Episodes

  • Reformation Collection Volume 2-Various

    Reformation Collection Volume 2-Various
    Aug 24 2026
    The Beggars Opera, penned by John Gay in 1728 and featuring music arranged by Johann Christoph Pepusch, is a brilliant ballad opera that cleverly satirizes the Italian opera craze sweeping London at the time. Instead of grand historical or mythological figures, this engaging piece tells the story of beggars, highwaymen, and women of the town, all set to the lively tunes of popular street ballads, hymns, and folk songs from the era, including melodies inspired by Handel and others. With a remarkable run of 62 performances—an astounding record for any play in 18th-century England—the opera saw a revival in 1920 and further acclaim, inspiring Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill to create their own adaptation, Die Dreigroschenoper. (Summary by Alan Mapstone)
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    7 hrs
  • Peer Gynt-Henrik Ibsen

    Peer Gynt-Henrik Ibsen
    Aug 23 2026
    The Beggars Opera, penned by John Gay in 1728 and featuring music arranged by Johann Christoph Pepusch, is a brilliant ballad opera that cleverly satirizes the Italian opera craze sweeping London at the time. Instead of grand historical or mythological figures, this engaging piece tells the story of beggars, highwaymen, and women of the town, all set to the lively tunes of popular street ballads, hymns, and folk songs from the era, including melodies inspired by Handel and others. With a remarkable run of 62 performances—an astounding record for any play in 18th-century England—the opera saw a revival in 1920 and further acclaim, inspiring Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill to create their own adaptation, Die Dreigroschenoper. (Summary by Alan Mapstone)
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    5 hrs and 19 mins
  • Waste A Tragedy in Four Acts (1906)-Harley Granville-Barker

    Waste A Tragedy in Four Acts (1906)-Harley Granville-Barker
    Aug 22 2026
    The Beggars Opera, penned by John Gay in 1728 and featuring music arranged by Johann Christoph Pepusch, is a brilliant ballad opera that cleverly satirizes the Italian opera craze sweeping London at the time. Instead of grand historical or mythological figures, this engaging piece tells the story of beggars, highwaymen, and women of the town, all set to the lively tunes of popular street ballads, hymns, and folk songs from the era, including melodies inspired by Handel and others. With a remarkable run of 62 performances—an astounding record for any play in 18th-century England—the opera saw a revival in 1920 and further acclaim, inspiring Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill to create their own adaptation, Die Dreigroschenoper. (Summary by Alan Mapstone)
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    4 hrs and 4 mins
  • Saxby a tale of old and new England-Emma Leslie

    Saxby a tale of old and new England-Emma Leslie
    Aug 21 2026
    The Beggars Opera, penned by John Gay in 1728 and featuring music arranged by Johann Christoph Pepusch, is a brilliant ballad opera that cleverly satirizes the Italian opera craze sweeping London at the time. Instead of grand historical or mythological figures, this engaging piece tells the story of beggars, highwaymen, and women of the town, all set to the lively tunes of popular street ballads, hymns, and folk songs from the era, including melodies inspired by Handel and others. With a remarkable run of 62 performances—an astounding record for any play in 18th-century England—the opera saw a revival in 1920 and further acclaim, inspiring Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill to create their own adaptation, Die Dreigroschenoper. (Summary by Alan Mapstone)
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    6 hrs and 31 mins
  • War and Peace, Book 01 1805-Leo Tolstoy

    War and Peace, Book 01 1805-Leo Tolstoy
    Aug 20 2026
    The Beggars Opera, penned by John Gay in 1728 and featuring music arranged by Johann Christoph Pepusch, is a brilliant ballad opera that cleverly satirizes the Italian opera craze sweeping London at the time. Instead of grand historical or mythological figures, this engaging piece tells the story of beggars, highwaymen, and women of the town, all set to the lively tunes of popular street ballads, hymns, and folk songs from the era, including melodies inspired by Handel and others. With a remarkable run of 62 performances—an astounding record for any play in 18th-century England—the opera saw a revival in 1920 and further acclaim, inspiring Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill to create their own adaptation, Die Dreigroschenoper. (Summary by Alan Mapstone)
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    5 hrs and 32 mins
  • Inheritors-Susan Glaspell

    Inheritors-Susan Glaspell
    Aug 19 2026
    The Beggars Opera, penned by John Gay in 1728 and featuring music arranged by Johann Christoph Pepusch, is a brilliant ballad opera that cleverly satirizes the Italian opera craze sweeping London at the time. Instead of grand historical or mythological figures, this engaging piece tells the story of beggars, highwaymen, and women of the town, all set to the lively tunes of popular street ballads, hymns, and folk songs from the era, including melodies inspired by Handel and others. With a remarkable run of 62 performances—an astounding record for any play in 18th-century England—the opera saw a revival in 1920 and further acclaim, inspiring Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill to create their own adaptation, Die Dreigroschenoper. (Summary by Alan Mapstone)
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    2 hrs and 45 mins
  • Witch of Salem-John R. Musick

    Witch of Salem-John R. Musick
    Aug 18 2026
    The Beggars Opera, penned by John Gay in 1728 and featuring music arranged by Johann Christoph Pepusch, is a brilliant ballad opera that cleverly satirizes the Italian opera craze sweeping London at the time. Instead of grand historical or mythological figures, this engaging piece tells the story of beggars, highwaymen, and women of the town, all set to the lively tunes of popular street ballads, hymns, and folk songs from the era, including melodies inspired by Handel and others. With a remarkable run of 62 performances—an astounding record for any play in 18th-century England—the opera saw a revival in 1920 and further acclaim, inspiring Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill to create their own adaptation, Die Dreigroschenoper. (Summary by Alan Mapstone)
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    9 hrs and 1 min
  • Ballads and Legends-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

    Ballads and Legends-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
    Aug 17 2026
    The Beggars Opera, penned by John Gay in 1728 and featuring music arranged by Johann Christoph Pepusch, is a brilliant ballad opera that cleverly satirizes the Italian opera craze sweeping London at the time. Instead of grand historical or mythological figures, this engaging piece tells the story of beggars, highwaymen, and women of the town, all set to the lively tunes of popular street ballads, hymns, and folk songs from the era, including melodies inspired by Handel and others. With a remarkable run of 62 performances—an astounding record for any play in 18th-century England—the opera saw a revival in 1920 and further acclaim, inspiring Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill to create their own adaptation, Die Dreigroschenoper. (Summary by Alan Mapstone)
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    1 hr and 39 mins