Telling the life story of Horatio Nelson in one highly dynamic hour of theatre, this critically acclaimed show comes to the Norwich Puppet Theatre for two nights (23-24 Oct.) in Trafalgar Week. The show is based on deep research and breathes new life into an epic story, exploring the psychological depths of Britain’s greatest naval hero, while recounting the triumphs and scandals. With an immersive sound and light design and costumes by 2025 Prime Time Emmy winner Dougie Hawkes, Horatio Nelson, Fever and Fire is an unmissable chance to celebrate a local hero on the anniversary of his death at The Battle of Trafalgar.
Telling the life story of Norfolk’s most famous son, this is a tale of astonishing victories and scandalous romance as well as grief, heartbreak and repeated brushes with death. Uniquely, the show delves into Nelson’s early years, exploring how the loss of his mother at age nine and his overlooked status as a “middle child” fuelled a relentless drive for remarkable achievements.
Writer/performer Adam Preston has spent years researching the Nelson story and brings unmatched authority and stagecraft to the role. According to London Theatre 1 he tells the story with “wit, insight and a light touch”. London Pub Theatre Magazine called him a “versatile actor, hopping and jumping across the stage with sword at the ready” and added that “Fever and Fire packs plenty of punch whilst maintaining a careful, clever control and makes this legend of the sea into a masterful spectacle.”
The Chiswick Calendar wrote that Fever and Fire is a “superb confluence of costume, character and context” and concluded that its “outstanding achievement is that it manages to convey what it felt like to be Nelson”.
