Review: James IV - Queen Of The Fight
“I don’t know anything about this history”
As the most frequent words heard by Rona Munro about the James Plays, the playwright pursues an admirable ambition to dramatise Scotland’s history by writing plays covering the entirety of the Stewart rule in Scotland…to replicate what Shakespeare did for England: make invisible history visible.
Set in the 16th century, Raw Material & Capital Theatre’s James IV - Queen Of The Fight begins with the imminent arrival of the king and his new wife, Margaret Tudor. The court is on edge since much depends on this contract between Scotland and England. Above all, people must be present and correct. For Dame Phemy, the queen’s hardened attendant, this is an inopportune moment for the unexpected arrival of two Moorish women from Bilbao, Anne and Ellen. Whilst she finds use for the former as a maid to Margaret, she has no use at all for the latter. Ellen, separated from Anne, is now in a precipitous position and seeks the help of makar William Dunbar by becoming an entertainer. She learns fast the local lingo (een, neb, lug, oxter).
In the hope of putting Scotland on the map, James IV’s court looks to Europe. “This is a place of peace” he declares as he welcomes Donald, son of the Lord of The isles (an historical relationship hitherto troubled). It is in this environment where we hear poetry and song and Spanish and French, and Scots, Gaelic, English. The play handles these transitions admirably whilst maintaining the mystery of communication between monolingual peoples. Being an entertainer, it is not long before Ellen comes to the attention of James who is frustrated by Margaret’s childlike petulant manner. Throughout the play, set showpieces enact the tensions lying underneath - hairline cracks patterning the wafer-thin diplomacy. It is within one of these enactments that Margaret employs Dunbar to perform a derogatory poem: Ane Blak Moir (A Black Moor). It is a chilling moment. These enactments are entertaining and the fight scenes are truly impressive yet there is something about their use throughout which slightly detracts from the overarching narrative. It does hold together but there are moments where you feel the thread might just slip your grasp.
The set-design perfectly conjures the era and the scenes transition fluently from one to the next. Early on, when Margaret discovers she is pregnant, the bed is mesmerically made, undone, remade, undone to a choreography depicting nothing more than the sun rinsing and setting; thus realising her full term. This illusory portrayal serves to remind us how transitory life is. Daniel Cahill is excellent as James capturing, cheek by jowl, the sensitivity and masculinity of the king. Keith Fleming deftly portrays the pleasing yet mercenary nature of the makar. Like King Lear’s fool, you can’t altogether trust him (however much you may wish to). Blythe Duff brilliantly and singularly brings to the court the realities of 16th century Scotland: pleasantries are all very well, but the politics of life and death are never far away. Laura Lovemore delicately walks the line of a society lady (Anne), who herself must wait on the queen. However, the standout performance is Danielle Jam’s Ellen: a portrayal of a person ever teetering on the edge of civil society: the height she might fall is greater than life itself.
James IV - Queen Of The Fight is a majestic piece of theatre, a spectacle to behold that leaves a song in your heart. I am mighty glad there is someone as brave and as bold as Munro willing to take on the mantel of telling the people of Scotland the story of this land. Mibbe we’ll ken oorsels better…
James IV - Queen Of The Flight was performed 18th-22nd Oct at Dundee Rep.