Hero & Leander — Or, I Love You, But Everything’s Under Water — is a classic Greek myth that will be retold this summer as an outdoor theatre gig show.
It began as a concept album, but now Jack Dean & Company are touring Hero & Leander as a show, staged in their own bandstand.
Six multi-instrumentalists tell the tragic love story of Hero and Leander through songs inspired by folk, indie, sea shanties and choral music. It’s a story of borders, bad rulers, worse weather, and how we keep going when everything is terrible. The musicians tell the story together through vocals, creating atmosphere and an unpredictable sea with instruments including the cello, violin, guitar, trumpet, percussion and an accordion.
So, what’s the story about? Two towns, one rich and one poor, stand separated by a narrow strip of ocean. When the borders close and ships stop sailing between them, two lovers are left stranded on either side. Unphased, Leander takes to swimming across the channel to meet Hero, guided by the lighthouse where she lives. But the jealous and vengeful Hephaestus, carrying an ancient grudge, plots to separate them with a flood like neither town has ever seen.
Where can you see Hero & Leander?
The tour kicks off on 8th and 9th July in Exeter, Devon, before heading down the road to Clovelly on 14th July and The Big Sheep in Abbotsham on the 15th July. On 17th July the tour moves onto Corsham in Wiltshire and Weston-super-Mare in Somerset for 21st and 22nd July.
Then, in August, the tour heads to County Durham for Seaham Food Festival on the 8th and to Hartlepool on the 9th. It heads back to Devon briefly at Awliscombe on the 13th. It then calls at Grassmoor, Littleover and Chesterfield in Derbyshire on 14th and 15th.
On 21st August the tour heads south again, to Launceston in Cornwall. And makes an appearance at the Beautiful Days Festival in Devon on 22nd. It then returns to Weston-super-Mare on 12th September. The final stop on 18th September is at Gravesend in Kent.
Fancy watching more quirky theatre this summer? Try these!
When: 8th July – 18th September 2021
Where: Touring across the UK
£: Ticket prices vary, depending on the venue
More info: www.jackdean.co.uk/gigs