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Seven Dials Playhouse – until 19th November 2022

Reviewed By Emily Cliff

3***

Content warning: this review discusses themes of suicide

Lewis Cornay’s Daddy issues is a hard hitting play that touches on some extremely difficult themes surrounding the unexpected loss of loved ones, and the pain and trauma they leave behind. Rounded up into a 65 minute story, we watch as Imi formerly Imogen reinvents herself as she is trying to cope with the one year anniversary of her fathers suicide.

Upon entering the theatre the set is dressed in pink, with neon lights surrounding the set giving it a funky pop like glow. Fantastically designed by Andrew Exeter, the set reflects the chaos of the show to come, sprayed in pink. Imi is already on the stage putting up posters of what we soon learn to be her dead therapy dog, which gives us our first insight into the story to come.

Set in a granny annex on Halloween we first see Imi trying to enjoy and embrace the festivities of Halloween as she reinvents herself in the spirit of the holiday. Dressed in a skeleton costume ready to go out and enjoy the holiday. The story itself is structured around an instagram live, where Imi is holding a wake for her dead dog Roger. This soon morphed into discussions of Halloween and fond memories of the holiday but a noticeable elephant in the room that gets harder and harder to ignore as the night goes on.

Like many, Imi uses humour as a way of coping with her emotions, making this seemingly gloomy story one of dark humour which will leave your cheeks aching from laughter. Cornay has a great way of making you laugh with his writing but also leaving you with an underlying gut feeling of guilt; should we really be laughing at this person’s misery? Should I feel bad for laughing here? This style of writing has a fantastic way of putting you in the character’s shoes without even realising it, that subtle feeling of dread, guilt and sadness all bundled up into a ball of laughter and jokes.

While the jokes and the dark humour in this show was well written, Imy and many other women who have gone through something similar were incredibly let down by the portrayal of adult relationships in this piece. This was a flawed attempt at representing the sexual wants and needs that stem from past trauma, especially those inflicted by males in a woman’s life. It leaned into the stereotypes often portrayed across film and media making it feel like it was written in bad taste.

Despite its flaws this show dealt with harmful and incredibly difficult topics in a way that is witty and insightful. The eventual breakdown of Imi leads to her talking to her younger self giving her the hope to carry on. Bebe Cave’s performance was fantastic, radiating the desperate grasps of dealing with trauma on such a large scale. Supported by great character development and pacing this show is a fantastic devilish dark comedy.

If you are affected by the themes spoken about in this review please contact any of the charities below. No one has to suffer alone.

https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/talk-us-phone/

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/guides-to-support-and-services/crisis-services/helplines-listening-services

Nottingham Theatre Royal – until 5 November 2022

Reviewed by Louise Ford

5*****

We could’ve been anything we wanted to be…

Bugsy Malone hits the Nottingham Theatre Royal to blow away the wet and dismal evening to bring a show that is alive with charm, song and fun!

Director Sean Holmes has brought to the UK stage the 1974 Alan Parker film, Bugsy Malone. A quite unique film that cleverly blends the gangster movies of the 1920s with an all child cast. I certainly remember seeing it and my daughters rank it amongst their favourite childhood films.

The adaptation to the stage works really well . This is thanks in no small part to the unforgettable original songs by Paul Williams , arranged by Phil Bateman but also the sets and costumes (Jon Bausor) which perfectly capture the mood of the original film and move the story along at a cracking pace.

The main difference between the original film and this adaptation is the inclusion of an adult ensemble rather than distracting from the younger actors they bring an extra dimension and energy. The most memorable and hummable songs Bad Guys ( it’s still whirling through my head) and So You Wanna be a Boxer are wonderfully choreographed by Drew McOnie. We loved the complicated cat’s cradle of the boxing ring and the ensemble dodging and weaving their way around the stage. Of course the splurge guns and custard pies are great but the car chase steals the show!

The current tour has three sets of young actors, our performance was Team Roxy.

