The Gamm’s ‘King Elizabeth’ is revisionist history at its finest
PAWTUCKET — British history is being revisited brilliantly at The Gamm Theatre with the season-concluding production, “King Elizabeth.”
The facts on which the play is based are dramatic in their own right, but this adaptation by Tony Estrella, The Gamm’s artistic director, of Friedrich Schiller’s play “Mary Stuart,” turns history into edge-of-your-seat theater.
Then, finely tuned performances by Jeanine Kane and Marianna Bassham as the drama’s queens grip your attention as this life-and-death saga plays out.
The story is about the rivalry between Queen Elizabeth I and her cousin, Mary Queen of Scots, for the throne of England. Elizabeth is the crowned monarch, but her reign is vulnerable to opponents who think Mary is the rightful ruler.
Mary has her own political problems, and when ousted by the Scots, she appeals to Elizabeth for protection. Instead, she is thrown in jail, allegedly on suspicion of treason but more likely because of her claim to the throne. Elizabeth is debating signing her death warrant as the play begins.
A timeline in the playbill lists the facts that are a framework for the fictionalized tale, but you don’t have to be an expert on the monarchy to follow this story of power, political intrigue and conscience. These are strong women, but undermined by men who don’t think any female is capable of governing. Stir in religion, international power struggles and even romance – both women have affection for Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester – and the plot roils.
Estrella presents the story elegantly in his adaptation, using language that has the cadence of Shakespeare but some modern phrasing. As director, he and costume designer Amanda Downing Carney dress the characters in contemporary clothes, underlining the past-is-present nature in this examination of gender and power.
Kane and Bassham are electrifying as Elizabeth and Mary, respectively. Kane is composed, with a take-charge demeanor; she’s wary of being perceived as weak, so tries to act “like a man,” referenced in the play’s title. But Kane’s performance also reveals Elizabeth’s inner conflicts.
“I was shod and bridled before I knew how to walk,” she laments of her succession to the throne, and we’re sympathetic. But we also see her hubris; she’s not about to relinquish her power.
As the imprisoned Mary, Bassham is passionate and heartbreaking as her hopes rise and fall over the course of the play. Stripped of her possessions and her dignity, there still remains a limit to how much groveling she can do, even to save her life.
These are complex women played by gifted actors, and an imagined face-off, where they confront one another, is authentic in every emotion.
The supporting cast is just as authentic, from Richard Noble as thoughtful Sir Amyas Paulet, who accepts his assignment as Mary’s jailer and de facto protector out of a sense of duty, to Cliff Odle as the frighteningly inflexible Lord Burleigh, adviser to Elizabeth. As Leicester, Justin Blanchard is believable in his affections for both queens and in his own use of “alternate facts” to explain his divided loyalties.
Worth talking about is Estrella’s decision to cast Davison, Elizabeth’s secretary, as a woman. Hers is a sort of middle-management position, a dangerous place where she can be made the scapegoat if things go wrong. In Schiller’s play, the character was male, and from here, Estrella’s casting seems to reflect less on the 15th century and more on the 21st. It’s an interesting sidebar in a compelling production.
Performances of “King Elizabeth” continue through May 28 at The Gamm Theatre, 172 Exchange St. Tickets are $44 and $52; call 401-7234266 or order online at