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Across the Festival: August 10--The James Plays

Michael Cox reviews the trilogy of plays.

Anyone who saw the recent production Paul Bright’s Confession of a Justified Sinner might remember one of the best gags, when a Scottish theatre company’s inclusion in the Edinburgh International Festival was deemed part of the ‘death Scottish slot’. Let’s be honest: many of the recent Scottish contributions to EIF have not been the Scottish theatre community at its best.

So, if there’s one great thing to report, it is that the curse is broken! Rona Munro and the National Theatre of Scotland’s three-part contribution to this year’s Festival is a winner, full of great writing, performances and production values. It’s a production to be proud of, even if it isn’t perfect.

In many ways, James I: The Key Will Keep the Lock (****) is the richest play of the three. The titular character starts as a prisoner of Henry V of England’s court, and the play charts his rise as he works to secure his position on the Scottish throne. As a singular play, there are some moments that could stand to be fleshed out, particularly in the political dealings found in the second act, but these are mere squabbles. The play is pretty straight forward—a costume drama with rousing characters, excellent set pieces and enough political intrigue to keep audiences on its toes until the very end.

James II: Day of the Innocents (***) is the most frustrating experience of the three. This is the play that uses the most theatrics with flashbacks, puppetry and heavy symbolism. James II was a boy king, and the play looks at this timid child as he’s used as a pawn by the lords who are meant to serve him. The first act might be the strongest in all of the six acts when it comes to production values, but the second half settles down into a quiet tale of friendship and betrayal, and much of it simply fizzles along. It doesn’t help that you spend the entire run wanting the king to do something (anything!), with the play concluding the moment he takes matters into his own hands.

James III: The True Mirror (****) is a much more modern-feeling piece. The play is as much about the queen’s attempt to hold the country together as it is about the flamboyant king, who’s happy to break the rules and wants to lavish himself with expenses the country can’t afford. This play is a bit anachronistic and can get a bit wacky at times, but it’s the most entertaining of the three. It also has the single strongest performance found in all three plays: Sofie Grabol, who is magnificent as Queen Margaret. Grabol proves that she was not chosen due to stunt casting but for her magnetic ability, and the final ten minutes of the play is terrific with a rousing speech that will surely become a staple in auditions.

In truth there are two ways to look at the production, either as three separate plays that look at three Scottish monarchs or as one long cycle play charting the rise of a Scottish royal family. The three plays are different and can stand well enough on their own, but personally I’d opt to see all three. That said, if an audience only wanted to choose one, I’d go with James III, as James I leaves you wanting more and James II is informed a great deal by events from the previous play.

As a single (lengthy) production, The James Plays is in itself a four-star experience and should not be missed. It would be easy to wax on about its timing with the referendum about Scottish independence, but in truth, no matter how Scotland votes next month, these plays should be seen and enjoyed by international audiences and deserve to be around for a long time.

The James Plays are presented in repertoire at the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh until August 22 before transferring to London. Check Edinburgh International Festival or National Theatre of Scotland websites for specific dates and times.

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