The show opens in New York with a gloomy and anonymous backdrop of fire escapes that hides Fat Sam’s speakeasy. Fat Sam (Isham Sankoh) delivers a brilliant performance as the troubled gangster with his hapless hoodlums being threatened by the new kid on the block Dandy Dan (Kit Cranston).

The contrast between the mean back streets with the glitz of Fat Sam’s bar is achieved with descending tables and whirling lights and a glowing drinks bar. The scenery moves around effortlessly to create the different locations.

Whilst Fat Sam was the stand out performance for me a great voice and comic timing the roles of Blousey (Delilah Bennett-Cardy) and  Tallulah (Faith Ifil) were delivered perfectly with strong voices and stage presence and fantastic costumes. Bugsy (Shaun Sharma) was sweet and adorable and wore his hat with aplomb!

The final scene was a perfect mash up of the whole cast break dancing and having great fun with the perfect finale song You Give a Little Love, which to be fair is what we all need on a cold November evening!

Yvonne Arnaud, Guildford – until 5 November 2022

Reviewed by Heather Chalkley

4****

Director Scott Graham has taken Frantic Assembly in a new direction, taking a classic and well known text instead of the fresh, new material they usually play. He has successfully presented Shakespeare in a modern context, staying faithful to the script. No mean feat and well done.

Right from the first choreographed opening scene the audience is captured and drawn in. The Moor, Othello (Michael Akinsulire), from the start has a strong and commanding presence. Akinsulire delivers a physical performance as one unit with the cast, as well as the epic soliloquies Shakespeare is so famous for. Akinsulire portrays the honest and earnest character of Othello, who takes people at face value. His jealous nature is easily twisted and manipulated by Iago (Joe Layton). You see a visible change in Othello (Alkinsulire) as he becomes more duped by Iago’s words.

Felipe Pacheco plays Roderigo with a youthful naivety and a hormone fuelled infatuation with Desdemona, that brings an element of humour to the plot, despite the sinister intentions of Iago (Joe Layton).

The whole cast move fluidly throughout like one body, delivering Shakespearian text eloquently and naturally. It is a unique combination. The physicality of the performance stays true to Franctic Assembly’s style and is a great medium for Shakespeare. The choreography really pumps the audience and the scenes deliver a clear message, whether that is of youthful exuberance, passion or violence. Perry Johnson, co-choreographer, has cleverly captured the essence of each scene in movement.

Frantic Assembly have created a performance that makes Shakespeare accessible and exciting for young people and anyone else who has not studied the master.

The Alexandra Theatre Birmingham – until Saturday 5th November 2022

Reviewed by Nadia Dodd

5*****

The Mousetrap opened in 1952 in the Ambassadors in London and, would have celebrated an unbroken 70-year West End run this year if it had not been for a global pandemic – seven decades of an amazing murder mystery which has become a must see show.

A gem of British classic theatre this tour produced by Adam Spiegel, has kept millions of people across the world asking themselves ‘Who dunnit?’

The whole play has one set, I’ve never seen another play like this before. Based in Monkswell Manor Guest House a new business venture by the owners Mollie and Giles Ralston (Joelle Dyson and Laurence Pears) you see four pre-booked guests arriving for their stay. Plus an extra guest who has come across the establishment following his car overturning in the awful snow blizzard that is unfolding threatening the guess and the Ralstons to be cut off from the surrounding area and civilisation until a thaw sets in.

As a murder mystery I wasn’t expecting the expert comedy timing from Christopher Wren (played by Elliot Clay) one of the pre-booked guests to the manor. His childlike and lovable character was a hit with the audience. All guests including the owners of the manor house become suspects after a murder takes place that evening.

Mrs Boyle, a woman who I don’t think anyone could ever please (Gwyneth Strong), Major Metcalfe a retired gentleman (Todd Carty), Miss Casewell, very unconventional for the 1950’s, lived many years abroad (Essie Barrow) and the unannounced Mr Paravicini (John Altman) are the other guests and murder suspects as the story unfolds.

