Out in the forest, only the common people know the secrets of the nightingale’s magic. The bumbling Lord Chamberlain persuades a young girl, the poor kitchen maid, to bring the nightingale to the imperial court. Inside, the fabulously dressed courtiers laugh at the plain little bird, but they are quickly silenced when she starts to sing. Pure and beautifully simple, the nightingale wins the Emperor of China’s heart.

To keep her close, he imprisons the bird in a golden cage. But in the fickle court the nightingale is soon ousted by a new toy, a dazzling, jewel encrusted mechanical bird. The nightingale escapes back to the forest. But when Death arrives to snatch the Emperor’s life away, who will save his ailing heart?

The Nightingale is a wonderful, uplifting story about love, loyalty and freedom.