Queen

“Queen”
From her age of five in 1824 until her dying moments in 1901 after 63 years of reign, Victoria speaks to us in words all taken from her diary, letters, and published writings. “Queen” as edited by Julian Manchin is an updated and retitled version of Katrina Hendrey’s one-woman show An Evening With Queen Victoria which starred Prunella Scales and was performed for many years. A beautiful and moving recording of Ms. Scales as Queen Victoria in 1900 opens the show.

Grace Darling plays the young Victoria with all the excitement, eyes of wonder, and whimsies of a young girl on her way eventually to being crowned Queen at age of 18. As the Queen ages, Sara Crowe takes over the role, bringing much dignity, a sense of adventure, and a deep love for her husband (with a little left over for her nine children). Both actresses are superb, even stunning in their roles, each also ably stepping in from time to time to play other characters such as Prime Ministers Melbourne or Disraeli. “Queen” is enlightening, intriguing, and guaranteed to bring smiles and maybe a tear or two.
Rating: 5 E

Excellent show that exceeded my expectations. It's an incredible skill (pleasure for the audience) to bring a historical figure to life through their own words. The show managed to make Victoria alive and capture her humanity (rather than a highly dramatised depiction). Despite being a royal, her joys, problems and grief are extremely relatable to anyone who has experienced those.
It was undeniably moving. As a historian of the 19th century I appreciated the educational value of the play. As someone who got engaged in front of Prince Albert's cairn, I couldn't stop thinking about what a blessing it is to love someone as deeply as Victoria loved Albert. On the most basic level, the play also invoked questions of loneliness, longing, and the nature of human existence. Beautiful experience.

Very Interesting story, well delivered. Well done.

Powerful, emotional and a beautifully acted insight into Queen Victoria. Both actors were convincing as they played both the Queen and other historical characters. Bringing her to life through her own words. Well worth seeing.

I was not prepared for how emotionally agonizing Queen Victoria's journals would be. Wise, and witty, as expected, but human, afraid, torn apart by her life, gutted half way through it, existing as a shell after that for the benefit of others only. The production and performers served as a perfectly transparent lens through which to hear her words. I shed many tears and had to walk out in dark glasses.