Mary: A Gig Theatre Show Review
Written by Jacqueline for Theatre and Tonic.
This Fringe, Edinburgh has hosted two musicals about Mary, Queen of Scots. Last week, Mary: A Gig Theatre Show played an entirely sold out run at TheSpace- but did it leave the crowds wanting more? This show is a retelling of Mary’s life story using an amalgamation of spoken word poetry and original music. Performed by a live actor-muso band, this show explores the treatment of Mary herself, both throughout history and through the modern lens.
Mary: A Gig Theatre Show has been a long time in the making, with its premiere in 2022 and being performed at numerous other venues in the lead up to this year’s Fringe. First and foremost I need to give kudos to Rona Johnston who both wrote and co-produced the show as well as playing Mary Stuart herself. Rona’s performance was heartfelt, powerful and passionate. Through her performance, I could truly feel the anguish of Mary and the situations that she was facing. The show was cleverly framed with reflections on how modern-day historians view Mary’s plight, as well as questioning whether or not things have truly progressed for women in modern society.
Another aspect of the show that I particularly enjoyed were the ensemble of actor-musicians. These performers were introduced as Mary‘s ladies and waiting, all of whom recalled Mary. Each of the performers had their own moments to be introduced and to shine. These were Hester Irving on violin, Laura Coull on bass and drums, Alli von Hirschberg on lead guitar, both Jodie Kirkwood and Izzie Atkinson on vocals. When a show is based around one central character the ensemble can sometimes be overlooked in favour of the lead, but it was apparent that the team behind Mary: A Gig Theatre Show, especially director Katie Slater, truly value each and every one of their performers.
The music for this production was simply beautiful, as well as the spoken word poetry which did well to capture the sincerity of the quieter moments. Every song served a clear purpose in this 50-minute production and it felt as though the show were over in the blink of an eye. It is crucial to acknowledge how difficult it is to encapsulate the entire life story of of a historical figure in such a short space of time. Mary: A Gig Theatre Show does this impeccably well, and I also appreciate that this production does not rely on the audience members having a prior understanding of Scottish history to be able to enjoy the show. Having said that, the exposition is incorporated seamlessly into the show- meaning that at no point does it feel like a lecture or a dump of information. Therefore, I can see this production doing very well if it were to travel to other parts of the UK, or potentially further afield.
Mary: A Gig Theatre Show has firmly secured itself as my favourite show of the 2024 Fringe so far. Strong performers, stunning music and beautiful storytelling come together impeccably to tell Mary’s story and to do her justice where many historians have failed in the past. I’m certain that we have not seen the last of this show.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
