Full throttle performances all round, this show is fresh and innovative
Mary: A Gig Theatre Show is a Knot Tied Theatre production, created by Katie Slater (Director and Co-Producer) and Rona Johnston (Writer and lead performer as Mary Stuart), recent graduates from QMU, interested in feminist theatre, with music at the heart of the storytelling.
In this production, the tale of Mary Stuart, the Queen of Scots, is told through storytelling and song, with a six-strong cast depicting Mary and her inner circle (known as her Marys), and her cousin Elizabeth I. Sharing the stage with Rona are: Laura Coull (as Mary Seaton, playing bass and drums); Alli von Hirschberg (as Mary Livingston, playing lead guitar); Hester Irving (as Mary Fleming, playing violin); Jodie Kirkwood (vocals, portraying both Mary Beaton and Lord Darnley) and Izzie Atkinson (vocals, and portraying Elizabeth I, the cousin of Mary).
Over the course of the performance, Rona takes us through the chronological timeline of Mary’s life, from childhood, to adolescence in France, back to life in Scotland, her marriage to Lord Darnley, motherhood and her untimely demise. The emotive story, eloquently delivered, is interspersed with song, and where the other characters have dialogue, this is spoken in duet with Mary Stuart, underpinning and emphasising her narrative perspective. With strong performances from the whole cast, Rona’s characterisation is especially powerful, capturing the quiet (and not so quiet) underlying rage and righteous indignation of the situation that Mary finds herself in.
The eight songs (soon to to be released on Spotify) ranged from Celtic influenced sirens, to more punky-grunge, with wailing guitar from Alli von Hirschberg. The lyrics throughout were poetical and evocative, and the reaction from the sold-out crowd was befitting the high energy environment.
The only disappointing note was the quality of Rona’s microphone set-up – whether it was a positioning issue, or an intentional effect, her voice felt obscured at times by echo, and a lot more popping and breathing sounds were apparent compared to the other microphones. At times during the songs, the violin was lost in the guitar and bass, however, given this was the first night performance, and an awkwardly small stage, there were no other apparent teething issues.
This run has already sold-out at the Edinburgh Fringe, and from tonight’s performance it’s clear to see why – this fresh and innovative look at one of Scotland’s most misaligned women from history retells her story in modern and dynamic fashion.
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/mary-a-gig-theatre-show