Review: MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS, Theatre Royal

After receiving its world premiere at the Edinburgh International Festival, Mary, Queen of Scots, tours Scotland. 

As Elizabeth I of England (Charlotta Öfverholm) nears the end of her life, she is haunted by memories of her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots (Roseanna Leney). Öfverholm portrays Elizabeth as frail and disheveled but also with incredible strength to her movements. 

Harvey Littlefield is the majestic younger Elizabeth I, a strong presence made all the more imposing when entering on stilts. The scenes with Littlefield and Leney together are captivating and very powerful with the contrast between the pair.

This production is choreographed by Sophie Laplane and co-created by Laplane and James Bonas who directs. It feels like an understatement to call this production a triumph; there is nothing you can fault it on.

The storytelling can be complex, but that’s what programme notes are for. Mary has a claim to the English throne and with some deception and use of spies, Elizabeth I orders her execution. 

You would expect a certain standard from Scottish Ballet but the visual aspect of Mary, Queen of Scots blows all expectations out of the water. Soutra Gilmour’s set and costume design, Bonnie Beecher’s lighting design and Anouar Brissel’s projection and video design ensure that this is a production with huge impact. The orchestra perform an original score by Mikael Karlsson and Michael P Atkinson that works beautifully with the piece.

For all its intensity, Mary, Queen of Scots does bring the light with a brightly coloured jester (Kayla-Maree Tarantolo) and moments such as Mary giving birth to a white balloon representing her son James. 

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