Dario Fo's portrait of Elizabeth I is a history lesson on drugs. The Virgin Queen's life is remarkable enough - having ordered the execution of her Catholic half-sister, Mary Queen of Scots, England was surrounded by hostile neighbours and her rule threatened by a plot led by Robert, Duke of Essex, whom she loved.
If you thought the Elizabeth of Blackadder was extreme, here we see her as a moody, manipulative, foul-mouthed, incontinent hermaphrodite who is on the verge of insanity. Obsessed by sex and her love for Robert, she is desperate to improve her looks which were spoilt by smallpox and lead poisoning. Her witch, the Geordie-accented word-mangling Dame Gross Lady, applies bee stings to her breasts so they swell, but unfortunately she is left lobsided when the bee dies before it can do the other side.
Elizabeth is convinced that Shakespeare's Hamlet is a parody of her with the intention of undermining her authority. The parallels are striking particularly as her love for Robert means that she constantly hesitates in taking action against the rebellion. However, we see her is many other roles - as Lady Macbeth or as Edmund in King Lear, as an isolated monomaniac leader like Thatcher, as a hyper-sincere Blair whose only failing was to be misled by poor intelligence.
This superb translation from the original Italian adds more humour and the whole play is carried by the excellent acting. All the characters are played by men - Patrick May is convincingly neurotic as Elizabeth while Paul Hamilton's long face and contorted expressions as Dame Gross Lady reflect the Queen's mood changes.
If the play has a failing, it is in the second half as the comedy starts to go stale and Elizabeth's final monologue loses the audience. Despite that, this production by the Belfast-based Kabosh Theatre is an engaging and mind-blowing experience that will change the way you look at history.
Other reviews by Adrian
We have a favour to ask
LeftLion is Nottingham’s meeting point for information about what’s going on in our city, from the established organisations to the grassroots. We want to keep what we do free to all to access, but increasingly we are relying on revenue from our readers to continue. Can you spare a few quid each month to support us?
