"Sexism, redemption and sublime music" Radio Times
Next week - on the 27th of October, The Handel Scandal: the making of Messiah will have its debut on Sky Arts, and we couldn't be prouder. We love working with the team at Sky Arts and with Danielle de Niese - they really are the dream team. This time out, we've been digging through the history books to uncover the story of Susannah Cibber, the singer who performed at the premiere of Handel's Messiah.
Susannah Cibber has an amazing story. The sister of "Rule Britannia" composer Thomas Arne and a contemporary of David Garrick, she was destined for great things on the stage, performing for Handel and in Drury Lane while still a teenager. Things hit the buffers when she married Theophilus Cibber. These days we'd call him a nepo-baby. His father, Colley Cibber, was an established theatre impresario and the Poet-Laureate, and the Arnes and the Cibbers were very pleased with the match.
Theophilus turned out to be a terrible husband. What followed was a sex scandal which was graphic and humiliating even by today's standards, and Susannah was cancelled, her career over.
What happened next was a comeback to rival any Hollywood movie plot - and we hope you'll tune in to watch Danni not only explore the Cibber story - from London to Dublin, but also immerse herself in the music in exciting and emotional ways.
The Handel Scandal is directed by Factory's Lisa Fairbank, produced by Julie Heathcote, and executive produced for Sky Arts by Benedetta Pinelli.
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