Sherston Holy Cross Church , 7.30pm on Saturday 13th November 2021

The evening promises to be a beautiful evening of storytelling and music. ‘Magellan Circumnavigation’ is a musical story of love divided by the greatest voyage of human exploration the world has seen. It follows a sailor on the voyage and his wife at home, mirroring the lives of Ferdinand and Beatriz Magellan. A story of mutinies, battles, storms, shipwreck, love and loss performed in 16C sailors costumes by Bob Whitley (Vocals, guitar and mandolas) and Lee MacKenzie (Vocals and cello).

Tickets can be purchased below or from Sherston Post Office Stores (cash only) now! There will be a bar available on the night (cash only).

Review by Jeremy Miles Bournemouth Echo: Lighthouse Poole 2 October 2020

‘Magellan Circumnavigation was pure joy, not least because it marked the return of theatre and musical story-telling to Lighthouse.

What’s more this two man show – the first theatre production to grace the Lighthouse stage in more than six months – was beautifully performed.

Conceived and written by Poole folk singer-songwriter Bob Whitley, it told in words and song the extraordinary tale of Ferdinand Magellan’s 16th century mission to find a passage through the South American continent and circumnavigate the world.

And what a tale it was. With Bob on guitar and mandolas accompanied by brilliant cellist-vocalist Lee Mackenzie, we heard how Magellan and his men took to the high-seas determined to prove that the world was round. Not easy at a time when many people believed the earth was flat and that if you sailed too far you’d drop straight off the edge of the sea. ….

Sitting on a simply dressed stage, Bob and Lee performing in costume, delivered a thoughtful and perfectly nuanced performance of carefully crafted songs evoking the fear, excitement and desperately gruelling lives of the sailors and the hopes and heartaches of the loves they had left behind.’ 

Review from Mark Tattersall Artistic Director Dorchester Arts:

 ‘Magellan Circumnavigation is a musical journey in time and space which was tremendously well-received by the audience here in Dorchester. Musically it’s sublime. Bob’s songs are beautifully crafted to both please the ear and also tell the fascinating and moving story of this incredible adventure, with all its excitement and wonder as well as its horrors and misdeeds. Lee’s voice is a perfect foil to Bob’s and their musicianship is outstanding: Lee’s cello perfectly balances Bob’s guitar and mandolas to provide a soundscape that will please both folk fans and those who just love good music in general. Add to that a great story and it makes for an evening of high-quality music and storytelling with really broad appeal.’