‘MARY DIDN'T LACK INTELLIGENCE - SHE JUST
WASN'T A GOOD POLITICIAN'
Screaming queens
Theatre editor Steve Cramer talks to Siobhan Redmond about her Queen Elizabeth in the NTS’ new version of Schiller’s Mary Stuart.
Steve Cramer l xuppoxe one of the axpeetx ot thix iie\\ l)a\ id llarrou er \ei'xion ol' the te\t that \\ e might e\peel ix a certain politiealit}.
Siobhan Redmond lt‘x not the politiex but the politieking that goex on that )ou reall_\ notiee. .-\|| thexe men are dexperate to xho\ e thexe \tomen one
ml} or another to get their own bit of the pie. rather
than for an} idea or bigger eauxe. I can‘t imagine it‘x tlll_\ different in \Vextminxter no“. beeauxe human nature doexn‘t change. In the rehearxal room \\e'\e all been talking about \xho‘x 'l‘on} Blair. (ieorge Btixh there’x e\ en one eharaeter \xho'x been compared to Robin ('ook. SC l)oex it tell ux mueh about Seottixh identit_\ ‘.’ SR l xuppoxe hixtorieall). it tellx tix that \\e Seotx xometimex ha\ e too mueh interext in biting our neighbourx. \Ve xometimex hax e more interext in xpiting eaeh other than maintaining the xtatux quo. .\lar_\ 'x noblex are like thix; the} ‘re eonxtant|_\ fighting each other. \\ hieh \\ ax dextruetn e for her. SC But there‘x more to it ax an entertainment than the PUIIIIC\ . . . SR l \\;l.x xtruek b_\ hoxx mueh iii a thriller it ix. \Ve kiioxx \xhat happenx to Mar}; we all kno\\ that the end ix not going to be a happ_\ one for her. But it'x lkixeiiigitiiig the \\a) the aetion \xorkx. There are double agentx in the pieee. and there ix thix horrible xenxe of aeeumulation \\ here nothing ix xet in xtone at the beginning. 'l‘hingx xaid and done \xhieh don‘t xeem important at the time lead to thix logie. \xhere her end hax to happen to her. .-\nd it'x all done \xith thix inexmerixing rhythm. SC The direetor. \'iek} I5eatherxtone. I underxtand. \xantx the pieee. in part. to be a eharaeter xtud_\. SR I think \'iek_\ ix reall} on to xomethiiig here. .\lar_\
beeanie queen \\ hen .xhe \t'ax li\ e da_\ x old. 'l'here \\;tx
iie\ er a da} in her me when xhe \x'axn‘t eonxeioux ol‘
being queen. 'l‘hat \i'axn't Iili/abeth'x experience. lt‘x the difference betneen xomeone who \\‘Ll\ \er} beautiful. \\ ho people go toward in a \xeleoming \xa} all their li\ex. and xomeone \x'lio'x had to tight for e\er}thing. What that doex to _\'our t)\\lt eonl'idenee hax an el'leet on the amount of poo er )ou‘re gi\ en. .\Iar_\ \\ax raixed to be a queen and to be a eonxort. \\liereax. ax l.i/ l.oehhead. \\ ho ol~ eourxe \\ rote the \\ttlttlcl‘lilll Mary Queen of .S'twrx girl llt'r llt'tlt/ (‘lm/i/u't/ ()li. xaid to me. .\lar_\ knetx \\ hat it \\Lt\ like to be a queen. \x'hile Iili/abeth wanted to knoxx \\llitl it \\ ax like to be a queen and a king.
SC What do _\ou think it tellx ux about thexe \HHHL‘H. hixtorieall} '.’ Were the) reall) alike in xome \\a_\x'.’
SR \Vhere the} 're alike the} 're very alike. but \\ here theyre dil’l‘erent it'x rea||_\' ditl'erent planetx. In real life. of eourxe. lili/abeth neVer met Mar}. l xuxpeet
beeauxe xhe \\ ax too ele\ er to allou a kind ot
perxonal link to get in the \xa} of “bat xhe had to do. Mar} \\;tx aetuall) a \er} e|e\ er \xontalt. btit our dexire to make her a kind of romantie hero tendx to get in the \\a_\ of that. Her problem \xaxn‘t that xhe ltte'le‘tl lltlL‘lllg‘L‘llCC. xltc .itlxl \kaxlt‘l 1t gtltltl politician.
SC lxn‘t it intimidating to pla) a role like Iili/abeth'.’ SR Vex it ix. But l lime to tl'tlxt in Schiller. Bexidux. _\ou xhould xee in} eoxtume. it'x liantaxtief So il' I don‘t rehearxe hard I \xon’t be able to xpeak'. and the \xorxt thing about that ix not being able to \\ ear that lttl‘tlltlttx drexxl
Citizens’ Theatre, Glasgow, Fri 29 Sep-Sat 14 Oct, then touring.
Tutti Frutti John Byrrrtr's; cult TV classic is turned into theatre for the first time under the direction of lony Cownio tor the NTS. A comedy (}X[)lt)tltttl Scottish identity through an ageing rock band on what might be its final tour, this piece is darker than you ought remember, for all its humour. King's Theatre, Edinburgh, ltlt,’ 3—Sat 7 Oct
Mary Stuart Followuig the storming success of their festival, there's no shortage of anticipation about this; latest N l’S production. Vicky Featherstone's production of Schiller's Mary Stuart in this version by Davrd Harrower looks set to examine Scottish histOry through perhaps its best known international dramatisation. Citizens Merit/t). Glasgow, Fri 29 Sop—Sat M Oct, then touring
Julie Strindberg‘s dark study of sexual and class repressmn is explored here through a Scottish l_)(3fSi)OCll‘/OS in the 19208. Zinnie Harris' tense and atmospheric production features outstanding performances from its three strong cast. Tour/rig
~ The Merchant of Venice Jimmy Chisholm leads as good a cast as you're likely to see on a Scottish stage this Side of Christmas in Mark Thompson's production of one of Shakespeare's most problematical plays. His Shylock should be one of many highlights. Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, Fri 22 Sep—Sat 27 Oct
'. Spend a Penny A night of mixed monologues. performed one to one in the toilet cubicles of the Arches club. this promises a night of very different entertainment. Arches. Glasgow. Tue 26 Sep-Sat 7 Oct.
' THE LIST 81