In what is a landmark achievement for the national theaters of Scotland and Great Britain, the Edinburgh International Festival has mounted an epic trilogy of plays that are surely deserving of the highest praise. Written by Rona Munro and directed by Laurie Sansom, The James Plays— James I, James II and James III — tells the bloody and tumultuous story of the trio of kings who consecutively ruled over Scotland in the 15th century. A 20-person cast of actors, led by such stalwarts as Blythe Duff, James McCardle and Sofie Grabol, brings to life a diverse range of characters.
Jon Bausor's set and costumes, and Phillip Gladwell's lighting effects greatly enhance the violent battles for power which lie at the heart of the trilogy. Paul Leonard Morgan and Will Gregory's pounding musical score also helps drive the action forward, forcefully and relentlessly.
In the first play, subtitled “The Key Will Keep the Lock,” James I (McCardle) returns to the Scottish throne after spending eighteen years in a British prison. Opposing him are a hostile bunch of tribal chiefs who challenge his right to rule. They also give his bride Joan, a 17-year-old Englishwoman (Stephanie Hyam), an equally bad time.
The women in the trilogy are given prominence by Munro, who believes they were just as important to Scottish history as were the men. But whether writing about kings and queens, lords or laundresses, Munro's contemporary language shines and soars throughout, often touching the heart in memorable fashion (especially when James I talks about his love for Scotland).
James I (the best of the three) is about a man yearning to rule honorably and morally; James II is about a childish ruler struggling to cope with a world he little understands; James III is about an absolute fool who doesn't even want to be king.
All three plays deal with betrayal and duplicity, and seethe with regicide, matricide and homicide. There are wars and duels galore, much spilling of blood and venom by the wild, unruly, pugnacious Scots of yore. Always at the core of their ferocious battles was a craving for land. If you had land, you had money; and if you had money, you had power.
Munro does not paint a pretty picture of mankind, but it's a bold and true one, profound in thought ands flawless in execution.
