Bringing together a profound threat to the universe, two love stories, and the second law of thermodynamics, The Order of Love takes its audience to dystopia and back, via a hefty dose of comedy.
The show is loosely based on the story of Mozart’s Magic Flute (1791), transferred into a future landscape, with original music and a twist. The protective power of good is waning, threatened by an evil effect. Only love can save the universe, by countering the pernicious “entropy.”
At its heart is the story of a young man, down on his luck, who falls under the spell of good and evil, in equal measures, and must work out which is which. Along the way he meets terrifying thugs, some powerful women, several weird men, a ditsy sidekick, and the love of his life. He endures cruel tests and in the end, love conquers all, in a surprising way.
The songs and music in The Order of Love connect some of the original theme (such as "the Fire of Hell") with modern and traditional concepts. So, we have grand duets, jokey solos, reggae trios, township rhythms and brassy choruses. The arrangement is for a seven-piece band but the show can be played by a smaller, keyboard-centred combo. We also have orchestrated backing tracks, which can be tailored to suit specific productions. Most of the singing roles are within the scope of modest vocal abilities; some (e.g. Malacoda) require powerful, accurate delivery.
The original
book, music and lyrics for The Order of Love were written in 2018-19 by
Richard Lamming and John Bessant. Richard and John have written music and shows
together for many years: this is their third full-length musical, amidst a
dozen other shows for several international theatre clients.
In preparing the show for its onward journey, the script has been edited and a
vocal/piano score has been created. It has singing cast of twenty and is
scored for a seven-piece band. There are thirty musical numbers. Running time
is two hours.
You can see a list of the characters, their nature and their singing voices HERE
The Order of Love is available for productions by professional and community theatre companies. Please contact us for details. HERE
If you'd like to know more about The Order of Love, we'd be happy to chat. For starters, please contact us at: info@richardlammingmusic.com +44 7771 907198
Bishopsteignton Players kindly agreed to produce The Order of Love for its first outing - directed by John Patton - and had fun doing it. With a terrific cast and crew, and a seven-piece band, the show was a great success and received excellent reviews.
The Order of Love is Copyright 2018 Richard Lamming and John Bessant
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