Do3: 23 Sept - Schiller, Mary Stuart, 8.30pm

[french frank]

"One of European theatre's major plays, Friedrich Schiller's Mary Stuart is a thrilling account of the extraordinary relationship between England's Elizabeth I and her rival cousin, the imprisoned Queen of Scots. David Harrower is one of the most attuned, most talented playwrights working in Britain today. This is the second in Drama on 3's series of classic and new plays that portray the ruthlessness and uncertainties of absolute power."

Cast and more details.

NB This is a "version" by David Harrower - I'm a bit wary about the fact that there's more information about Harrower, nothing at all about Schiller. Is it a 'classic play' or a 'new play'?

[aeolium]

I think it's more likely to be a translation of Schiller's play rather than a new play ("version" here standing for translation) - it does say that Harrower has translated Brecht inter alia.

Although I'm delighted to see this work (assuming it is Schiller's) get an airing, I'd question that this was a play that illustrated the "ruthlessness and uncertainties of absolute power". I don't think Schiller makes Elizabeth out to be ruthless, and did she really have anything like absolute power at the time - her hold on the throne still somewhat precarious having somehow survived the nightmare of Mary's reign, being a Protestant monarch in a Europe where the great powers were Catholic and either implicitly or explicitly hostile (as the later Spanish invasion attempt showed)?

[Angle]

Radio 4 did a super production of this play in 1987 :

Mary Stuart
Friedrich von Schiller
Translated in 1959 by Stephen ?

Hannah Gordon ...... Mary Stuart Queen of Scots a Prisoner in England
Barbara Jefford ...... Elizabeth Queen of England
Jack Klaff ...... Robert Dudley Earl of Leicester
Mary Riggins ...... Hannah Kennedy Mary's Nurse
Alan Dudley ...... William Cecil Lord Burleigh Lord High Treasurer
David Goodland ...... Sir Amias Paulet Keeper of Mary
David Garth ...... George Talbot Earl of Shrewsbury
Anthony Edridge ...... Sir Edward Mortimer Paulet's Nephew
John Sampson ...... Sir William Davison Secretary of State
Gordon Reid ...... Sir Andrew Melvil Mary's House Steward
John Baddeley ...... Sir Drue Drury another Keeper of Mary
Simon Cuff ...... Count L'Aubespine the French Ambassador
Steve Hodson ...... Count Bellievre Envoy Extraordinary from France
Paul Gregory ...... Earl of Kent
Emily Richard ...... The Maid Servant.

The Lutenist was Christopher Wilson

Directed by David Johnston

Radio 4: The Monday Play

30 November 1987


It's a case of "we shall see" whether or not this new production is up to standard.

[Bryn]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Schillers-Mary-Stuart-version-Harrower/dp/0571236189/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1348005677&sr=1-1#reader_0571236189

[gurnemanz]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Schillers-Ma...der_0571236189

The excellent Donmar production a few years ago was also a new translation.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mary-Stuart-Oberon-Classic-Plays/dp/1840025794/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348009360&sr=8-1

[Russ]

Terrific production I thought. The script was perfectly clear (I am not familiar with the original Schiller, but I suspect this was very close to it) and the performances were uniformly excellent, with good differentiation of the voices. Simple but superb sound production, with the actors just the right distance from the mikes to give the radio medium the intimacy it needs (unlike last week's somewhat undisciplined shouting match of Tamburlaine.)

Russ

[aeolium]

Yes, I thought this was better than the Tamburlaine last week, with good performances and a good pace to the drama. The only thing I would say is that it was a translation and adaptation that was intended to emphasise the drama and not the poetry of Schiller's work. There were a lot of cuts (I gave up trying to follow it on an e-text) and few long speeches unlike in the original. I'd like to hear a version which brought out the poetry more as that is one means through which Schiller explores the psychology of the characters. I thought it showed Elisabeth almost as hemmed in by her concern to preserve at least the image of honour as Mary was physically hemmed in by her prison, even to the extent of absolving herself from responsibility for Mary's death.