The final person to enter the manor is Detective Sergeant Trotter (Joseph Reed) who accesses the manor on his skis due to the snow drifts, climbs in through a downstairs window and announces to everyone that they are in danger, one of them could be murdered tonight and also that one of them is the killer, but who?!

In the 70 years the story hasn’t changed and its part of the agreement with the audience at the end of the show that we don’t spill the beans and reveal ‘Who Dunnit’ to continue keeping such a gripping British theatre classic running for what could be forever. Clever, classic theatre at it’s best.

Southampton Mayflower – until 5th November 2022

Reviewed by Lucy Hitchcock

3***

J B Preistley’s timeless classic ‘An Inspector Calls’ has been adapted by Stephen Daldry and the National Theatre to bring a quintessential Nation Theatre production to the Mayflower.

This is a tale with twists and turns and becomes almost a ‘whodunnit’ piece, but with a gripping ending that had the audience stunned. A very limited cast meant that it was quite intimate, but the staging from Ian MacNeil’s brilliantly intricate design, meant that the stage opened up and the cast managed to utilise every inch of the open space.

Inspector Goole (Liam Brennan) arrives late one night, unannounced at the house of Mr Birling (Jeffrey Harmer) to enquire each member of the household on the untimely death of one of Birling’s ex employees. What unfolds, is that every member of the family have in some way contributed to this females suicide, thus prompting the family to learn a lesson about their actions and how to proceed and become better members of society.

This was a well scripted and thought out piece, but for me, I had some difficulty in hearing and understanding the dialogue. In some aspect, it was that a few of the characters were speaking a bit too quickly and their words were swallowed by the stage, and partly because the microphones could have been adjusted higher. For me, I felt a certain draw to Frances Campbell, who played ‘Edna’ the maid. She had only a handful of lines, but was on stage throughout. Liam Brennan as ‘Inspector Google’ carried this show brilliantly, with his fierce Scottish accent, attitude and complete command of the stage and audience. At one point, he directly addressed the audience, giving a message that resonates even in this day and age with complete sincerity and warning.

This is a good play, with twists, turns and excitement – I’m sure that you will not be disappointed.

Eleanor Lloyd Productions and Rebecca Stafford Productions present

Witness for the Prosecution
By Agatha Christie

• ALL RISE! AGATHA CHRISTIE’S ‘WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION’ EXTENDS ITS RUN AT THE MAGNIFICENT LONDON COUNTY HALL
• THE ACCLAIMED PRODUCTION IS NOW BOOKING UNTIL 8 OCTOBER 2023
• AS CHRISTMAS APPROACHES COURTROOM GIFT PACKAGES, INCLUDING THE CHANCE TO SIT ON THE JURY, MAKE THE PERFECT PRESENT FOR AGATHA CHRISTIE FANS

Eleanor Lloyd Productions and Rebecca Stafford Productions are thrilled to announce an extension for Agatha Christie’s Witness for the Prosecution following the production’s recent fifth anniversary.   Audiences will now be able to watch the trial of Leonard Vole at the magnificent London County Hall until 8 October 2023. Tickets for the new booking period are now on sale at witnesscountyhall.com.

A range of Courtroom Gift Packages, which include the chance to sit on the Jury, make the perfect Christmas gift for crime fans. For more information, please visit https://witnesscountyhall.com/tickets/gift-packages.

Witness for the Prosecution is now on to its eighth cast, which includes Eastenders star Harry Reid as the accused Leonard Vole opposite Naomi Sheldon (The Comedy of Errors, RSC; Good Girl, Trafalgar Studios/ Roundabout/ Old Red Lion) as Romaine Vole. Dugald Bruce-Lockhart (Private Lives, Bath Theatre Royal/Nigel Havers Theatre Company – UK Tour; The Last Temptation of Boris Johnson, Park Theatre) plays Sir Wilfrid Robarts QC, with Jonathan Coote (The Crown, Netflix; The Audience, West End) as Mr Mayhew, Justin Avoth (My Brilliant Friend, National Theatre/ Rose Theatre, Kingston; Love From a Stranger, Fiery Angel) is Mr Myers QC, and Nicholas Day (Yellowfin, Southwark Playhouse; After All These Years, UK Tour) is Mr Justice Wainwright. 

