the King on trial and execute him, and the subsequent descent into military dictatorship. I feel that these events are directly relevant to the way our liberties are being eroded today.

Scene 1. St Mary's Parish Church, Putney, 1647
The Parliamentary Generals meet to discuss what to do following their victory. Representatives of the regiments arrive and demand democracy. The representatives's parts are sung by women. The Generals (sung by men) argue against, saying only men with property should have votes. The debate becomes angry, but ends inconclusively with the King's escape from captivity.
Scene 2. The Great Hall, Westminster, 1649
The trial of the King. The Judges are a panel set up by the House of Commons. The King refuses to recognise them as a legitimate court. The prosecution presents its case anyway, and the witnesses testify. The crowd abuses the King. The King argues that, if a court can be set up arbitrarily in this way, then no man can be sure of his life or anything that is his own. The King is condemned and taken away to be executed.
Scene 3. Parliament Square, 2010
A group of people in Seventeenth Century costume arrive outside the Houses of Parliament. One of them starts singing the words of John Lilburne, leader of the Levellers, who protested to the House of Commons in 1649 about the loss of the liberties so recently acquired. The police drag him away. His supporters sit down singing, and are dragged off.