RSC presents Queen Anne Review

The Royal Shakespeare Company is currently performing Queen Anne at the Royal Haymarket Theatre. Queen Anne follows the Anne from her Coronation as Queen to her death in 1707. Little is known about Anne and the play aims to give you more insight into this great Monarch. It succeeds with humour, romance, jealously, political satire and drama.

Anne (played by Emma Cunniffe) was plagued by ill health throughout her life. From her thirties, she grew increasingly lame and obese. Props go out to the costume designers and makeup artists who have created special effects to showcase Anne’s illnesses. Despite seventeen pregnancies by her husband, Prince George Of Denmark, she died without any surviving children and was the last monarch of the House of Stuart. Despite the tragedies in her life, Queen Anne achieved a great deal of her life. She stopped wars and united scotland, Ireland and England. Pretty impressive for a woman who was said to not understand politics and was gravely ill the majority of her life. It is truly in the way that Emma portrays Anne that you can imagine being there while she struggles with the political and spiritual issues in her life and in her friendship with Sarah Churchill.

Sarah is portrayed wickedly by Romola Garai and she helps showcase the somewhat scandalous friendship which turns sour due to political differences. Occasionally stumbling on her words (not surprising with the lengthy dialogue and stage time she has), Romola was quick to recover and her grief stricken performance as Sarah after the death of her son was touching.

While certainly during the time of Anne’s reign, politics were present but at times this play becomes too political. Several nods seems to be about how bad the Wiggs (a historical Labor Party perhaps) and how the Tory’s had England’s best interests at heart. How interesting that not much has changed in over 310 years…

It’s not often that a historical play catches my imagination and wants me learning more about the characters portrayed on stage.Helen Mundson’s Queen Anne has done that for me. We give this play 3 stars. Visit http://www.theatreroyalhaymarket.co.uk/Queen-Anne.html to find out more information about the play and to book tickets.

Reporter: Tegan LeBon