Lord Byron has been in 'Hell' for over a hundred and seventy years … perhaps on this occasion he can resolve the feelings he has toward those whose portraits surround him, reassess the guilt and the pride he feels in his achievement, and - above all - know himself a little better. Act I covers Byron's life up to 22 years of age when 'I awoke one morning and found myself famous.' In Act II Byron lives out his life in the public eye and finally achieves the resolution he has been seeking.

As well as an exploration of Byron's life and work, BYRON IN HELL: His Life & Loves is an entertaining appraisal of life in the early 19th century. It is based on Byron's own letters, journals and poetry and the published recollections of those who knew him.

The set includes 21 portraits - 20 people and a dog! The freestanding set and small amount of furniture adapts well to large meeting rooms, lecture halls, and Stately Homes as well as to small and medium-size theatres. Running time: 90 minutes plus intermission. Shorter versions of 45 and 60 minutes are also available: reluctantly!

Baylor University - being Baptist - wouldn't let us perform because of the H-word in the title. Methodist College in Fayetteville, North Carolina, welcomed us but the local TV interviewer referred to BYRON IN HECK ! We are happy to change the title if it offends you - to BYRON: His Life & Loves or even BYRON: His Life or to just plain BYRON !

The set at the Jaeb Theater, Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center in Tampa, Florida. This theatre configuration has many of the portraits hung from above. We tour with a framework draped in black on which the portraits are hung.

DAILY NEWS, New York, Ernie Leogrande:
'Byron was a fascinating character who wrote brilliantly, yet aggravated, annoyed and provoked the people with whom he came into contact. And Playwright Bill Studdiford has captured it all.'

THE BRITISH BYRON SOCIETY, Elma Dangerfield OBE, Hon. Director:
'Marvelous! Congratulations on BYRON IN HELL! Ian Frost has caught the swift quicksilver changes of Byron's mind.'

THE SCOTSMAN, Edinburgh, P. H. Scott:
'Ian Frost, in a brilliant one-man performance, makes BYRON IN HELL entirely convincing and highly enjoyable. It is a virtuoso performance that grips the attention. Bill Studdiford has given him an ingenious script in the form of an imaginary autobiography, frequently using Byron's own words. It covers the well-known ground faithfully, but with enough imagination and unfamiliar detail to keep it alive and fresh. It is a warm and sympathetic account without a dull moment.'

BBC RADIO, Trevor Royal:
'Ian Frost is excellent in BYRON IN HELL. He makes a really good fist of playing Byron, a very complicated character. By the end of the play, we get a feeling of what Byron was like - something of the poetic brilliance and something of the sheer energy of the man.'

GEORGIA THEATRE CONFERENCE, Tom Jeffery, President:
'I heartily thank you for your important contribution to the GTC Convention. BYRON IN HELL was among the very best performances of any convention in memory.'

LUXEMBURGER WORT, Luxembourg:
'Frost submerges himself into Byron's personality. The harmony which exists between the script and the actor produces a magical impression of Byron, moving and amusing at the same time.'

MORNING STAR, London, Tom Vaughan:
'Bill Studdiford has compiled a gripping and sympathetic portrait of a remarkable man, a major English poet and a believer in rational morality long before his time. Ian Frost makes a believable Lord Byron at all times as he conducts us through hiq many love affairs and the genesis of some of his best poems.'

THE STAGE, London, R. B. Marriott:
'Bill Studdiford's story of Lord Byron, adapted from the poet's writings, is consistently interesting and entertaining. Ian Frost has a Byronic stance and a touch of grandeur. He is ironic and lusty, amused and amusing, a poet through and through, but anso a worldly man of cities. It is a striking study.'

PLAYS INTERNATIONAL, London, Frank Granville Barker:
'An ingenious autobiographical text drawn largely from Byron's own writings creates a vivid portrait of the poet who is nowadays more read about than read. Ian Frost, himself a suitably elegant and rakish figure, was able to strike all the ironic, Byronic attitudes in his virtuoso performance without forcing or ever lapsing into caricature.'

 

TO REPEAT: If you are interested in a performance, or can suggest a contact by name who might be, please get in touch with us. We travel and our fees are flexible - relating to the venue and the funding available.

 

... And now presenting ...

TO GO TO ONE OF THE NINE PLAYS, CLICK ON THE ICON ABOVE

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'BYRON', 'KEATS', 'SHELLEY' - BILL and IAN,
all look forward to hearing from you ... and hopefully arranging a booking !

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