Young Pretender (Hull)

Written by EV Crowe and directed by Joe Murphey, the Young Pretender proved a hit with audiences and critics alike when it premiered at this year’s Edinburgh Festival and is currently running at Hull Truck Theatre until the 17th September.

A breathtaking hour long history lesson on the rise and fall of the reckless Bonnie Prince Charlie and the 1745 Jacobite Uprising was given a fresh look with EV Crowe’s exciting rewrite.

Three lightening scene changes fitted in well with the pace of this epic Scottish tale which was bursting with youth and energy; mainly from the charismatic and edgy performance of  a modern day Prince Charlie Paul Woodson who captivated the audience with his plans to invade England and Scotland.

A year later at the age of 26, with his heroic and patriotic plans in ruins he escaped a beaten man to Skye with all the youthfull enthusiasm now knocked out him to face the truth and realisation that he was a loser, delivered with brash authenticity by the 15 year old Flora MacDonald Rebecca Elise. Captivated by the youthfull Prince’s plans was Duncan Chris Starkie who was as dour as the young Prince was exciting, and the combination worked well.

All probably lapped up by fellow Scotsmen, but dyed-in-the-wool Englishmen, like myself, were left thinking they should have paid more attention to those history lessons at school.