Breaking the Rules
Rapture of Remorse
Breaking the Rules
by Clare Norburn
The Telling at St Mary Magdalene Church, Richmond 8th November, then on tour until 28th November
Review by Eleanor Marsh
A full house eagerly awaited The Telling’s performance of Clare Norburn’s Breaking the Rules.
Norburn cleverly interlinks music and drama in all of her biographical plays, often introducing her audience to little known music in the process. Breaking the Rules tells the story of Carlo Gesualdo, 17th century nobleman and — most importantly for Norburn — composer. Gesualdo had an eventful and somewhat tragic life, which included murdering his first wife and her lover, beating his second wife and witnessing the death of his mother at the age of seven. We meet him on the last day of his life, a tortured wreck of a human who has for several years employed a servant whose sole duty is to whip his master. Gesualdo is now forced to come to terms with his own inevitable demise.
Somehow, despite — or perhaps because of — all this drama, scandal and violence Gesualdo composed incredibly beautiful choral music. This music, along with the odd piece by his contemporaries, is performed by The Mancunium Consort and is, quite simply exquisite. Director Nicholas Renton ensures that the music and drama are interwoven throughout the piece, with the singers being fully part of the action.
Gesualdo himself was played by the charismatic John Sackville who, as well as demonstrating anguish, guilt and pure misery is often quite terrifying. Sackville is not served well by the acoustics in the venue and at times the text was totally lost, but there are enough moments of clarity for the storytelling to come across most of the time.
At the beginning of the evening we were promised something “magical”; and The Telling delivered thanks to the perfect blend of creative, atmospheric lighting, precise direction a strong lead performance and perfectly selected and performed music. A magical evening indeed.
Eleanor Marsh, November 2025
Photography by Robert Piwko
Mark Aspen 