Theatre

Treason the Musical at Festival Theatre Edinburgh Review

DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW

Reviewed by Emily

Treason the Musical is running this week at the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh.  As part musical and part history lesson, Ricky Allan, Charli Eglinton and Kieran Lynn delve into the political-religious agenda of the time to show us the real story behind Guy Fawkes and the Gunpower Plot that we all learn about as children.

In 1603 there was concern within the Protestant led parliament of Queen Elizabeth that there were at risk of destabilisation upon her death if the incoming King James was sympathetic to the Catholic movement.  Under Queen Elizabeth’s reign, Catholics were faced with fines and worse and had to keep their faith underground.

The musical opens with the marriage of Thomas Percy, of a prominent Catholic family, to Martha.  They are married in secret by a smuggled in priest, under cover of darkness and in the middle in the forest.  After their marriage Martha convinces Percy that things need to change and he manages to get an audience with the future King who, in return for support from the Catholic faction, will abolish the fines and create an inclusive Britain.

As a result of the war with Spain, the finances don’t look so rosy so when King James comes to power, so he reneges on his plan which cause unrest and desperation within the Catholic community.  The extremist Robert Catesby brings together a group of 13 disillusioned Catholics including Percy and Guy Fawkes and convinces them of his extreme plan to blow up the Houses of Parliament, killing the King and all the leaders of the day and kidnap the King’s daughter.
After spending a year digging tunnels and planting gunpowder under the Houses of Parliament, the plot was foiled by a tip off from Martha, one of the few people aware of the plan.  She couldn’t bear the chance that Percy was caught after the event and their name tarnished for her family’s future.

While educating us on the history surrounding the famous event, we see how Martha (Nicole Raquel Dennis) is pulled between her husband and her own moral compass and her many musical numbers draw on the full range of emotions. Notably, Blind Faith a beautiful duet with Thomas (Sam Ferriday).

Guy Fawkes (Gabriel Akamo) acted as narrator rapping cleverly complied lyrics, but if I’m honest, I wasn’t quite sure where he actually fitted into the story line of the musical.  Joe McFadden as King James and Oscar Conlon-Morrey as Robert Cecil as his advisor added some lightness and humour to the show.

The setting of the show was very atmospheric using the candles and lighting to change the mood.  The simple props were effective in moving between scenes, as was the use of the ticking clock showing the passage of time.  Luckily, I had time to read the programme prior to the show starting which gave some historical background that helped join some of the dots during the performance.

As a new musical it is hard to absorb all it offers when everything is new.  I can’t help but feel there is so much more to the storyline that I would pick up next time round-I am looking forward to the next time!

Rating: 3.5/5

Treason The Musical (capitaltheatres.com)

https://www.capitaltheatres.com/whats-on/all-shows/treason-the-musical/2207
25 – 28 October 2023
Festival Theatre, 13 / 29 Nicolson Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9FT
Tickets from £22 + £1.50 booking

Show More
Back to top button