Witness for the Prosecution has captured the imagination of thousands gripped by the case of Leonard Vole, accused of murder in cold blood. Director Lucy Bailey thrillingly places the audience in the thick of the action as Christie’s enthralling tale of justice, passion and betrayal unfolds around them.

Leonard Vole is accused of murdering a widow to inherit her wealth. The stakes are high. Will he be able to convince the jury of his innocence and escape the hangman’s noose?

The twists and turns of the case are played out in a spectacular courtroom setting inside the atmospheric London County Hall as prosecution battles defence and witnesses take the stand to give their shocking testimonies. The production received Best Revival nominations at the 2018 Olivier and WhatsOnStage Awards.

The production is designed by William Dudley, with lighting by Chris Davey, sound design by Mic Pool and casting by Ellie Collyer-Bristow CDG.

Photos by Harry Elletson have today been released of HRH Prince Edward, The Earl of Wessex’s attendance at Reading Rep’s Corporate Partnership Scheme Launch this Monday. The event, which was held at the theatre, saw businesses across Reading and the Thames Valley connect and network with fellow organisations. HRH Prince Edward, The Earl of Wessex was this week announced as the Royal Patron for the multi-award-winning professional theatre

NEW UNDER 30’S OFFER ANNOUNCED

FOR THE CRITICALLY LAUDED PRODUCTION OF

ROBERT ICKE’S

THE DOCTOR

WRITTEN BY ROBERT ICKE

VERY FREELY ADAPTED FROM PROFESSOR BERNHARDI BY ARTHUR SCHNITZLER

RUNNING AT THE DUKE OF YORK’S THEATRE UNTIL 11 DECEMBER 2022

★★★★★

The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Times, The Daily Mail, Financial Times, The Sunday Times,

★★★★

Evening Standard, The Observer, Independent, The Stage, Metro

For those aged 30 and under, there will be exclusive £20 and £30 tickets in the stalls and dress circle available for every Sunday matinee as part of The Doctor’s commitment to audience development. This is a brilliant chance for younger audiences to see the critically acclaimed production – described as the “play of the decade” (The Times) – in the West End for a reduced cost.

These tickets can be booked via  https://thedoctorwestend.co.uk/under30srate/

We also continue to have £25 tickets available across the run exclusively for NHS employees and blue light workers (which includes emergency services, those who work in the social care sector and the armed forces). These tickets are available via the official box office ATG Tickets (just click on any £57.50 or £67.50 seat, select the ‘NHS/Blue Light’ £25 option and present one ID per transaction when you arrive).

Robert Icke, Director and Adaptor of The Doctor, said, “it’s so important to try to welcome young audiences to theatre. And nothing is more key to achieving that than the price of a ticket. I’m delighted that, for the second half of our run in the West End, we’re able to offer our production to young audiences at a bargain price.”

The Doctor, by Robert Icke (Animal Farm, The Wild Duck, Hamlet, Mary Stuart, Oresteia, 1984), very freely adapted from Professor Bernhardi by Arthur Schnitzler, has been critically lauded since it opened at the Almeida in August 2019 before headlining the Adelaide Festival in 2020. The play has since gone on to tour in Brighton, Bath and Richmond in September 2022, ahead of its current West End run, at the Duke of York’s Theatre until 11 December.

In a divisive time, in a divided nation, a society takes sides.

The smash-hit by “Britain’s best director” (Telegraph) is a “provocative, wonderfully upsetting” (Independent) whirlwind of gender, race and questions about identity, “one of the peaks of the theatrical year” (Guardian) and a “devastating play for today” (Financial Times). 

