Details

A naive young man believes that 'all is for the best' even when confronted by evil. Originally performed in 1956, additional songs added in 1974. Candide explores a world that is dominated by violence, greed, war, hatred and a series of catastrophic events seemingly unmitigated by goodness, truth, beauty or God. British Premiere of a new/extended adaptation. Remaining true to the text, Hancock portrays Voltaire as storyteller and through his naïve, young hero Candide’s adventures and mishaps, pokes fun at religion and theologians, governments and armies, philosophies and philosophers. He spares no-one, not the Church, not clerics, not Jews; neither Jesuits nor Moslems. As he cleverly shreds the 'optimist’ viewpoint of the earlier philosopher, nothing is safe from his forensic gaze in this eye-popping tale, A savage, satirical lampoon at the time of writing, many of these themes remain as valid today as when they were written. Running time 100mins

Cast/Performers

Prentis Hancock

Creatives/Company

Book by: Voltaire
Music: Leonard Bernstein
Adapted by(s): Hugh Wheeler, Prentis Hancock
Lyrics(s): Richard Wilbur, Stephen Sondheim, John Latouche
Producer: Worldzend
Director(s): Brian Cummins, David Roylance