Review: Mary Stuart at Clwyd Theatr Cymru in Mold

May 16 2009 by Michael Green, Chester Chronicle

MARY STUART/Anthony Hopkins Theatre, Clwyd Theatr Cymru, Mold, until May 30

REVIEW/by Michael Green

THERE are a number of powerful actors forming part of the cast of Mary Stuart but despite their often imposing presence this is a production utterly dominated by the performances of two women.

Marina Hands as Mary Stuart and Claire Price as Elizabeth I show no mercy to their male colleagues with their sheer charisma and the help of a series of verbose speeches.

At first those speeches - translated by Mike Poulton in this new version of Friedrich Schiller’s 1800 play - look set to be the production’s undoing.

There’s nothing wrong with a decent soliloquoy, as any admirer of Shakespeare would agree, but the lengthy solo speeches in the first part of Mary Stuart tend to be delivered, as if from a soapbox, in front of a stage full of characters.

Hands kicks things off with an expository account of Mary’s life to date which may be useful to non-history scholars but seems a little odd when she is surrounded by people who are obviously fully aware of her background.

When Elizabeth similarly indulges herself, there is a danger of entering the realms of the absurd - Steffan Rhodri as the Earl of Leicester must have ten minutes on stage before he gets to say a word!

Thankfully, the production really hits its stride during Schiller’s greatest historical liberty when he brings together the two women who held the fate of 16th century England in their hands - an encounter which never actually happened.

After a cautious start, the showdown between Mary and Elizabeth gloriously degenerates into the verbal equivalent of a cat fight and you find yourself lapping up every minute!

In spite of this, my own personal highlight came near the start of the second half when it would appear Elizabeth’s devilishly scheming adviser Lord Burghley (the ever formidable Owen Teale, sparingly but brilliantly used by director Terry Hands) has finally usurped Leicester in the Queen’s favour.

Burghley has shown Elizabeth a letter which indicates her lover Leicester’s support for Mary and the Earl appears doomed. But when Leicester bursts into the monarch’s presence, he not only expertly talks his way out of danger but humiliates Burghley into the bargain. Rhodri’s forceful approach to the scene makes it compelling and convincing.

Otherwise, though, this is all about the women and it is impossible to praise the two central performances too highly as the actresses make the most of the sharp contrasts between Mary and Elizabeth.

Marina Hands - the director’s daughter - is breathtaking as Mary and you really believe this is a woman strong men would risk everything to try to save. The actress’ Anglo-French accent and extraordinary beauty bring an other-worldly, almost supernatural quality to the character even though she is the one who has disastrously succumbed to earthly passions in the past.

Ironically, it is the larger than life Elizabeth who seems more down to earth and grounded in reality, despite the infuriatingly vaccillating nature of the woman whose inner turmoil over the fate of her half-sister is admirably conveyed by Price.

Possibly her finest moment comes in the scene with her unfortunate servant Davison (Guy Lewis) where, having signed Mary’s death warrant, she contrives to leave its fate in the hands of a lowly subject and therefore feels absolved of all responsibility!

Finally, though, one must pay tribute to Terry Hands himself whose directorial flourishes add to much to this interpretation of a key moment in the history of the Tudor dynasty.

Whether it is shrouding Mary’s opening scene in darkness to contrast with the blinding light of Elizabeth’s entrance, or leaving Elizabeth centrestage and by herself in the final moment, alone but defiantly regal, this is another landmark in his glittering career at Mold.