MARY STUART

A large cast performing a two-hundred-year-old play based on Tudor history may not sound like a promising premise for audio drama, but the L.A. Theatre Works production of MARY STUART is a real winner: dramatic, subtle, thought-provoking, and emotionally rich. Peter Oswald's new translation of the play into forceful, fresh English invites the listener to savor the political intrigue surrounding the murderous, political maneuvering of Protestant Elizabeth I as she deals with the threat posed by her Catholic cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots. The entire cast is strong, though particularly memorable are Alex Kingston, Jill Gascoine, and Martin Jarvis. The dangers of failing to grasp the nuances of royal politics are rendered especially well in the memorable final scenes. G.H. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/ JUL 08]