Kevin Burke “Bear Faced Cheek”
The True and Terrible History of John ‘Babbacombe’ Lee
By Kevin Burke
This production is also supported by:
Featuring the music of
Showcase performance took place at the Castle Theatre, Wellingborough, Wednesday Sept.23rd, 2009.
Due to factors beyond our control, the proposed tour has been put back til the second half of 2011
Watch this space for details!
Roll up! Roll up! See the man they couldn’t hang!....
Set in a Victorian Sideshow, and based around the 1971 “concept” album by Dave Swarbrick and Fairport Convention, this new performance piece by Bear Faced Productions tells the story of the life of condemned murderer John Lee…. from his early life in poverty, his brief sojourn in the Navy, his entry into the service of Emma Keyse, his trial for her murder and subsequent attempted execution. Three times the lever was pulled, and three times the drop failed to work… was it luck, was it fate, or was it the hand of God that saved his life? And was he in fact, as he always claimed, innocent of the crime?
Using Cabaret and Circus performance techniques, including specially commissioned aerial sequences, “The True and Terrible History…” brings Lee’s intriguing story vividly to life, complemented brilliantly by Swarbrick’s music, performed live on stage by renowned Folk band “Little Johnny England”.
This production truly has something for everyone… Music, Dance, & New Circus, with a strong narrative written especially for the show by Kevin Burke, and projected images in the style of a Victorian Magic Lantern show.
A real-
Who are Bear Faced Productions?
BFP is the theatre touring umbrella for Kevin Burke’s “Bear Faced Cheek”, a theatre, circus, and entertainment company which has existed in its current form since 1997.
Apart from being the backbone of Kevin’s solo performing career and supplying performance
artists for pretty much any occasion, “ Bear Faced Cheek” has put out several theatre
tours over the years, always of original material, and playing small to medium scale
venues. These tours began in 1997 with “The Elements of Madness” (a circus-
“Babbacombe Lee” represents a step up in scale for the company, and we are proud to be able to say that this project is supported by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
For further details and booking information please contact Kevin:
01933 314590
07971 250222
To see a short clip of the show