"What it deliberately is not is a literal, linear account of the life of Mary Stuart, the Scottish Queen imprisoned and eventually beheaded on the orders of her cousin, Elizabeth I of England. On the contrary, told through the conflicted, confused, guilt-ridden memories of a dying Elizabeth, the ballet blends historical reality with surreal touches to create its own involving, highly theatrical narrative."
"The ballet starts with the dying Elizabeth - a tour de force guest performance by the veteran Swedish dancer Charlotta Ofverholm - standing alone in tatty underwear amid a snowfall, her frenzied gestures summoning painful memories. We get a brief glimpse of Mary (Roseanne Leney); and an imposing, rather camp Elizabeth, danced by Harvey Littlefield with an unruly shock of red hair, at one point seen walking on stilts."
"From then on the scene will change frequently through the flurry of Elizabeth's memories, Mary's story a counterpart to her own, so much of her decisions shaped by the sinister spymaster Walsingham (a totally convincing Thomas Edwards) and his gang of spies sporting insect-like black masks."
Scottish Ballet's Mary Queen of Scots is a bold, challenging work that departs from literal historical narrative. Created by choreographer Sophie Laplane and director James Bonas, the ballet premiered at the Edinburgh International Festival where it won Best Festival Show. Rather than following a linear timeline, the work unfolds through the conflicted, guilt-ridden memories of a dying Elizabeth I, blending historical reality with surreal theatrical touches. The narrative shifts frequently between scenes, depicting Mary's story as a counterpart to Elizabeth's own experiences. Key characters include the dying Elizabeth, Mary Queen of Scots, and the sinister spymaster Walsingham with his spy network. Viewers benefit from prior knowledge of the historical figures and reading the synopsis, though the overall drift remains clear despite some narrative complexity.
Read at London Unattached
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