Edward II: Christopher Marlow, RSC @ The Swan, Stratford Upon AvonRuns: 1h 40m, no interval, till 05/04/25, 3****Review: Roderick Dungate, AD Performance, 15 March 2025.

Photo Credit: Helen Murray.

Edward II: Christopher Marlow

RSC @ The Swan, Stratford Upon Avon

Runs: 1h 40m, no interval, till 05/04/25

3****

Review: Roderick Dungate, AD Performance, 15 March 2025.

“Bold, but bruised.”

A glance at the programme before the performance tells us that this is a celebration of Marlowe’s poetry, it also tells us that the play’s running time is to be reduced to 1h 40m from the usual 3h. These two statements would seem to be contradictory; and so it proves as this pudding is consumed.

Director, Daniel Raggett focuses his interpretation around the relationship between Edward II and his lover Gaveston. This is a valid choice; Gaveston was around 10 years dead by the time the play takes place. So Marlowe was also, not surprisingly, fascinated by this. Marlowe was also interested in the power play of the characters; one of the main reasons the nobles hated Gaveston was his, as they saw it, improper influence over Edward.

Raggett has created a problem for himself. In stripping away so much of the play, not only is much of the poetry gone, but so, also, is the ability to explore the relationship between Edward and Gaveston in context.

Edward is seen as little better than petulant while Gaveston is seen as a greedy homosexual, in it for the money and supported by two bits of rough, Spencer and Baldock. All characters grow in dignity but, because of the slimmed down text, none has the chance to share their journey. Moreover, when they reach their journey’s end, we have rather given up on them.

The production is not without strengths, though. The last third, where there is fuller use of the text, the play has chance to breathe. And the actors chance to show us what they can do.

Gaveston’s (Eloka Ivo) torture and death is beautifully staged. Ivo cannot, due to the slimming down of the text, create a whole character, but his performance, his anguish, is truly powerful.

As Edward, Daniel Evans faces similar difficulties. However, all his scenes after Gaveston’s death, are played with huge dignity. His dreadful torture, as created by Marlowe, is truly vile, and we pity the man inside this humiliated king.

Raggett has a good eye for strong stage images and for exciting moments. However, moments need to add up to a whole, which they don’t, and the final image, while powerful, cannot be justified by all that has preceded it.

It is a great delight to add a note about the audio description. There is a complex soundscape for this production, sometimes loud. However, there is no moment at all when the AD was overpowered by this, every word crystal clear.

Cast

King Edward II – Daniel Evans

Gaveston – Eloka Ivo

Isabella – Ruta Gedmintas

Prince Edward – Freddie Beck/Joel Tennant/Zak Walker

Kent – Henry Pettigrew

Mortimer – Enzo Cilenti

Lancaster – Evan Milton

Warwick – Geoffrey Lumb

Pembroke- Emilio Doorgasingh

Spencer – Stavros Demetraki

Balcock – Kwaku Mills

Lightborn – Jacob James Bewsick

Archbishop of Canterbury – James Hayes

Bishop of Coventry – Christopher Patrick Nolan

Ensemble – Michael Cusick/Amy Dunn/Joseph Rowe/Neil Sheffield

Creatives

Director – Daniel Raggett

Sets & Costumes – Leslie Travers

Lighting – Tim Lutkin

Composer Tommy Reilly

Sound – Tingying Dong

Audio Describers – Julia Grundy/Ellie Packer