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Michael Cox reviews 'a production that's great in moments but lacking in cohesion'.
The James Plays is one of the most ambitious theatrical projects currently running within Scottish Theatre. Taking inspiration from Shakespeare’s history plays, each of Rona Munro’s plays has used the reign of a king for dramatic effect: sometimes focusing on the king himself, sometimes focusing on others within the court. Grand in scope, the plays have been a mixture of quality—from the brilliant to the mediocre.
James IV: Queen of the Fight actually lies in the middle—it’s an enjoyable night out that has interesting characters but loses the plot. There are several interesting story threads, including James IV’s attempts at legitimacy in the eyes of Scotland and Europe as well as his need to produce an heir with his queen, the sister of the English king who makes it clear she is unhappy in her current position. His court is filled with intrigue and sniping political manoeuvring: with so many different players, who can the king trust?
However, the play’s protagonist isn’t James nor even a Scot—it is Ellen, a Moorish refugee. Helped by William Dunbar, a court poet who’s always trying to curry favour, Ellen rises from being an abandoned companion to a fellow Spaniard to becoming the ‘Queen of the Fight’—a living symbol in the tournament battles that James IV uses for political advantage.
Director Laurie Sansom (making a welcome return) has crafted a production with integrate staging—he effectively juggles the numerous plot threads and has created several interesting visual flourishes.
However, Sansom is best helped by an excellent ensemble, each of whom brilliantly standout in their roles. Daniel Cahill is great as James IV, balancing authority with pathos, and Sarita Gabony effectively walks the line between tragedy and comedy as Queen Margaret. Laura Lovemore and Danielle Jam are both terrific as the two Spaniards who find themselves in the Scottish court. Lovemore’s rise and fall as Anne—Margaret’s lady in waiting—makes for some of the production’s strongest moments, and Jam makes Ellen a character who’s easy to root for and sympathise with, particularly at the end when she’s the subject of a racist attack. However, the production’s ace performance comes from Keith Fleming. His Dunbar is an absolute force whenever he’s onstage: funny and insightful yet at times pathetic.
With clear ambition and so many strengths, it’s a shame then that James IV is a hodgepodge of ideas in search of a clear path, teasing tasty morsels but never fully relishing them. The result is a production that’s great in moments but lacking in cohesion. It’s good, but with everything going for it, the production should be far stronger.
James IV: Queen of the Fight was reviewed at the Festival Theatre, Edinburgh. It continues to tour Scotland until November 12th.
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