Picture by Robert Piwko – www.facebook.com/RobertPiwkoPhotography
Breaking the Rules – the extraordinary life of 16th/17th-century composer-prince Carlo Gesualdo
by The Telling
Review by Kirsten Flores
1 November 2025, Manchester
On an aptly dark and brooding autumnal evening just after Halloween, Hallé St Peter’s in Manchester was the venue for The Telling’s ‘concertplay’, Breaking the Rules, about the life and music of Carlo Gesualdo. This was the first performance in a 10-date tour, and the first time I’ve managed to get to a performance by The Telling. This production features The Mancunium Consort, a relatively new Manchester-based vocal ensemble, John Sackville as Gesualdo, and Alvaro Ibarra on theorbo.
Just before 8pm, we sat in the brightly-lit old church hall with its vaulted ceiling and thin soaring pillars supporting airy arches far above the bare red brick walls. A low stage was in front of us, populated only by an ornate chair, a crucifix, and a few scattered books and manuscripts. Then a sharp bell tolled thrice, and we were plunged into silent darkness, softened only by gentle candlelight flickering along the back wall.
Dark figures emerge slowly from the left and begin to sing the hauntingly beautiful Tenebrae factae sunt. The singers process slowly around the hall, passing through, behind and around the audience, allowing us to hear each singer as they pass by, blending beautifully with each other. The result is to experience the music in a new way, each voice in ebb and flow – the creative use of space is a technique used often and effectively throughout the performance.
This opening sequence takes us skilfully back to 1613 and the final day of Gesualdo’s life. John Sackville, gaunt and morbidly pale, staggers onto the stage and collapses onto the chair clutching a sheet of manuscript paper, losing himself in the music that washes over him. The music mirrors Gesualdo’s troubled mind, the singers crowding round him as if to consume him. But the music also soothes his soul, bringing respite from fears of what awaits him in the afterlife.
And thus the tale of Gesualdo’s last day unfolds through his recollection of pivotal moments in his life, including the infamous murder of his first wife and her lover in 1590. The singers prompt and punctuate each memory, with pieces from the Tenebrae Responsoria and Sacrae Cantiones, as well as madrigals from the Madrigali. The voices blend with creamy richness and a purity that clearly defines the unexpected chord progressions and harmonic underlay. The tuning is immaculate, and their interpretation of the music is handled with great confidence and sensitivity. The ensemble work is truly impressive, as is their mastery of this challenging repertoire. I have never heard Gesualdo’s music sung so well.
We were also treated to the impeccable playing of Alvaro Ibarra on theorbo, who by turns held space from the side of the stage, a gentle soundscape to Gesualdo’s ramblings, then as a wandering minstrel as Gesualdo recalled his days as a nobleman in Ferrara. John Sackville was not the only actor on stage – at times, the musicians became the crowds in Ferrara, the servants in Gesualdo’s castle, even shadowy figures from a masked ball.
The staging was minimal but incredibly effective, thanks to lighting designer Natalie Rowland and director Nicholas Renton. Clare Norburn’s excellent script deftly conveys the historical facts of this singular composer as he tells his story episodically, the music skilfully woven through Gesualdo’s impassioned monologues. John Sackville brings an intensity to the role that persuades as the true embodiment of this tortured soul. Portraying an easy arrogance and a casual mocking cruelty that is described in contemporary accounts, there is also an undercurrent of fragility and self-doubt which pierces the façade from time to time. There is more than a whiff of sulphuric madness too, with glittering eyes and barely contained hysteria. It’s a captivating performance.
Through these concertplays, Clare has created a new artform “where music and theatre collide”. She knows how to tell a damn good story, informed by her love and knowledge of this repertoire, putting sumptuous flesh on the dry bones of historical fact. Breaking the Rules invites the audience to step into Gesualdo’s madness and experience his genius for a few hours through impeccable performances from all involved, deepening our understanding and appreciation of his music. The collaboration of musicians and actors, lighting design and venue, creates a magical experience where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.
Do make sure you go to one of their performances, but save the programme notes until after the show. Written by Clare, these are excellent in their clarity and detail, but it’s far better to let the story unfold before you – everything you need to understand the story viscerally is right there, a feast for the eyes, the ears and the soul.
Kirsten Flores
Upcoming performances of Breaking the Rules:
7 November – Cardiff
8 November – London
9 November – Folkestone
13 November – Conwy
14 November – Liverpool
15 November – Ulverston
27 November – Bedford
28 November – Wolverhampton
