Edward II by Christopher Marlowe
5th March 2025
The Swan Theatre, Stratford-Upon-Avon
Directed by Daniel Raggett
Christopher Marlowe’s Edward II is a significant piece of early modern theatre, which gets the RSC treatment in The Swan Theatre, this season.
Marlowe’s play is one of the first English history plays to focus on a single ruler’s personal and political struggles, and departs from the episodic chronicle style of earlier history plays, offering a more character-driven narrative. Its treatment of same-sex desire is groundbreaking, presenting the King’s relationship with Gascon Knight, Gaveston, with an emotional intensity, rare for the period, and it is this which forms the focus of Daniel Raggett’s 2025 production.
Edward II is a tale of power, passion and political intrigue. The devotion of King Edward II (Daniel Evans) to his lover, Gaveston (Eloka Ivo) sparks rebellion among the nobles, with their belief that the balance of power between the nobility and the monarchy is undermined by Edward’s repeated defiance of Parliamentary opposition, in recalling his lover from exile and disregarding legal counsel. The nobility view Gaveston as not just a corrupting influence, but a symbol of Edward’s refusal to rule in accordance with the interests of the realm. His emotional and political neglect of his wife, Queen Isabella (Ruta Gedmintas) alienates her from the court and weakens her position, but also transforms her into an active player in his deposition, aligning as she does with Mortimer (Enzo Cilenti) to force Edward’s abdication following their ordered murder of Gaveston, and her seizing of power through her 14-yeard old son’s ascendancy to the throne, whilst her husband is brutally murdered.
This production places the King’s relationship with Gaveston at the heart of the drama. Their relationship is strikingly tender, physically passionate and irrefutable throughout, and the staging and character depictions make it clear that Edward’s defiance of traditional masculinity and Kingship is a major source of tension.
Under Raggett’s direction, the play’s themes of power, love, and betrayal unfold with clarity and urgency, making for an interesting theatrical experience.
At the pulsating heart of the production is RSC Co-Artistic Director, Daniel Evans, in the title role, delivering a performance of remarkable depth and nuance. He captures Edward’s defiance and vulnerability in equal measure, making his descent from reckless passion to tragic ruin deeply affecting. His chemistry with Ivo’s Gaveston is palpable; their love both intimate and politically dangerous. Even as Edward’s power crumbles, Evans ensures that his presence never wanes, holding the audience’s sympathy even in his weakest moments and in his devastating death, which is an unflinching moment of horrifying stagecraft.
Each member of the cast contributes compelling and engaging performances, particularly Gedmintas’ Queen Isabella, progressing from dutiful and wronged wife to a politically cunning controller of fate. Cilenti is a solid Mortimer, and Stavros Demetraki and Kwaku Mills as Spencer and Baldock, give sensitive and nuanced performances as Gaveston’s contemporaries who are also elevated to become allies of the King. The cast is testosterone-heavy, and it feels very male throughout, which was clearly a thought-out choice based on the content, but at times, the constancy of male-voices makes it challenging to differentiate between characters, and the Queen’s story (which has the potential to be the most interesting element) feels sidelined.
The production’s standout feature is its staging. A mosaic floor eventually pulls back to uncover a prison-like cave beneath, slowly filling with the water flowing through the castle’s drains, providing a bleak tomb for the deposed King. Clever lighting (Tim Lutkin) isolates areas and uses the whole thrust, showcasing moments of secrecy, and aligning with the tension in the text. The music is sinister and ever-present, with heartbeats and discords supporting the isolation of the King and the growing rebellion against him, and ultimately the stagecraft elevates the production values to provide an exciting and pacy journey through the course of this text.
Marlowe’s script is sometimes uneven, and the story never quite delivers a real emotional connection. It may have been the edit, but the frequency of Gaveston’s banishments and recalls in the first twenty minutes is a little dizzying and challenging to keep track of the allegiances of each of the many nobles who opine, but the production does a good job of ensuring key moments are charged with dramatic weight.
Edward II boldly explores themes of same-sex love, and this portrayal of the intense and physical bond between the King and the men he favours was groundbreaking for its time. Neither the play, nor this production, shy away from presenting this love with depth and complexity, and both challenge social norms. The moment when it becomes clear that the paparazzi play a role in exposing the King’s relationship with Gaveston adds an additional layer of relevance to the production which also raises questions on power, desire and the consequences of social perception.
Ultimately, this is a production that does its source material justice and is a testament to the RSC’s ability to breathe life into classic texts. A thoughtful and visual interpretation of this text, which is worth a watch.
photos credit: Helen Murray
