“How these curiosities would be quite forgott, did not such idle fellowes as I am putt them downe...”

Aubrey has lived through the Civil Wars - one of the most fascinating and turbulent times in English history - and spent much his life mingling with the great and good of society. His affection and fascination for the foibles and frailties of people has led him to record their stories for posterity in his ‘Brief Lives’ stories of scandal and misadventure, medical marvels, infidelity, turbulence and magic ‐ featuring King Charles I, Raleigh, Shakespeare, Thomas Hobbes, and many others whose names have become part of our history.

Patrick Garland’s play adapts the colourful and controversial writings of this engaging 17th Century character, and draws you into his world as he goes about his day.

Reviews of Colin Burnie

“...the performance of Colin Burnie as Scrooge was particularly fine. He really pulled of the curmudgeonly miser in the beginning, and it was poignant to watch his vulnerabilities start to surface.” (A Christmas Carol 2015)

“Few men have the ability to steal a show by simply walking across stage” (Taming of the Shrew 2012)

“Colin Burnie as Justice Shallow: full of pathos, living in the confused half-light of his old age and his youthful life.” (Henry IV 2010)

“Burnie, as ever, is in full command of the language and the stage” (La Bête 2010)

“...a nuanced portrayal of a man struggling to come to terms with his own mortality.” (The Dresser 2007)