Eclipsed - Birmingham History Theatre Company

The Dark Side of the Lunar Society

Eclipsed : The Dark Side of the Lunar Society

We devised this play to link in with the Matthew Boulton Bi-Centenary but with a rather less reverential tone. The context of the play was carefully researched but from there it developed as a humorous and fictional murder mystery with music written by Peter Churchill.

The play was set in 1788 and Matthew Boulton is celebrating the opening of the Mint at Soho, producing coins and tokens for Britain. At Soho House the Lunar Society gather for a dinner and a series of experiments. Joining them is a visitor from France, keen to learn of their achievements, but meanwhile the Soho servants have their own agenda and all does not go as planned.

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The clip below is taken from the end of the play and features the cast singing the main them song from the show. On piano is Peter Churchill who also wrote the song.

[embedyt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDaU0p9-7Ek[/embedyt]

Reviews

Audiences were treated to an array of comic spectacles, dramatic tension and high drama involving the staging of early experiments with air, steam and electricity. Special mention must be made of the music by Peter Churchill and lyrics by Anita Halliday, which played a major part in this thrilling production.

published in the Balsall Heathan

[embedyt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SiuzEehmao[/embedyt]

[embedyt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkMDT9NqqBM[/embedyt]