Mary Stuart’s life was one of labyrinthine intrigue and misfortune. In Mary, Queen of Scots, choreographer Sophie Laplane and director James Bonas transform that history into Scottish Ballet’s most ambitious work yet: an avant-garde, genre-bending, astute salute to women in power, depicted through Mary’s gaze and the splintering memory of a guilt-ridden Elizabeth I. This dual perspective yields a dense, at times impenetrable, plot (a read of the synopsis is essential) but once inside, it journeys through grotesque courts and toxic liaisons with a bold blend of dark humour, horror and pathos.
Laplane’s choreography resists literalism, weaving gesture, symbolism and gender fluidity into a tapestry of diverse dance dialects. Though some solos feel thinly sketched, her ensemble work is ...
