Taylor Mac: A 24-Decade History of Popular Music
- 2hr. No interval.
- Royal Festival Hall
- Booking details
- Booking from: Thursday, 26 November 2026 Booking until: Thursday, 26 November 2026
- Running time: 2hr. No interval.
- Age restrictions
Taylor Mac: A 24-Decade History of Popular Music description
About the Show
Taylor Mac: A 24-Decade History of Popular Music moves through 240 years of American popular song, starting in 1776 and taking each decade in turn. The songs serve as a record of how communities form, fracture and reassemble, with every era reconsidered from the point of view of the people its official history left out.
The complete work lasts 24 hours and was performed in full in New York in 2016. This is an abridged concert edition and the piece's UK orchestral premiere, performed with the Philharmonia Orchestra. It was a finalist for the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and a filmed record of the full-length performance streams on Sky Documentaries.
Cast and Creatives
The work is written and performed by Taylor Mac, a MacArthur Fellow and winner of the International Ibsen Award, whose plays include Hir and The Hang and who has been nominated for the Tony Award for Best Play. Matt Ray is music director, Ted Hearne has arranged the score for orchestra and Alan Pierson conducts. Costumes are by Machine Dazzle.
Mac performs alone, accompanied by the Philharmonia Orchestra. The production is presented by Pomegranate Arts and Nature's Darlings, runs approximately two hours and is recommended for ages 12 and over.
Why You Should Watch It
This is a rare opportunity to hear a Pulitzer-finalist work performed with a full symphony orchestra, in a concert that turns more than two centuries of popular song into a single evening. Book your tickets now.
