Farinelli and the King

Farinelli and the King is a profoundly funny and haunting mediation on melancholy and the therapeutic powers of music set in the Royal Spanish court in the 18th century.Depressed and plagued by insomnia Kind Philippe V of Spain lies awake in his chamber. The Queen desperate to find a cure hears of Farinelli - a castrato with a voice so divine it has the power to captivate all who hear it.Philippe is capricious and difficult to please but even he is astonished when Farinelli sings and begs him to stay. But will Farinelli one of the greatest celebrities of his time choose a life of solitude over fame and fortune in the opera houses of Europe? And will his extraordinary talent prove to be a curse rather than a blessing?Described as an enchanting shimmering fairytale for grown-ups(New York Times) Farinelli and the Kingstarrred Mark Rylance and played to sold-out audiences at Shakespeare''s Globe. It transferred with great success to London''s West End and Broadway in 2017.