The James Plays E-Book

Rona Munro

• Herausgeber: Nick Hern Books
• Kategorie: Poesie und Drama
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016

Beschreibung

Rona Munro's vividly imagined historical cycle brings to life three generations of Stewart kings who ruled Scotland in the tumultuous fifteenth century. James I: The Key Will Keep the Lock explores the complex character of the colourful Stewart King – poet, lover and law-maker. Captured at the age of 13 and crowned King of Scots in an English prison, James I of Scotland is delivered home 18 years later with a ransom on his head and a new English bride. The nation he returns to is poor: the royal coffers empty and his nobles ready to tear him apart at the first sign of weakness. Determined to bring the rule of law to a land riven by warring factions, James faces terrible choices if he is to save himself, his Queen and the crown. James II: Day of the Innocentsdepicts a violent royal playground from the perspective of the child King and his contemporaries, in a terrifying arena of sharp teeth and long knives. James II becomes the prize in a vicious game between Scotland's most powerful families. Crowned when only six, abandoned by his mother and separated from his sisters, the child King is little more than a puppet. There is only one friend he can trust: William, the future Earl of Douglas. As James approaches adulthood in an ever more threatening world, he must fight to keep his tenuous grip on the crown while the nightmares of his childhood rise up once more. James III: The True Mirror, like the King himself, is colourful and unpredictable, turning its attention to the women at the heart of the royal court. Charismatic, cultured, and obsessed with grandiose schemes that his nation can ill afford, James III is by turns loved and loathed. Scotland thunders dangerously close to civil war, but its future may be decided by James' resourceful and resilient wife, Queen Margaret of Denmark. Her love and clear vision can save a fragile monarchy and rescue a struggling people. Each play stands alone as a unique vision of a country tussling with its past and future; viewed together the cycle creates an intricate and compelling narrative on Scottish culture and nationhood, full of playful wit and boisterous theatricality. The James Plays premiered at the Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, in August 2014 as part of the Edinburgh International Festival, before transferring to the National Theatre, London. The original three-play cycle was named Best New Play at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards 2014.

Leseprobe

Rona Munro

THE JAMES PLAYS

NICK HERN BOOKS

London

www.nickhernbooks.co.uk

Contents

Introduction by Rona Munro

Acknowledgements

Original Production Details

James I: The Key Will Keep the Lock

James II: Day of the Innocents

James III: The True Mirror

About the Author

Copyright and Performing Rights Information

Introduction

Rona Munro

The process of writing these plays has been long (though not as long as you might suppose) and, at the time of writing this introduction, it’s ongoing. I am currently in rehearsal with the most extraordinary company of actors in the longest, most challenging, most terrifying and most exhilarating rehearsal process I have ever experienced.

I’ve long had the ambition to write on this scale. However, having the ambition is one thing. You also need the ability and the opportunity. It’s an unfortunate fact that very few contemporary playwrights get the writing commissions that allow them to develop the ability to write on a large scale, still fewer get the opportunities thereafter.

If you enjoy these plays at all you should understand that I owe a debt to a series of theatre companies and other organisations who support and develop new writing for the stage and who have allowed me to grow to the point where I felt able to go for the big dream.

These plays are set within a period of Scottish history which is virtually unknown. I feel a certain responsibility, therefore, to alert you to the fact that some small liberties have been taken with known events in order to serve our stories.

Certain characters represent amalgamations of many characters or stand for political forces within Scotland. Certain events have had their timelines altered to maximise the drama.

However, as far as narrative imperatives allow, I’ve followed history and used primary sources.

We cannot know the character and thoughts of these dead kings and queens and long-gone Scots. We can speculate a whole series of possibilities from the few hard facts we can rely on, the slim historical evidence of their actions. However, I feel robustly certain that whatever their thoughts and feelings might have been, human nature is exactly the same now as it was then. Only culture and circumstances have changed.

I’ve translated and used words from the fifteenth century within the plays, so you’ll read songs with lyrics taken from The Kingis Quair, the love poem written by James I himself. There are versions of work by the wonderful poet Robert Henryson and of anonymous authors whose words have still come down to us.

If any ghosts are offended by my appropriation and free interpretation of their work, I hope they’ll still appreciate the wider publicity.

In the delightful possibility that you are reading these plays with the view to giving them further production, here are some guidelines and warnings. All stage directions are suggestions only, you can take enormous liberties with those and emerge unscathed.

Lines are very definitely not, tweak at your peril, you’ll find you’re pulling on a thread that could unravel all your plans.

Various solutions were found to represent some large moments and staging problems which are quite baldly stated in the text.

