Edward II

Edward II follows the life of the ill-fated king of England, named Ned in this adaptation, a man who let obsession and lust rule his mind at the cost of his kingdom and his life. The play depicts the events of this king – from his ascension to his untimely demise – in a twisted, electrifying and gripping tale exploring the dark side of love.

Anthony Weigh’s play takes Christopher Marlowe’s original play and brilliantly swirls the fourteenth and twenty-first centuries in all the majesty of a minimalistic present-day setting. The act begins with the king’s son cataloguing prized possessions – a cigarette lighter, a statue of a dog, and a set of knives – under his mother’s watchful eye while his father, Ned (Johnny Carr), is consumed by an illicit love affair with Piers (Paul Ashcroft), a naïve commoner. However, this rags to riches tale is stopped in its tracks as the devious Mortimer (Marco Chiappi) urges Piers to leave, devastating Ned.

When Ned becomes king, he immediately seeks out his lost love and soon parades Piers in front of the world, neglecting his duties as a monarch, a husband and a father. Queen Sib (Belinda McClory) – Ned’s long-suffering wife (traditionally Queen Isabella) – tries to humour her husband’s affair, but becomes a social caricature and an outcast in her own home. Her fury towards Piers ignites while Mortimer is more than happy to fuel the flame.

Mortimer incites a rebellion with deadly consequences, leaving the king to choose his love or his life:

‘Why should you love him who the world hates so?’

‘Because he loves me more than all the world.’

Christopher Marlowe’s play has been dusted off, shined and polished into something provocative, raw and volatile. The momentum builds to a thrilling climax triggering a series of dramatic events. Carr masters the role of the narcissistic leader unwilling to lead while McClory portrays the heartbreaking reality of living in a loveless marriage perfectly.

Carr and Ashcroft give it their all and take the audience on the most intimate moments of a love story where greed and eroticism rule. Edward II showcases how power, passion and politics can prove to be a fatal affair.

Edward II
Malthouse Theatre, 113 Sturt Street, Southbank
Friday July 29 – Sunday August 21
malthousetheatre.com.au/whats-on/edward-ii