Edward II, Swan Theatre Stratford-upon-Avon Review
Written by Jasmine for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
This production contains scenes of a sexual nature, including nudity. Parental discretion is required. This production features: Loud music, stage blood and stage smoke/haze
Coming to see this show I was aware of some of its history and its reputation, but I was unprepared for how shocking it remains to watch. Daniel Raggett’s production of Marlowe’s Edward II, starring co-artistic director Daniel Evans, reminds us why tragedy is so much more powerful when it is live; because you cannot turn away.
What I came away feeling most of all was how important, how pertinent, this show feels to today’s political climate. Raggett’s production highlights how those in power can leverage outdated ideas against a vulnerable minority, and how giving even an inch to that kind of prejudice inevitably empowers the worst people in society, leading to terrible violence. In short, Edward II is a tragedy where a few prejudicial words, a bit of pinning it on the status quo - saying ‘I don’t mind it, but I just think ‘x’ doesn’t belong in ‘y’…’, can quickly lead to horrifying violence and abuses of power which appal even those who aided and abetted it. With the increasingly normalised transphobia, classism, racism and xenophobia of the past few years, it is important to have shows which remind us where that leads, and where that has always led. If Marlowe can work that out 400 years ago, we could do well to remember it now.
Even a King is not safe when hatred is allowed to grow, and Evans portrays his downfall with a vulnerability and openness that is impossible not to root for. He seems to understand that the heart of his character is his honesty - he refuses to deny what he knows to be right; his love for Gaveston, played by Eloka Ivo. The King simply asks not to be required to be miserable simply because he loves someone the court does not accept - not only because it they are both men, but because Gaveston is not from their background.
This element of the play is really effectively highlighted by Raggett’s production, and Ivo’s performance is so likeable because he is so unlike the cold aristocrats he finds himself among; he is fun, loving, open, and eloquent. His refusal to be shamed or belittled by these scheming courtiers makes him all the more admirable - I could have cheered when he said “ I respect neither their love nor hate.” Similarly, Gaveston’s entourage, Spencer and Baldock, played by Stavros Demetraki and Kwaku Mills, feel and are dressed, by Leslie Travers, to look like they belong in modern East London - they felt like people I know, would actually hang out with, far more than any of the nobles do. It is clear that Edward II feels much the same, and must be punished for it. Their moments bring light to this heavy play, never more so than in the hope for change they display when they come to the court, and it is so sad to see that hope fade in the face of an outdated nobility. Much like a few years ago, when everyone felt fairly confident that the world was moving forward, changing for the better - these characters all begin the play thinking they are safe, that the power that once persecuted them now protects them. They are proven wrong.
The nobility, on the other hand, begin the play fixed in their idea of what the world will be and entirely unwilling to shift their view. In a large group of characters who essentially represent the villains of the show it would be easy for them to all seem to hit the same note, but each of the actors brings the individuality of their character out brilliantly. So much of the emotional impact of the show comes from seeing how they change, and every single member of the cast was so strong that it is impossible to say enough about it in this review. You will come away feeling that each and every one of them created a memorable and moving rendition of their character.
It was Enzo Cilenti’s Mortimer and Ruta Gedmintas’s Queen Isabella however that were the most shocking - without giving away too much, the gradual escalation of the show’s tragedy is intensely felt in the change in their characters - they feel like complex and unpredictable people, adding real nuance to their stories.
It would be completely remiss of me not to say that the grandeur and impact of this production is elevated by Leslie Travers’ incredible set and costume, and the way Tim Rutkin’s lighting design and Tommy Reilly’s composition brings it to life. You have the pre-show opportunity to process past the late King’s coffin, in a scene almost identical to that of the famous queue following the Queen’s passing a couple of years ago. Once the show begins scale of the stage feels suddenly absolutely huge, stretching back behind the traverse stage which hosts much of the action. It works so brilliantly when you have action happening in multiple places at once, giving you the sense of how the court are all observing each other even in private moments. Through sudden bright lights, moving stages, and a rock-tinged soundtrack, the space can change in an instant, feeling imposing, unpredictable, and often very threatening.
If you want a short bottom line for this very long review, this production is not one to be missed, because its story still feels like an urgent warning today. Every member of this team has done an incredible job uniting every element of the production to maximise the impact of that warning. This Edward II really understands that, and never fails to remind us that everyone, even its villains, is only human - not unusually good or unusually bad, and capable of terrible things when they go down a slippery slope of hatred.
At Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon until 5 April 2025
★★★★★
