Review: VICTORIA: A QUEEN UNBOUND, Watermill Theatre

Thought-provoking would be a simple word to describe Goodwin's book, yet it’s also the perfect one. Whether or not the events depicted are fully factual, it asks questions on unreliable narration and how memory warps a person’s perception of events. Diaries are seen as private documentations, yet they allow room for the writer to twist and omit information which can impact somebody’s legacy once public - something Victoria’s son Bertie fears throughout the play. This idea of distorted memory is emphasised by Alex Berry’s striking set, a slanted mirror panel revealing a vast library of diaries (beautifully lit by Ben Jacobs), which along with her ornate costumes adds grandeur to its intimate story.

Sophie Drake’s direction handles its subject matters with nuance and sensitivity, portraying both Victoria and Albert as victims of circumstance as his desire for power grows throughout each of her nine pregnancies. The decision to have both Victorias watch each other is a masterful one, capturing the tension of the past and present as both challenge their versions of events.

Amanda Boxer is instantly recognisable as the elderly Victoria, dressed in black forever mourning her beloved husband. Carrying a grand presence and a sharp tongue, she brings emotional honesty as she gains clarity of past events once painted with rose coloured glasses. Jessica Rhodes is a winning contrast as the younger Victoria, filled with a youthful passion of her new love and frustration to her confinement. Rowan Polonski is the vision of a young handsome prince yet handles his growing control and gaslighting precariously without being fully villainous.

Elsewhere Stephen Fewell captures the tiredness and impatience as future king Bertie, a sharp contrast to the warmth of Lydia Bakelmun as youngest daughter Beatrice. Steve Chusak’s Dr. Reid is more of a side presence to the proceedings, yet subtly captures the closeness of his relationship with Victoria.