The full cast are Christopher Osikanlu Colquhoun, Doña Croll, Juliet Garricks, Preeya Kalidas, Hannah Ledwidge, Mariah Louca, John Mackay, Daniel Rabin, Juliet Stevenson, Matilda Tucker,Naomi Wirthner and Sabrina Wu.

The production has designs by Hildegard Bechtler, lighting by Natasha Chivers, sound and composition by Tom Gibbons and casting by Julia Horan CDG.

The Doctor is produced by The Ambassador Theatre Group & Almeida Theatre, Gavin Kalin Productions, Caiola Productions, Wessex Grove, Dawn Smalberg & Richard Winkler.

LISTINGS

THE DOCTOR

VERY FREELY ADAPTED BY ROBERT ICKE, FROM PROFESSOR BERNHARDI BY ARTHUR SCHNITZLER
DIRECTED BY ROBERT ICKE

PRODUCED BY THE AMBASSADOR THEATRE GROUP & ALMEIDA THEATRE, GAVIN KALIN PRODUCTIONS, WESSEX GROVE, DAWN SMALBERG & RICHARD WINKLER

Performance schedule:

Tuesday – Saturday at 7.30pm, Wednesday, Saturday & Sunday at 2.30pm

Ticket Prices: From £15

Under 30’s Offer: You can now book exclusive £20 and £30 tickets in the stalls and dress circle for every Sunday matinee. Valid ID will be required upon arrival, so please only purchase these seats if you are eligible.

The website link for this offer is:  https://thedoctorwestend.co.uk/under30srate/

NHS/Blue Light Workers Offer: £25 tickets available across the run exclusively for NHS employees and blue light workers. These tickets are available via the official box office ATG Tickets (just select the ‘NHS/Blue Light’ option whilst booking any seat ordinarily priced at £57.50 or £67.50, and present one ID per transaction when you arrive).

Running Time: Approx. 2 hours 45 minutes including a 20-minute interval

Age Recommendation: The Doctor includes the discussion of suicide and the description of suicide methods. We recommend an age recommendation of 14+

Address: Duke Of York’s Theatre, St. Martin’s Lane, London, WC2N 4BG

Box Office: 08448717623*

Group Bookings: 02072061174*

Access Booking Line: 08009126971

*Calls are charged at 7p per minute, plus your phone company’s access charge

Website:

www.thedoctorwestend.co.uk

www.atgtickets.com

Facebook          @TheDoctorWestEnd

Instagram         @doctorwestend

Twitter             @DoctorWestEnd

FOLLOWING A DISASTROUS RUN AT THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL, MIND MANGLER ANNOUNCES A UK TOUR

Mind Mangler: Member of the Tragic Circle

Starring Henry Lewis & Jonathan Sayer

UK TOUR: 7 Jan – 22 Apr 2023

Olivier award-winning comedy favourites, Mischief, today announce the very first UK tour of Mind Mangler: Member of the Tragic Circle written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, the writing (and performing) trio best known for The Play That Goes Wrong and BBC TV’s The Goes Wrong Show.  In response to sold out performances at the Edinburgh Fringe, Mind Mangler has now been developed into a two-act show for a major UK tour. Starring Henry Lewis as the ‘Mind Mangler’ and Jonathan Sayer as his ‘Stooge’, the show will open at Wyvern Theatre, Swindon on 7 January 2023, visiting Cardiff, Milton Keynes, Birmingham, Cheltenham, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Brighton, Nottingham, Newcastle, Wimbledon, Salford and Southampton, to name a few. The tour will culminate with a week at Theatre Royal Bath, from 18 to 22 April 2023. Tickets are on sale today (at most venues).

Mind Mangler is based on a character originally created in Magic Goes Wrong 
by Penn Jillette, Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, Henry Shields & Teller. Directed by Hannah Sharkey.

