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Brumhour saw Edward II at the invite of The RSC.
By Dave Massey x.com/BrumHour
This production contains nudity and strongly implied physical violence.
Edward II at The RSC Swan Theatre: Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐”A strong, bold production”.
King Edward II (Daniel Evans) has a muscular close personal male friend, Gaveston (Eloka Ivo). The lords and his wife Queen Isabella (Ruta Gedmintas) are not best pleased. The lords set about disposing of them both as swiftly as they can.
This is a darkly stark story of how love can bring raging anger to the lovers and is told under tense music with mostly harsh white lighting. The stage is higher than usual to allow for movements and a harsh black metal frame surrounds it. The soundscape is as dark and brooding as the lighting and really adds to the discomfort of the subject. The costumes suggest a late 80s or early 90s setting reminding audiences that this might have been set anywhere in British history.
Daniel Evans delivers a very intense performance as a defiant man being hunted and toppled by those around him. The theatre layout means that most of the audience can feel his emotions racing through him as this troubled character. Eloka Ivo is excellent as the banished companion, and Ruta Gedmintas is fantastically distant as her character pretends to turn a blind eye to everything.
I tend to avoid reading about productions before I see them and if I don’t know the basis it means I can explore the production and performance at face value, this brings forward themes of discrimination, birthline destiny, and how religion and politics are interwoven and seemingly split. I found myself reflecting on it for most of the following twelve hours, but I’m sure most of the audience will know what they are letting themselves in for.
At one hour and forty minutes without interval, Edward II is a strong, bold production, with plenty of dark fringes to haunt after. This production is at The RSC’s Swan Theatre until 5th April 2025. Book tickets here: rsc.org.uk/edward-ii.
