Luke Bateman, Michael Conley, Stefan Bednarczyk and Molly Lynch will star in the streaming premiere of The Sorrows Of Satan, ‘a hell of a comedy about a devil of a musical’, from 5-8 May 2021 and then on-demand from 9-31 May.
The musical play by Bateman and Conley, directed by Adam Lenson and filmed in the ballroom at the beautiful stately home Brocket Hall in Hertfordshire, reimagines the story of Faust at the heart of 1920s London, where the elite are financially and emotionally bankrupt and one man has a big decision to make…
Pretentiously avant-garde musical playwright Geoffrey Tempest has been kicked out of his accommodation with not a penny to his name. He has one chance to prove himself to the theatrical community: a rehearsed reading of his musical play, ‘The Sorrows of Satan’.
When his patron, the prodigal Prince Lucio Rimânez, suggests some significant changes, Geoffrey must decide whether to hold on to his artistic integrity (for what it’s worth) or sell out for the promise of fame, money and the love of his leading lady.
The Sorrows of Satan, based on Marie Corelli’s 1895 controversial bestseller, is written by (and stars) Luke Bateman and Michael Conley (the team behind the recent Southwark Playhouse streaming hit, The Fabulist Fox Sister) and directed by Adam Lenson (The Rink, Public Domain and The Fabulist Fox Sister). Joining the writers in the cast are Stefan Bednarczyk (Side By Side By Sondheim and Merrily We Roll Along) and Molly Lynch (Cathy in The Last Five Years and Anne Brontë in Wasted, both at Southwark Playhouse).
Also in the creative team are Sam Waddington and Ben Jacobs (lighting), Chris Czornyj (technical production), Matt Powell (video designs) and Freya Smith (assistant director). The Sorrows of Satan is produced by Alfred Taylor-Gaunt and Aisling Tara. The musical was originally staged at London’s Tristan Bates Theatre in 2017.
Bios
Luke Bateman (music/plays Geoffrey Tempest) studied music at the University of Sussex and singing at the Guildhall School of Music. Other musical scores include: Oi Frog & Friends (West End – Lyric Theatre, UK tour), Mr Popper’s Penguins (West End – Criterion Theatre, New York – New Victory Theater, USA and UK tours), H.R.Haitch (Union Theatre), All I Want for Christmas (Jermyn Street and Upstairs at the Gatehouse), Bachelor Boys and Lord Byron’s Mistress (Jermyn Street). Music for plays include: The Nightingales (Theatre Royal Bath and UK tour), Reel Life (Ustinov, Bath and St James), Dark Tour- ism (Park Theatre), The Autumn Garden, On Approval, St John’s Night and Mother Adam (Jermyn Street).
Michael Conley (book and lyrics/plays Prince Lucio Rimanez) is a lyricist and librettist based in London. During his time in New York he garnered two MAC Award nominations for his songs and singing in The Gay & Lesbian Comedy Fest and Hello, Boys! (which he wrote with Matthew Loren Cohen). In London, Michael joined the inaugural edition of the Book Music Lyrics musical theatre workshop (for which he now sits on the board). It is through BML that he met Luke Bateman with whom he has written many musicals (The Sorrows of Satan, The Little Beasts, Personality and The Fabulist Fox Sister) and one cabaret (Bateman and Conley: Together Again for the First (and Last) Time). Through BML he also met Richy Hughes and Joseph Finlay with whom he wrote Superhero (winner of the 2018 Best New Musical Off West End Award).
Stefan Bednarczyk (musical director/plays Amiel) has extensive credits as a musical director including shows at the National Theatre, the Barbican, the Almeida, Hampstead Theatre, Open Air Theatre, Regent’s Park, St James Theatre and the British premiere of Boy Meets Boy at Jermyn Street Theatre. He has also enjoyed long relationships with the Warehouse Theatre, Croydon – composing and directing the scores for over 30 productions – and with Nottingham Playhouse, where the adaptation of Forever Young he co-authored with Giles Croft has returned by popular demand four times. As a cabaret performer he has enjoyed seasons at The Crazy Coqs, The Pheasantry, Pizza on the Park, King’s Head and Jermyn Street Theatres in London. His shows An Evening Of Flanders And Swann, Stefan Bednarczyk Sings Noel Coward and Just In Time (with Anne Reid) have been hugely successful in the UK and internationally.
As an actor, Stefan’s London roles include a year-long run opposite Gene Wilder in Laughter on the 23rd Floor (Queen’s Theatre), the West End premiere of Coward’s Semi-Monde (Lyric), The Games of Love and Chance (National Theatre), The L.A. Plays (Almeida), Five O’Clock Angel (Hampstead and King’s Head), The Killing Of Mr Toad and The Grand Duke (Finborough) and Noel Coward’s Christmas Spirits (St James Theatre).
The cast of The Sorrows Of Satan, streaming from 5-8 May 2021 and then on-demand from 9-31 May. Pictures: Jane Hobson
Molly Lynch’s (The Woman) theatre credits include: Cathy Hiatt in The Last Five Years at Southwark Playhouse, ensemble/cover Clara in The Light in the Piazza at The Royal Festival Hall and international tour, Kolokolo Bird in Just So at the Barn Theatre, Anne Brontë in Wasted at Southwark Playhouse, Betty in Sunset Boulevard UK tour, stand-by Julie Jordan in Carousel at ENO’s Coliseum, Chava in Fiddler on The Roof at Grange Park Opera/BBC Proms, ensemble/cover Johanna in Sweeney Todd at ENO’s Coliseum and Serifina in Sacred Hearts at Latitude Festival. Film/TV credits: Betty, Sunset Boulevard (At Home), Leicester Curve/Crosscut Media and Cathy in The Last Five Years, Southwark Playhouse, Stream. Theatre.
Adam Lenson (director) has extensive experience of working with composers, lyricists, songwriters and playwrights to develop new work. Shows developed to full production include: Wasted (Southwark Playhouse), Superhero (Southwark Playhouse), The Sorrows of Satan (Tristan Bates), Lock and Key (Vault Festival), The Leftovers (national tour). Adam is currently working as dramaturg and story consultant on Fangirls a musical TV series by Yve Blake in development with Clerkenwell Films. He is dramaturg and director of Hoarding, a new musical being developed by Sheep Soup in collaboration with Toronto’s Music Theatre Project and Áine Flanagan productions. Adam’s podcast Dischord where he discusses and debates musical theatre has 20 episodes and has been downloaded over 15,000 times. He was founder of Signal a quarterly residency at London’s Hospital Club that presented the best new experimental British musical theatre.