Join the ‘Mind Mangler’ as he returns to the stage following a disappointing two-night run at the Luton Holiday Inn conference centre, suite 2b. His new solo spectacular is predicted to spiral into chaos as he attempts to read your mind…

The ‘Mind Mangler’ persuaded the following producers to back this production – Kenny Wax, Stage Presence and Kevin McCollum. (They regret it). 

Mischief’s other stage successes include The Play That Goes Wrong (West End, Broadway and on tour across the UK and internationally with productions staged on every continent – with the exception of Antarctica), Magic Goes Wrong, Peter Pan Goes Wrong, A Comedy About A Bank Robbery and Mischief Movie Night. Their ‘Royal Television Society’ award-winning BBC One series The Goes Wrong Show aired in December 2019 with a Christmas special, with further episodes in early 2020, and a hit Nativity special last Christmas. The second series aired in September 2021 on BBC One and iPlayer.

Listings Information:

MIND MANGLER

Member of the Tragic Circle

UK TOUR 2023

Sat 7 – Sun 8 Jan

SWINDON Wyvern Theatre

Theatre Square, Swindon SN1 1QN 

BOX OFFICE 0343 310 0040

swindontheatres.co.uk

ON SALE SOON 

Tue 10 – Wed 11 Jan 

CARDIFF New Theatre

Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3LN  

BOX OFFICE 029 2087 8889

newtheatrecardiff.co.uk

ON SALE SOON 

Fri 13 Jan  

HIGH WYCOMBE Swan Theatre

St Mary Street, High Wycombe HP11 2XE

BOX OFFICE 0343 310 0060

wycomeswan.co.uk

ON SALE SOON

Sat 14 Jan  

MILTON KEYNES Theatre 

500 Marlborough Gate, Milton Keynes MK9 3NZ

BOX OFFICE 0844 871 7615

atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes

Wed 18 Jan  

BIRMINGHAM The Alexandra

Suffolk Street, Queensway, Birmingham B5 4DS

BOX OFFICE 0844 871 7615

atgtickets.com/birmingham

Thu 19 – Sat 21 Jan  

CHELTENHAM Everyman Theatre

Regent Street, Cheltenham GL50 1HQ

BOX OFFICE 01242 572 573

everymantheatre.org.uk

Tue 24 Jan  

GLASGOW Theatre Royal

282 Hope St, Glasgow G2 3QA

BOX OFFICE 0844 871 7615

atgtickets.com/glasgow

Fri 27 Jan  

EDINBURGH Festival Theatre

13-29 Nicolson St, Edinburgh EH8 9FT

BOX OFFICE 0131 529 6000

capitaltheatres.com

ON SALE SOON

Mon 30 Jan – Wed 1 Feb  

EXETER Northcott Theatre

Stocker Rd, Exeter EX4 4QB

BOX OFFICE 01932 72 63 63

exeternorthcott.co.uk

ON SALE SOON

Fri 3 Feb  

LIVERPOOL Empire Theatre

Lime Street, Liverpool, Merseyside L1 1JE

BOX OFFICE 0844 871 7615

atgtickets.com/Liverpool

Tue 7 – Thu 9 Feb  

LEICESTER Curve Studio

Rutland Street, Leicester LE1 1SB

BOX OFFICE 0116 242 3595

curveonline.co.uk

ON SALE SOON   

Sat 11 Feb  

BRIGHTON Theatre Royal

New Road, Brighton BN1 1SD

BOX OFFICE 0844 871 7615

atgtickets.com/brighton

Sun 12 Feb  

NOTTINGHAM Theatre Royal

Theatre Square, Nottingham NG1 5ND

BOX OFFICE 0115 989 5555

trch.co.uk

Thu 16 – Sat 18 Feb  

NEWCASTLE Theatre Royal

100 Grey Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 6BR

 BOX OFFICE 08448 112121 

theatreroyal.co.uk

Mon 27 Feb  

WOKING New Victoria Theatre

The Ambassadors, The Peacocks Centre, Woking GU21 6GQ

BOX OFFICE 0844 871 7615

atgtickets.com/woking

Tue 28 Feb  

WIMBLEDON New Wimbledon Theatre

93 The Broadway, London SW19 1QG

BOX OFFICE 0844 871 7615

atgtickets.com/wimbledon

Thu 2 Mar  

