Last chance to see The James Plays this weekend

The James Plays
Writer, Rona Munro
Director, Lauri Sansom
Auckland Arts Festival  
Aotea Centre
March 11 and 12

The James plays have been an international sensation, having opened in Scotland only two years ago. Since then, they have become one of the theatrical experiences that will define contemporary theatre in its approach to historical dramas.

As well as being a great theatrical experience they also provide a new way of creating dramas that address wider historical themes. The plays are and will continue to be relevant to the Scottish desire for independence and acknowledgment of their distinctive history.

The ideal history play should be able to deal with the sweep of history and the way in which society evolves and adapts as well as being able to portray individuals and the way that they are able to effect change or are affected by change.

There are a number of contemporary plays which deal with historical themes, from Shaw’s St Joan to Michael Frayn’s Copenhagen and all of these try to make sense of the individual and their context within history.

The James Plays also do this.

They follow the course of Scottish history from the beginning of the 15th century to the end with the events depicted covering less than 70 years but also the reigns of James I, James II and James III. This is the period in which Scotland began to assert the notions of nationhood with the kings stripping away the power of the nobles and clans.

The period is of interest because two of the kings were crowned when they were minors and James I was held captive in England until he was 29. This meant that over that period the rulers got off to an awkward start. The three plays show how in their own ways they managed to use their personalities and power to create a more workable nation.

The plays are a brilliant mixture of loud boisterous historical events and quiet reflective moments where individuals bare their thoughts and fears.

Comparisons can be made with Shakespeare who attempted to provide the same sort of balance between the big picture and the individual. What we get with these plays is something along the way that Shakespeare would have written today with contemporary usage, witticism and profanities.

What makes the plays so effective is the well-conceived set and the incredibly robust acting. The set shifts from intimate space to court to  battlefield, without the need for scenes changes, just a few props which means the action of the play is unremitting and retains its momentum.

The actors who play different roles in different plays all project superbly and manage to create three-dimensional figures who evoke genuine  emotions and provide  physical  acting which creates authentic drama

One minor problem for a New Zealand audience will be the Scots accent which, while providing authenticity means that occasionally the words and the phrasing can seem like a foreign language.

Tune into NBR Radio’s Sunday Business with Andrew Patterson on Sunday morning, for analysis and feature-length interviews.