This autumn Rona Munro returns to Scottish stages with a bold new production: James IV – Queen of the Fight, directed by Laurie Sansom – the formidable duo who brought us James I, II and III. As anticipation mounts we get the chance to share a sneak peek behind the scenes at rehearsal photographs of the cast and creative team who will bring the next part in this extraordinary cycle of plays to life. This chapter reveals the vibrant cultural mix of the Scottish court, enriching our understanding of our nation’s history.
“You’re a wonder. You’re a window into a wide world.” Scotland, 1504, seen fresh through the eyes of new arrivals Ellen and Anne, two Moorish women who were expected to take their place at a royal court….but not this one. Both women now have to fight to find and keep a place in the dazzling, dangerous world of the Scottish Court of James IV. It’s a world where war is never far
away, words of love and promises of peace are not what they seem and where poets might turn out to be more dangerous than any assassin.
Employing the same wit and theatricality of the first three James Plays (James I, II and III)
acclaimed playwright Rona Munro takes you back to a thrilling and uncharted period of
Scottish history in this brand-new production. Rona Munro’s vividly imagined trilogy has already brought to life three generations of Stewart kings who ruled Scotland in the tumultuous fifteenth century to the acclaim of audiences and critics from Scotland to Auckland. They were acknowledged as a landmark event in Scottish and UK theatre. Now comes James IV with Laurie Sansom directing once more.
Writer Rona Munro and Director Laurie Sansom are reunited with Designer Jon Bausor whoalso worked on the first three plays; and joined by Venus ex Machina as Composer.
Co-produced by Raw Material, the award-winning, independent, producing company, and Capital Theatres, Scotland’s largest theatre charity based in Edinburgh, in association with National Theatre of Scotland, the production will open at the Festival Theatre, Edinburgh at the end of September 2022 before touring to Glasgow, Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness and Stirling.