MARY STUART
 |
| Almeida Theatre, Islington |
The history play Mary Stuart is fast paced, captivating, and most of all, enjoyable. The foreign English monarchy can appear confusing with all of its Marys, Charles, James, and Henrys. And monarchy itself is unfamiliar for American audiences. However, on Wednesday night, the monarchy came alive. The performance began with a coin spin to assign roles to the lead actors. Heads you're Elizabeth, tails you're Mary. This introduces the idea of the monarch-cousins as indivisible opposites. Mary is Catholic and in prison, while Elizabeth is Protestant and on the throne. Lia Williams played Mary Stuart the night we attended. She appealed emotionally to the audience; we found ourselves cheering for her and becoming a part of her plea to Elizabeth for her life. The audience became invested in her survival and had hope in her determination to make things right between her and her cousin, played by Juliet Stevenson.
 |
| performance in the round |
Both actors captured the emotion and tension of the time. The modernly dressed supporting actors made the play come alive and were equally engaging. The play made Mary more sympathetic and more level-headed. Even though she was imprisoned and tormented, at the end she peacefully accepted her death and said goodbye to those she loved most. Elizabeth was left isolated at the center of the stage, the loneliness that she had caused psychologically imprisoning her. One could not help but feel sympathy. One Villanova student writes, “All in all this may have been the best performance I’ve ever seen and left me wanting more, as well as with many questions I’m eager to look into.”
For more information please see:
A
brief history of Mary Stuart's life:
The
relationship of Mary Stuart and Elizabeth I:
Account
of the execution of Mary Queen of Scots:
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/maryqueenofscots.htm
No comments:
Post a Comment