Charles Dibdin (1745-1814) is remembered today by his lovely song 'Tom Bowling', still performed on the Last Night of the Proms. He composed well over a thousand songs, and his many hits were sung by Nelson's navy. After early success as an actor, singer and composer, he fell out with London's theatre managers (including David Garrick), and tried his own hand at theatrical enterprise. These ventures invariably ended in financial disaster, and so he was forced to take his talents on the road; in the process he inadvertently invented the one man show.

Jeremy Barlow has made many recordings and broadcasts of English popular music from the 16th to 18th centuries; The Whim of the Moment started life as a programme on BBC Radio 3. Among well over 30 CDs is The Beggar' Opera (Hyperion), which won an Edison Award, and English National Songs, which includes Dibdin's 'Tom Bowling'. He has composed, arranged and performed for many theatre productions, including much work for the Royal Shakespeare and National Theatre companies. He recently directed a Dibdin opera at Dartington International Summer School of Music.

David Timson is constantly in demand as an actor on stage and radio; he has made more than 1000 broadcasts. His many roles in Restoration and Georgian theatre include M. Jourdain in Molière's Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme and Sir Wilful Witwoud in Congreve's The Way of the World. He is currently working for Naxos Records, directing Shakespeare, including Twelfth Night and Richard III.

The Whim of the Moment can be presented in various formats, to suit the venue or occasion:

A fully theatricalised production in two acts (90 minutes excluding interval)

Two shorter one act shows, suitable for concert and other venues, which focus either on Dibdin's stormy relationship with David Garrick, or on his later career as a one-man showman and composer of renowned sea songs (45-55 minutes).

A song recital, interspersed with some narration on Dibdin's life (45-55 minutes)

For further details or discussion on particular requirements, contact: 

Jeremy Barlow
38 Leverton Street
London
NW5 2PG
Tel: +44 (0)20 7267 7176
Fax: +44 (0)20 7267 0127
E-mail: broadsideb@aol.com