Joyful Noise – Christ. Choirs. Chaos

Handel’s London. 1741. George Frederick Handel is in trouble: his last opera flopped. He is no longer in favour with King George II and neither church nor state want much to do with him. And his reputation as a cantankerous old bear isn’t doing him any favours. Throw in a sex scandal for his leading soprano and the scene is set for the true story of the politics and the passion that nearly prevented Messiah from ever being performed.

This play has the feel of a juicy soap opera, with duelling diva sopranos, a plot combining religious protest, political alienation, social humiliation, and a sex scandal. Based on actual historical facts, a devious bishop and Handel’s pretentious librettist add to the conflict in this true story of the politics and passion that nearly prevented “Messiah” from ever being performed.