Edward II
Christopher Marlowe
Directed by Alex Pearson
Alex Pearson Productions with Glass Splinters
Jack Studio Theatre
Star rating 4
It’s quite unusual to see a classic Elizabethan play in a pub theatre, especially when it isn’t Shakespeare. And done as well as this, it’s a treat. It’s also an original take on Marlowe’s play because it’s an all-female cast of six with the text pared down to 90 minutes run without interval so the tension never flags. Every word is clear with the meaning skilfully rammed home and the story telling as clear as it could possibly be,
Famously, it’s a play about a power struggle. The titular Edward (Natalie Harper) wants his beloved Gaveston (Elinor Machen-Fortune) at his side. His barons think otherwise. It’s a tragedy so it doesn’t, of course, end happily for anyone.
Harper delights as Edward gradually losing his authority and blindly in love with Gaveston but cruelly dismissive of his wife Queen Isabella (Alison Young – good) referred to as a “French strumpet” at one point. The villain of the piece, really is slippery Mortimer (Srabani San) who wants the power for himself. San excels in this role. She does glittering cunning, exasperation and ruthlessness often disguised as reasonableness with terrific, chilling conviction. And like everyone else in the cast her active listening is a pleasure to watch.
There is a great deal of doubling in this show and it works well with lots of different accents. Machen-Fortune’s Gaveston is charismatic. You can see why Edward is so drawn to him. She is also good as the young Prince Edward (real tears at the end) and as the crusty Bishop of Coventry. Victorias Howell is strong as very mannish men such as the calculatedly political Lancaster, the loyal Spencer and several rough soldier types. And Emma Louise-Price demonstrates seamless versatility as she switches from Warwick, the King’s brother, jealous and objecting, to low life characters such as Baldock.
Eve Oakley’s set makes pleasing use of the Jack Studio’s rather limiting space by creating an upstage alcove with a chaise longue and net curtains which eventually come down. Personally I could do without the dry ice because it makes me cough but I suppose it adds to the atmosphere.
There are many fine dramatic moments in this production. It will be a while before I forget the murder of either Gaveston or Edward. Director Alex Pearson evidently agrees with the Greeks that you get the best effects but doing these things off stage and allowing audience imagination to do the work.
This is definitely one to catch if you can. It runs until 18 April.
