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| | | Mary review – Douglas Henshall's courtier defends a Queen in quick-fire debate | | by Arifa Akbar Nov 1, 2022 | | Hampstead theatre, London
Rona Munro’s engaging debate drama has some thrilling exchanges as three characters argue the case for and against Mary Queen of Scots The Mary of the title refers to Mary Queen of Scots, and this play is an inquisition into her moral virtues, although she never appears on stage to defend herself and judgment is cast in her silence. Three characters argue the case for or against her instead: Agnes (Rona Morison), a maid at Holyrood Palace who condemns Mary Stuart’s motives and Catholicism; Thompson (Brian Vernel), a servant with self-interested allegiances; and its central figure, Sir James Melville (Douglas Henshall), the Queen’s most loyal courtier who stands alone as the nation turns against her. At Hampstead theatre, London, until 26 November. Continue reading... | | | | | The Sleeping Sword review – Morpurgo fable transformed into scrapbook of wonder | | by Anya Ryan Nov 1, 2022 | | Watermill theatre, Newbury
Michael Morpurgo’s novel about a boy’s Arthurian adventure is inventively brought to life in an inclusive production Michael Morpurgo’s enchanting 2002 take on Arthurian legend follows 10-year-old Bun as he comes to terms with sudden blindness after a head injury. Adapted for the stage by Tatty Hennessy, this production takes the fabled charm of Morpurgo’s novel – set in Bryher in the Isles of Scilly – and pushes it further, transforming it into a sensory adventure. First we are greeted by a disembodied audiobook narrator who describes the intricacies of the baby blue bedroom set, designed by Louise Worrall. Here, Bun (Aarian Mehrabani) plans to record his own original story on a cassette, with the help of Viv (Kirsty Ferriggi), his SEN teacher, and his friend Anna (Tika Mu’Tamir). This story is a mythical journey where the happenings of Bun’s favourite book, The Legend of King Arthur, start to creep into his reality, eventually helping him to accept that his life “is only just beginning”. Continue reading... | | | | | Jason Bourne isn't a fictional CIA agent. He's real, drunk and lives in Durham | | by Stuart Heritage Nov 1, 2022 | | Surely, you thought, we’ve seen the last of the famed action star. You were wrong At this point in time, it is safe to assume that the Bourne franchise is dead in the water. After a near-perfect initial trilogy, the series began to wobble with 2012’s The Bourne Legacy, a bizarre wish-fulfilment fantasy that answered the perpetually unasked question: “What if Jason Bourne, but Hawkeye?” 2016’s Jason Bourne was an attempt to right the ship, bringing back Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass, but it floundered because it forgot to have a plot or any discernible point. There was a Bourne TV show in 2019, but since this is the first time you have actually heard of it, let’s assume it was a flop. After all these half-starts and false dawns, surely, Jason Bourne is no more. Wrong! It turns out that instead of dying, the franchise had simply gone underground. Jason Bourne, it has been revealed, is alive and well. Better still, he can often be seen around Durham. Even better still, he is apparently quite a belligerent drunk. Continue reading... | | | | | |
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