Mary, Hampstead Theatre, 2022.

Cast: Douglas Henshall, Rona Morison, Brian Vernel, Meg Watson, Alexa Bauer, Nichaela Farrell, Natalie Glover, Zyna Goldy, Kara Hakanson, Mayuko Kawai, Diana Kozak, Lara Leboff, Maria Cole, Racks Nieto, Saskia O'Hara, Theresa Pine, Jo Shane, Roshini Sridhar, Jane Staiano, Nicola Thorpe.

Writer: Rona Munro

Director: Roxana Silbert

I was very excited about this because Rona wrote The James Plays, three plays about the first three King James of Scotland, which I saw all in one day in Norwich from a seat on the stage and it's easily one of my top ten theatre performances ever. Plus I'm mildly obsessed with Mary Queen of Scots, partly because she was imprisoned on an island in Loch Leven and we used to have family holidays near there. And also because some tapestries that she worked on with Bess of Hardwick are on display in Oxburgh Hall, my nearest National Trust place. And I think Douglas might have just announced he was leaving Shetland.

The reality was a bit boring. The staging was very stark which initially looks striking but you soon realise there's nothing to interest the eye so when the play doesn't work as well where does your mind wander? I still think there's room for a really good play about Mary Queen of Scots (Mary Stuart also isn't it).