One Kingdom.Two Queens. They'll end up at each other's throats.
This is Liz Lochhead’s acclaimed interpretation of the lives, loves and rivalry of two famed queens, whose insurmountable differences will tear them apart. Read more …
Mary is young, inexperienced, compassionate, vulnerable. Her older cousin, Elizabeth, rules her own land with ruthless control and no leniency for political foes – even members of her own family. In this deadly game of murder, betrayal and power, there can only be one winner, one ultimate ruler of this “wan green island”.
As the cast, directed by Tony Cownie, negotiate their way round the debris of conflicting iconography on the cluttered set, the sparks in Lochhead’s writing don’t ignite, until the end when the raucous child’s-play of taunting rhymes proves how deep that beheading axe cut into our psyche.
This is a tight, inventive production that uses humour to great advantage but never wallows in its own comedy.
Cownie’s production is enjoyably well-paced – though, with its loud music, explosions and burst of violence, is perhaps not for the faint-hearted.
What remains is a play both elegantly realised and reverently staged.
The performances...capture the mix of ribald irreverence and seriousness in the script.
This is a show of moments – a nice performance here, a jarring explosion there – but not of a unified ensemble spirit.
There are good things here. There could have been a lot more.
A great text shining through a mediocre production.
The highest praise should be reserved, however, for Shauna Macdonald, whose Mary stands out amidst a strong cast. As she walks towards her death, her powerful and moving dignity proves that Lochhead’s Mary Stuart has quite the same stature as Schiller’s.
Aside from the comic blowups in the script, the actors themselves demonstrate flexibility and aptitude through playing multiple roles.
Entertaining, boisterous and elegantly realised Mary Queen of Scots is a perfect reminder of why both the Lyceum and the Dundee Rep are so revered as leading theatrical venues.
The well-choreographed production, which also encompasses haunting violin music, song and chants (led by Morna Young) is irreverent as it is funny, and touches like Lord Darnley (Lewis Hart) falling about drunk on Buckfast extract a knowing laugh, but also hold up a reluctant mirror to modern Scottish culture.
Photograph by Douglas McBrideRoyal Lyceum, Edinburgh from Friday September 16, 2011, until Saturday October 15, 2011. More info: www.lyceum.org.uk
Dundee Rep Theatre, Dundee from Wednesday October 19, 2011, until Saturday November 5, 2011. More info: www.dundeereptheatre.co.uk
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