Breakaway performed Ben Johnson's "Volpone" from 5th to 10th July 2010 at St Albans Old Town Hall.  

 

"VOLPONE - THE FOX" is a brilliant satirical comedy by Shakespeare's more popular contemporary, Ben Jonson (also the author of "The Alchemist"). It is about greed for gold and the foolish and awful things people will do in the hope of gain. The central character is the eponymous Volpone. He is a wealthy London aristocrat who loves gold. He is a voluptuary rather than a miser and enjoys life in excess. He makes his money by pretending to be old, sick and dying. His clever servant, Mosca, brings in guests who visit Volpone, bringing him presents of gold and jewels in the hope of being named his heir. "Volpone" is chock-full of grotesques - jealous husbands, crooked lawyers, and cunning servants. Seduction and trickery combine with love of luxury to make this a dramatic, decadent, fun and funny show. A naive Scottish knight called Sir Politic Would-Be and his uninvited patronage of a fellow traveller and countryman, Peregrine, provides the very silly subplot.