Review of ‘Queen’: “Staging of the royal writings courts audiences but doesn’t come off victorious”

London’s Kings Place hosted the dramatisation of Queen Victoria’s personal journals in a one-off performance starring Deborah Findlay, accompanied by Michael Dussek’s live piano renditions and Prunella Scales’s prerecorded tracks. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the show to let us know if this real-life ‘Princess Diaries’ act hath a way with viewers.

I can’t help but think what Queen Victoria would have written in her personal journals had she been alive during Donald Trump’s last state visit. Her remarks about some of her relatives were as brutal as they were witty and charming — not that she’d need the latter when commenting on arguably the least colourful politician (despite the face) our monarchy has had the pleasure (English reading required) to dine with.

We do get a broad collection of her impressions throughout Queen, which, despite its uninspired title, regaled last week’s audiences with an intimate afternoon revealing the most personal side of one of Britain’s most iconic and influential sovereigns. It’s an uncomplicated concept that, however, encapsulates great dramatic complexity — for an hour, we experience Victoria’s evolution from a young, inquisitive girl destined for the throne to the end of her 63-year reign, and the joys and griefs it carried with it.

Director Denise Silvey and writer Julian Machin make a compelling effort at rearranging decades of random thoughts into a cohesive and generally well-structured recount. There’s conflict, pathos, and an entertaining quality to it — slow to emerge, but persistent when it finally materialises. It holds a gentle grip on the viewer by effectively building a sense of proximity. On the whole, it feels like a confession. It offers the most vulnerable and human aspects of an otherwise mystified character — though, of course, those are confined within the bounds of England’s 19th-century morality.

Deborah Findlay delivers a satisfying Victoria within the limits of the production, which, sadly, are not too wide. Devised as a one-woman act, her on-book performance comes across as slightly off-putting. We can understand that this piece is still in the making and presented as such to the viewers. But you can’t expect to touch their hearts when, in reality, such a central part of the play’s spirit has been taken away from them.

Turning the audience into the Queen’s most trusted confidantes is the essence of this show. By depriving them of a fully interpreted rendition, you are also depriving them of its value and authenticity. Yes, it’s true that every line is taken verbatim from her diaries. Yet, using that as her reason for reading it, as if she was reliving her memories by reciting her own words, is barely an excuse — and its dramatic inefficiency has been proven, after all.

Featuring a couple of prerecorded excerpts with Prunella Scales’s voice in the same role, the production also includes a live classical underscore encompassing the opuses that marked Victoria’s existence. It’s a nice touch that endows the piece with an extra element of uniqueness. Pianist Michael Dussek manages to stand out in that department, conveying an enthralling execution brimming with technical prowess, adequate to bright phrasing, and ample strokes of soulfulness.

So much has been written about Victoria, but nothing would ever compare to witnessing her own recollections firsthand. As such, Queen feeds from an exceptional source, but its not-so-majestic translation onto the stage forces this promising gem to abdicate from any higher positions in the current theatrical landscape — coming off as amusing and even resonant, but still standing a few steps away from a crowning achievement. It’s an enjoyable journey, but it doesn’t always feel genuine — let alone polished. And although its intentions are obviously noble, I can’t guarantee viewers will be peasantly surprised.

Queen played in a one-off performance at London’s Kings Place. Upcoming shows and tickets are available on the following link.

By Guillermo Nazara