The more I saw of the James Plays trilogy, the more I liked them. Tickets, however, sold like hot cakes, so of necessity, I saw the other two before tonight's, the first of the set. They tell the story of Kings James I, II, & III of Scots. The productions are terrific - the cheap Travelex tickets might also have had some part to play in their popularity; half the tickets for each show were £15, and those were the tickets I got.
The platform indicator knew more about the train's destination tonight than did the driver - either way, it was going my way, but she thought she was going further. Until the next stop, when she announced a change of destination. Anyhoo, I arrived at the National with time to spare, and promptly wasted it by going up a flight of stairs that didn't get me where I was going. Right floor, yes - but different parts of the same floor do not connect, in this most complicated building, and I had to go all the way down again. I took a lift back up.
So I was queueing for my ticket when the two-minute warning came. Well, not much of a queue tonight at least, - and they never mean those warnings anyway - and I was soon in my seat. Further forward than the last two times, when I was in the very back row - tonight, I was second row from the front of the circle. All seats have a good view here, though.
I was curious, not only to see what it would be like, but also how it linked to the other plays. Certainly, moving back in time, the set was more sparse, the costumes more mediaeval, and generally rougher. They do say that this is the best of the three, and I think they might be right. But then, the story lends itself to it! A king, captured as a boy, grows up with the slightly older future Henry V of England, and fights with him in France, finding himself fighting his countryfolk. Henry's cousin Joan is given to him in marriage - the beautiful girl he saw from his prison room at Windsor, and about whom he wrote poetry, the Kingis Quair.
The two unsuspecting young monarchs are sent to Scotland, as lambs among wolves - James trying to assert his kingly authority against the noble families - cousins of his, indeed - who've been ruling quite well without him for nigh-on 20 years, thank you! There's even a Lady Macbeth character - his aunt, Isabella, who's gotten used to ruling and whose sons are a real danger to James.
I was looking for her.. she's imprisoned at the end of this play, and is still in prison in the next one. I figured she was a carry-over from this one. (Although, in real life, she was released after James I's death.) Other continuity links include Joan, who appears in the start of the second play, and some of whose lines there resonate in this - and mention of the rose garden James intends to plant for her. It's next mentioned in the third play.
In all, this is a dramatic, visceral, powerful historic trilogy. The opening of this first play is particularly stunning, with a dramatic dance performed to the beat of a single drum. The huge sword stuck in the corner provides a sense of continuity for all three plays, and also casts a pall over whatever is happening onstage - a constant reminder of the bloodshed that's never far away. Highly, highly recommended - although tomorrow sees the last performance of this first play, and it's sold out, as is the last performance of the third in the series. There is a matinee of the second play on Wednesday, which has limited availability.
Well, that's those seen then! Tomorrow, I'm off to The Marriage of Figaro (and some lighter subject matter) in the Coliseum. On Wednesday, I'm headed to Cadogan Hall, for Shakespeare: the Kings - so I'll be meeting Henry V again! The London Sinfonia is performing the scores of the Olivier film versions of Henry V and Richard III. With excerpts from Henry V. Stirring stuff. Sorry to be missing Hard Façade that night, though. And on Thursday, I'm off underground - under Waterloo Station, for an "immersive" ghost walk entitled Necropolis: Journey of the Dead.
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