The rhythm and language of the dialogue is contemporary Scots. Apart from Joan and Henry V in The Key Will Keep the Lock and Margaret in The True Mirror, all characters are speaking Scots.

Acknowledgements

A work on this scale requires a list of itemised gratitude that would run to another three volumes. However, there are some thank-yous which simply have to be immortalised in print.

For not only encouraging the original idea but taking the reckless step of commissioning all three plays at once, a huge thank-you to Vicky Featherstone.

For endless patience, quiet wisdom and encouragement and nurturing of all kinds, George Aza-Selinger.

For many things but chiefly for the solid help that actually kept me afloat at the moment of greatest need, Caroline Newall.

For providing the best writing environment I have ever had, huge thanks to Julian Forrester and all the staff at Cove Park, these plays could not have been completed in this timescale without that refuge.

To Linda McLean and John Ferris for providing me with another calm refuge at times of personal and professional need, as well as the best support friends could ever offer an overwrought writer.

To Dr Michael Brown and Dr Christine McGladdery for their tolerance of every liberty I’ve taken with ‘their’ kings and all their help and support.

To the most amazing company of actors I could ever have imagined, they shaped this text, you did the impossible, guys, and you did it with style – Cameron Barnes, Daniel Cahill, Ali Craig, Blythe Duff, Nick Elliott, Peter Forbes, Andrew Fraser Sofie Gråbøl, Sarah Higgins, Stephanie Hyam, Gordon Kennedy, Alasdair Macrae, David Mara, Beth Marshall, James McArdle, Rona Morison, Andrew Rothney, Mark Rowley, Jamie Sives and Fiona Wood.

A massive thank-you also goes to the actors who contributed to three development workshops, one for each play. Emun Elliott, Lex Shrapnel, Billy Riddoch, Phil Cairns, Lorraine McIntosh, Karen Fishwick, Jessica Clark, Rodney Matthew, Keith McPherson, Liam Brennan, Deirdre Davis, Ruth Milne, James Rottger, Joanne McGuinness, Joe McFadden, Sam Heughan, Stuart Martin and Emma Hamilton.

Everyone in the huge list of creatives, stage management, administrators, publicity, casting and support of all kinds who brought their talent and more to the monumental task of these plays’ first production.

And a thank-you too large to ever be adequately expressed anywhere, in any way, to Laurie Sansom. This was insane and it was impossible. Thank you for embracing the insanity. Thank you for making it work.

R.M.

The James Plays comprising James I: The Key Will Keep the Lock, James II: Day of the Innocents, and James III: The True Mirror were revived at the Festival Theatre Edinburgh on 6 February 2016, prior to a UK and international tour.

The James Plays is a co-production between the National Theatre of Scotland, Edinburgh International Festival and the National Theatre of Great Britain.

DirectorLaurie SansomSet and Costume DesignerJon BausorLighting DesignerPhilip GladwellMovement DirectorNeil BettlesOriginal Sound DesignerChristopher Shutt(James I & II)Sound Designers for 2016 revival of James IIChristopher Shutt & Nick SagarSound Designer (James III)Nick SagarComposer (James I & II)Paul Leonard-MorganComposer (James III)Will GregoryFight DirectorsRuth Cooper-BrownRachel Bown-Williams of RC Annie LtdAssociate DirectorLuke KernaghanAssociate Set and Costume DesignerJean ChanAssociate Lighting DesignerRob CaseySound AssociateNick Sagar(James I & James II)Sound AssociateKevin MurrayMusical DirectorAlasdair MacraeAssistant DirectorCaitlin SkinnerCasting DirectorLaura Donnelly

‘Robin’ composed by Will Gregory and Alasdair Macrae

Pre-show arrangements, additional arranging and hammered dulcimer by Alasdair Macrae

