Imagine the plot of Challengers, but set in 1561, Scotland, with Mary, Queen of Scots at the centre of the love triangle. Into Thy Hands is a semi-biographical, beautiful performance reprising the life of Queen Mary of Scotland (Elle Shirkie), and her complex relationships with her husband, Henry Darnley (Malcolm Cowie), and her private secretary, David Rizzio (Finlay Shack).
While this historic tale may already be known by many, Oor Theatre depicts an interesting portrayal of Queen Mary — one that I had never witnessed before. Prior to the show, I held only a surface-level knowledge of the history, but coming out of this performance, I truly felt the tragedy that is Mary’s life as queen; the unique portrayal of the infamous story made the play so much more engrossing.
As you walk in, you witness the simple (but impactful) set design of a central, wooden throne, and a plain, wooden seat on each side of this throne, which represents the power dynamic between the trio, with Queen Mary essentially on top. Thereafter, why is she the one to suffer the most at the hands of men? Not only do we see her relationship with men through the complications of Henry Darnley and David Rizzio, but Oor Theatre simultaneously mentions her loss of relationship with her son, James VI & I, and her disconnection with the Protestant lairds of Scotland – as she is seen “too French”, “too Catholic”, and most significantly, a woman! How dare she!
There is a brilliant balance in the play’s utilisation of consistent alternations of analepsis and prolepsis (flashbacks and flash-forwards in layman’s terms) with the lighting supporting this. It is evident how thought-provoking this play is with the little details, like Mary’s adornment of a Catholic rosary amongst her many necklaces to represent her faith, and even to the way Shirkie (as Mary) either lets her hair down or ties it up to imply the different time frames.
The chemistry shared between the cast for Into Thy Hands’ final performance was astonishing, as they fully enveloped the essence of their characters to relay the interconnection between them that fate has created. And despite the scenes being quite brief to fit into the 50-minute time slot, never once did I feel any ungraceful pauses in between. It felt harmonious and smooth-flowing, and ultimately, a perfect summary of the tragic story between Mary, Darnley, and Rizzio for a wannabe Scottish history buff like myself.
Into Thy Hands ran until 17th August at C ARTS studio, C alto at Quaker Meeting House.
Image by Finlay Shack, provided by Oor Theatre to The Student as press.