Credit: Sarah Madden
Fans of all things Regency era should be dusting off their gowns and suits for this one, because a live rendition of BBC Radio 3’s Friday Night Is Music Night titled Bridgerton and Beyond is hitting the Southbank Centre this month.
Swooping audiences back to the 19th century through the sounds of the period, the BBC Concert Orchestra are delivering an evening of elegance cloaked in both nostalgia and romance. And once that’s done, you’ll be able to keep the fun going with a Regency Ball at the Royal Festival Hall’s Clore Ballroom, but more on that later.
Credit: Wormsmeat via Shutterstock Bridgerton and Beyond
Sit down at the Royal Festival Hall on Friday, September 26, and you’ll be in for two hours of sounds of the Regency era that you may recognise from the Netflix smash, Bridgerton. Friday Night Is Music Night is taking place in person this time around, with the conducting duties of Karen Ní Bhroin, featuring music that also evokes the likes of Downton Abbey, the stories of Jane Austen (think Pride and Prejudice, Emma, & Sense and Sensibility), Sherlock, and more.
The Grand Regency Ball
Once the fun of the concert is over, everyone there will also be invited to shuffle over to the Clore Ballroom in the Royal Festival Hall for a Regency knees-up. Each ticketholder to Bridgerton and Beyond will have free entry to the period-themed dance event hosted by Libby Curzon. Regency dress-up is encouraged but optional, so you can dance to the live musical performances in your cargo shorts or your tailcoat jacket… whichever feels right on the day.
The Clore Ballroom is set to transform into a party that would be worthy of Bridgerton after taking in the beautiful sounds of the concert, and it’s the perfect accompaniment to the beauty of the BBC Concert Orchestra’s show; a fine way to end your Friday evening with a sway or a waltz.
‘Bridgerton and Beyond’ with the BBC Concert Orchestra takes place on September 26, with the grand regency ball taking place afterwards. Book your spot here.