SOUTHEND Cliffs Pavilion

Station Road, Southend-on-Sea, Essex SS0 7RA

BOX OFFICE 0343 310 0030

cliffspavilion.co.uk

ON SALE SOON   

Mon 6 Mar  

BROMLEY Churchill Theatre

High Street, Bromley BR1 1HA

BOX OFFICE 0343 310 0020

churchilltheatre.co.uk

ON SALE SOON   

Tue 14 & Wed 15 Mar  

SALISBURY Playhouse

Malthouse Lane, Salisbury SP2 7RA

BOX OFFICE 01722 320 333

wiltshirecreative.co.uk

ON SALE SOON  

Fri 24 – Sat 25 Mar  

SALFORD The Lowry

The Lowry, Pier 8, Salford Quays M50 3AZ

BOX OFFICE 0343 208 6000 

thelowry.com

ON SALE SOON   

Tue 28 & Wed 29 Mar  

SOUTHAMPTON MAST

142, 144 Above Bar St, Southampton SO14 7DU

BOX OFFICE 02380 711833

mayflowerstudios.org.uk

ON SALE SOON   

Thu 30 & Fri 31 Mar 

GUILDFORD Yvonne Arnaud Theatre

Millbrook, Guildford, Surrey GU1 3UX

BOX OFFICE 01483 44 00 00

yvonne-arnaud.co.uk

Tue 18 – Sat 22 Apr  

BATH Theatre Royal

Sawclose Bath, BA1 1ET

BOX OFFICE 01225 448844

theatreroyal.org.uk

ON SALE SOON  

Further tour dates to be announced. 

www.mindmangler.com

Hampstead Theatre, London – until 26th November 2022

Reviewed by Celia Armand Smith

3***

Mary is the sixth instalment in The James Plays, Rona Munro’s women centred cycle of plays about the mediaeval monarchs of Scotland. It’s 1567, and we are witnessing three characters as they argue for and against Mary, the troubled Queen of Scots as she is set to marry the frankly detestable Earl of Bothwell. Agnes (Rona Morrison) is a maid who is firmly Protestant and condemns the Queen, and Thompson (Brian Vernel) is a servant who we first meet in a bloodied pile on the floor but who quickly rises through the ranks in opposition to Mary thanks to the Lords who want to de-throne her. Finally, we meet Sir James Melville (Douglas Henshall), a loyal courtier, skilled diplomat, and a morally decent man who is shaken to the core by things he has witnessed at court.

The argument has a contemporary resonance. Whether someone has been raped, whether they should be believed, and whether once the truth is known, anything is done with that information. Mary’s destructive relationship with the Earl of Bothwell is examined from every angle, and the character’s positions shift while the actual and apparent truth collide. Women are seldom given a fair shout in history, especially when it comes to the monarchy. As Munro says herself, “Women’s narratives have often been twisted to serve other interests and destroy their own experience”.

The cast work well together under the direction of Roxana Silbert. Morison, Henshall, and Vernel do well with the heavy dialogue and minimal physical action, but there are moments of humour and rage which provide some change in what is quite an evenly paced play. Ashley Martin-Davis’s set is beautiful and simple, and provides a clean and clever backdrop for the main action. The set and the lighting design by Matt Haskins are expressive, using shadow and light to change the scene and add suspense. Mist hangs ominously in the air over the stage as the characters argue and debate.

Mary is an ambitious balance of the personal, the political and the religious. It asks questions about accountability and political persuasion, and uses the historical context to make some very contemporary statements which feel very 2022.