Reviews

Bloodline

| Off-West End |

12 November 2010

Bloodline takes as its starting point the English Wars of
Religion, and the restrictions placed upon Catholic Mary, Queen of
Scots by her Protestant cousin Elizabeth I. Mary is held in genteel
imprisonment by George Talbot and his wife Bess of Hardwick, one of
the most interesting figures in 16th century England. These true life
tales of court intrigue will captivate history buffs and laypeople
alike. However, Linda Wilkinson‘s excellent script is stretched by
trying to cover nearly twenty years of Elizabethan history, as well as
the life stories of two of the most fascinating women of the age.

Louise Dumayne as Bess and Alistair Scott as George Talbot would
benefit from a tighter framework in which to develop their
relationship on stage – there is little to no attempt to age the
characters from start to finish, although many years pass – but they
carry the main roles well. However, they are let down by Jane
Murphy‘s portrayal of Mary, Queen of Scots as petulant and immature,
with a distractingly unplaceable accent that is certainly neither
English nor Scottish. Richard Warrick‘s one-dimensional Robert
Dudley seems completely superfluous, only appearing to provide
exposition or historical details.

David Shields‘s set and Matt Hall‘s sound design combine to create
a wonderful atmosphere in a small space, which does much to draw the
audience in and keep them interested. The script, although
dialogue-heavy, is engaging and well-paced, and moments of real talent
shine through in the relationships between George, Bess and Mary – it
is when details of the wider historical context are shoehorned in that
the story flags. Scaling down the timeline and scope of
Bloodline would greatly improve this drama.

– Colleen Patterson