Mary Queen of Scots lived her last weeks in a world of fantasy. Although her cousin Queen Elizabeth I had imprisoned her for 19 years, Mary famously hoped for support from the English throne - a hope that sat childishly and uneasily with her other dream that one day, she herself might be ruler of England.
The poet Glyn Maxwell has focused on the illusory aspect of Mary's final weeks, at the same time as emphasising the seductive powers of her character. Far from embodying the Machiavellian sensibilities necessary to survive in a world monitored by Elizabeth's powerful spies, Mary woos support with a notknowing-enough charm, and Paul Garrington's production demonstrates how her naivety proves to be an important factor in her betrayal by those she thinks closest to her.
The microscopic stage at the Hen and Chickens serves well to suggest the cramped conditions in which Elizabeth made Mary live a decidedly non-regal lifestyle. Stage designer Nicky Shaw has created the illusion of rain pouring down outside the tiny window, inducing a sense of claustrophobia, and bringing out the humour in Mary's observation: "Have you thought/our rooms get smaller? So it looked to you/but it's us, Claude, we're growing."
As Mary, Felicity Wren exudes a luminosity and charming arrogance which makes it possible to see why even the agents of Queen Elizabeth's chief spymaster Francis Walsingham felt compromised in condemning her.
However, her performance is not quite nuanced enough to bring out every aspect of Mary's mercurial character, and this combined with strong, but slightly solid, performances from the rest of the cast means the evening often feels like hard work.
Maxwell's linguistic subtleties and thorough research have led to a drama that feels ultimately worthwhile, if a little slow-moving. This production needs to relax, however, to reach its full potential.
The Lifeblood
