About the Show
Thrust into the dark, damp and depressing dungeons of the terrifying Spanish Inquisition, a man is swooped upon by the desperate and violent prisoners. They rifle through his belongings and sadistically decide they might like to burn a heavy package they deem worthless – just for fun. The prisoners set up a mock trial to decide the fate of the package, and the desperate man pleads his defence in the form of an entertainment. He draws on each of the prisoners to play the different parts within his tale of knights, chivalry, highborn ladies, romance and dreams.
The man is Cervantes and the tale is Don Quixote de la Mancha.
First performed in 1964, this musical drama offsets dark and brutal realism with song, joy, beauty and hope. It is always the darkest moments in human history that inspire the greatest hope.