ALL OF HISTORY TURNS FOR ONE NIGHT
JAMES V: KATHERINE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOr EVE NICOL tALKS US THROUGH THE CREATION OF THIS DISTINCT, STANDALONE STORY
Rehearsals in The Studio, Edinburgh.
Rona Munro’s monumental James Plays project has given Scotland ways to explore its identity through stories of battle, blood ties and betrayal on the country’s most magnificent stages. With James V: Katherine, the narrative shifts from the epic to the intimate. With such an impressive and impactful series preceding it, how does shifting the scale uncover new ways to tell hidden histories in this standalone story?
In creating Katherine, our conversations revolved around exploding our ideas of what a historical drama “should be”. We aimed to strip it all back to shine a light on the timelessness of love and loyalty, hoping to inspire and uplift audiences in an increasingly divided modern world. Rona’s play unfolds with the same urgent rush as the sparks of Reformation revolution ignited 16th-century Scotland. We want to sweep audiences along in that breath-catching momentum as Katherine is propelled towards choosing her fate.
The creative team aimed to create a versatile performance space that seamlessly moves between a royal palace, a busy courtroom, and a breezy clifftop, highlighting the intricate dynamics between the characters. We’ve incorporated textures and colours that evoke burnt wood and smouldering ashes, encircled by the flickering glow of candles, keeping the danger and passion of fire never too far away. The actors remain onstage throughout, serving as witnesses to the unfolding action.
Alyth Ross and Benjamin Osugo in rehearsals.
In rehearsals, the play began to take shape as the cast committed to locating as much of their contemporary selves in their historical counterparts. Fired up by discussions with Rona, enlightening presentations from historians, and explorations in movement and intimacy, every day saw the characters and their relationships grow more intricate and multi-dimensional. We continually nudged ourselves to uncover the contemporary elements within the historical context. These sixteenth-century characters aren’t people with alien lives, wants, and wishes. They share the same universal emotions of love and longing, reflecting our modern hang-ups around how we choose to live our lives.
“In rehearsals, the play began to take shape as the cast committed to locating as much of their contemporary selves in their historical counterparts. ”
Our focus has always been on the love story. The production has built itself around emotional storytelling, with all departments working together to illuminate a dark period of our social history. Guided by an invitation to be “disrespectful” to history, “kick it around”, and “make it yours,” we embraced a minimalist approach, focusing on the immediacy of the relationship between the actors and the audience, and leaving space for the huge emotions and passions that drive the characters.
Alyth Ross and Catriona Faint in rehearsals.
The intimacy of Katherine’s tour venues offers a brand-new way for audiences to experience The James Plays up close and in the heart of their own communities. We hope audiences feel an emotional connection with the characters, allowing them to relate to the conflicts arising from firmly held truths and ultimately moved by the love story at the play’s heart.
James V: Katherine has emerged as a distinct standalone story within the cycle, offering a refreshing change in form while still delivering the relatable, funny, and heart-breaking human stories of high stakes that characterised the previous instalments. In this significant offering to the ongoing story of Scotland, all of history turns for one night to look at the enduring love between two young women as their world falls apart around them.
EVE NICOL
