Rona Munro’s sequence of plays about Scotland’s Stewart kings was launched at the Edinburgh festival in 2014. Like its three predecessors, covering the reigns of James I, II and III, this latest uses real historic events to ask audiences to consider the nature of Scottish identity past and present. Here, the focus is on the country’s ancient racial diversities, conflicts and prejudices, delivered in a vigorously choreographed and visually impressive production from the original director-designer team: Laurie Sansom and Jon Bausor, respectively, co-produced by Raw Material and Capital Theatres in association with the National Theatre of Scotland.
Two fact-based storylines intertwine. A pugnacious James IV (Daniel Cahill) works to secure his throne and dynasty against martial threats from old enemies, England and Highland “rebels”; also against vigorous opposition from his young, English wife, Margaret Tudor (Sarita Gabony). Meanwhile, two young black women arrive at the Stewart court, having been captured by pirates en route to England from Spain. Anne (Laura Lovemore) becomes the intimate servant of Queen Margaret; Ellen (Danielle Jam) is trained up by the court poet William Dunbar (Keith Fleming) to be an entertainer and appears at James’s self-promotional tournaments as “Queen of the Fight”.
The heart of the play is a racist poem by Dunbar, delivered after the second tournament and addressed to Ellen, Of Ane Blak-Moir (“Of a Blackamoor”). Munro redefines the genre of the poem and creates for it a backstory based on jealousy and resentment. These changes provide an unnecessary rationale for its delivery, locating its racism in particular circumstances rather than in the (more probable) ingrained, unexamined attitudes to black people.
For me, this is the problem with the play as a whole. Although beautifully presented and delivered with skill and conviction by a powerful ensemble, it makes easy narrative choices instead of grappling with the issues it raises. As a pageant it’s engaging; as a drama, disappointing.
James IV: Queen of the Fight is at Dundee Rep, 15-22 October, then touring until 12 November