Additional piping arrangements by Cameron Barnes

Additional voice work by Ros Steen

JAMES I

JAMES II

JAMES III

Rosemary Boyle

Joan, anEnglish noblewoman, later wife to James I

Joan, mother to James IIMary, wife to James II

Ensemble

Daniel Cahill

Alisdair Stewart

Earl of Douglas

Jamie, eldest son of James and Margaret

Ali Craig

Big James Stewart

Ensemble/Hume

John, Head of the Privy Council

Malin Crépin

Margaret, Queen of Scots

Blythe Duff

Isabella Stewart, Regent Consort

Isabella Stewart

Annabella, the King’s aunt

Nicholas Elliott

Ensemble

John Stewart, a Scottish lord

Ensemble

Peter Forbes

Balvenie, of the Douglas family

Balvenie, of the Douglas family

Andrew Fraser

Ensemble

Davey Douglas, the Earl’syounger brother

Ramsay, the King’s personal servant

Dani Heron

Ensemble

Annabella, the King’s sister

Phemy, a lady of the court

Brian James O’Sullivan

Ensemble

Ensemble

Tam, a member of the household/ Musician

Sian Mannifield

Ensemble

Ensemble

Ensemble

David Mara

Ensemble

Crichton, Earl and Keeper of Edinburgh Castle

Ensemble/Musician

Steven Miller

James I

Ensemble

Sandy, the King’syounger brother

Calum Morrison

Ensemble/Musician

Ensemble/Musician

Ensemble/Musician

Matthew Pidgeon

Henry V, King of England

James III

Sally Reid

Meg, a lady of the Scottish court

Meg, a lady of the Scottish court

Ensemble

Andrew Rothney

Walter Stewart

James II

Cochrane, a lord of the court

John Stahl

Murdac Stewart, Regent of Scotland

Livingston, Earl and Keeper of Stirling Castle

Andrew Still

Ensemble

William Douglas, Balvenie’s son

Ross, middle son of James III and Margaret

Fiona Wood

Ensemble

Ensemble

Daisy, a laundress

The James Plays were premiered on 10 August 2014 as part of the Edinburgh International Festival, at the Festival Theatre Edinburgh, in a co-production between the National Theatre of Scotland, the Edinburgh International Festival and the National Theatre of Great Britain. The production opened in the Olivier auditorium of the National Theatre, London, on 25 September 2014. The original ensemble was as follows:

Cameron Barnes, Daniel Cahill, Ali Craig, Blythe Duff, Nicholas Elliott, Peter Forbes, Andrew Fraser, Sofie Gråbøl, Sarah Higgins, Stephanie Hyam, Gordon Kennedy, Alasdair Macrae, David Mara, Beth Marshall, James McArdle, Rona Morison, Andrew Rothney, Mark Rowley, Jamie Sives, Fiona Wood

JAMES I

THE KEY WILL KEEP THE LOCK

Characters

JAMES I, King of Scots

JOAN, an English noblewoman, seventeen to twenty years old

MEG, a lady of the Scottish court, nineteen to twenty-two years old

MURDAC STEWART, Regent of Scotland

WALTER STEWART, a soldier and mercenary, twenty-three to twenty-six years old

ALISDAIR STEWART, a soldier and mercenary, twenty-two to twenty-five years old

BIG JAMES STEWART, a soldier and mercenary, twenty-one to twenty-four years old

ISABELLA STEWART, Regent Consort

BALVENIE, a member of the Douglas family

HENRY V, King of England, thirty-six years old

And SERVANTS, a SCRIBE, a BISHOP, LORDS and LADIES of the Scottish court, MUSICIANS, GUARDS, etc.

ACT ONE

Song.

L’homme armé doibt on douter.

On a fait partout crier

Que chascun se viengne armer

D’un haubregon de fer

L’homme armé doibt on douter.

[Fear the armed men,

They’re shouting everywhere,

Get your armour on,

Fear the armed men.]

The Edge of a Battlefield Beside a Castle

WALTER, ALISDAIR, BALVENIE and BIG JAMES are Scottish prisoners of war. They are being herded into the courtyard where an execution is being prepared. Their English captors are taunting them.

GUARD ONE. Bloody Scots!

GUARD TWO. Fucking French!

GUARD ONE. See what you’re going to get!

GUARD TWO. See what’s coming to you!

GUARD ONE grabs BALVENIE, shaking him, showing him the execution platform.

GUARD ONE. Think you’ll hear your neck snap? Do you?

BALVENIE. Oh, Mary Mother of God…

GUARD TWO. I’ll cut your throat if you like, make it quicker for you.

GUARD ONE. Fuck that, let the French-loving bastard choke.

WALTER. Christ this one’s in a right mood, Alisdair.

ALISDAIR. They’re all a wee bit tetchy, Walter.

WALTER. What’s that about do you think, Big James?

BIG JAMES. They lost.

GUARD ONE. Oh, you think? You think we lost, do you? You murdering bastard! You’re losing more than me today, you wait.

WALTER. How many English dead?

ALISDAIR (pointing out over the battlefield). They’ve barely got half the bodies buried. Smell them? Ripe English dead. Three quarters of their fucking army.

WALTER. And the rest of them ran away.

BIG JAMES. We could beat you even when we’re tied up… wanna try?

GUARD ONE. You want a fight? Is that what you want?

The GUARDS lay into ALISDAIR, WALTER, BIG JAMES and BALVENIE, who defend themselves as well as they can with bound hands. ALISDAIR, WALTER BIG JAMES , BALVENIE .