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MAD MARTINS - THE STORY OF THE MARTIN BROTHERS

0	DURHAM: The City Theatre
P	Saturday 5th October, 2019
N	6:45pm

Event information

Mad Martins is the slightly deranged musical offspring of internationally-acclaimed Durham songwriter Gary Miller and renowned Tyneside poet Keith Armstrong. This ambitious production depicts the extraordinary lives and times of the notorious Martin Brothers who were born in the late Eighteenth Century in the South Tyne area of Northumberland. William Martin was an eccentric and self-styled ‘philosophical conqueror of all nations’, Jonathan Martin, an arsonist who became known as the ‘notorious incendiary of York Minster’ and John Martin; the most popular painter of his day who specialised in vast canvases of the ancient world in chaos. Neglected for decades, his spectacular art is rightly regarded highly once more. These three contrasting, yet equally fascinating characters, who shared a resolute determination to achieve their goals, provide the perfect material for a multi-faceted biographical show.

Originally developed and produced as a beautifully packaged triple cd and illustrated book, Gary Miller has taken a further ambitious step in telling the story of the Martins in his own imaginative and innovative way. For its live premiere at the 2019 Durham Book Festival, a group of performers will present a two hour performance with Musical Hall trappings in a multitude of musical styles. By turns pompous, bawdy, romantic, poignant and rousing, Mad Martins promises to be a spectacular and unique live experience.

'Keith Armstrong is a noted Geordie wordsmith, a bloke whose musings were always radical, though of their place.' - FRoots magazine

‘Mad Martins a genuinely stimulating cultural artefact, born of an inspired collaboration of like-minded creative artists.’ – folkradio

‘A magnificent piece of work.’ - folking.com

www.mad-martins.co.uk