THE VIRGIN TRIAL
Usually, I have to wait on BBC America or Netflix for the newest installments of dark and tormented dramatic thrillers, like “Luther” or “Broadchurch”- where you never quite know who to trust or who is telling the truth. So imagine my delight that Director Rob Lufty and his talented cast of THE VIRGIN TRIAL have brought an intriguing British set drama straight to the Cygnet Theatre stage, no cable channels or streaming services required.
The play is a sequel to Cygnet's 2018 THE LAST WIFE by Kate Hennig, about the final years of Henry VIII, his sixth wife Catherine Parr, his children Edward, Mary, and Elizabeth, and the man Parr loved before Henry demanded her hand in marriage, courtier Thomas Seymour. After Henry died, Parr married Seymour, and then she took in Princess Elizabeth to give her a life befitting her rank as daughter to a King.
As THE VIRGIN TRIAL opens we find the pieces in this royalchess board have shifted again- Parr has died in child birth, Thomas Seymour(Steven Lone) has been arrested, and Elizabeth (Olivia Hodson) finds herself underinterrogation as a potential co-conspirator to kill her brother Edward, thecurrent King of England.
Though Elizabeth is only 15, and Thom is 40, the interrogatorsTed (Tom Stephenson) who is also Thom’s brother, and Eleanor (LiselGorell-Getz) have no hesitation pushing their theories of what was really goingon between the pair, to find out who was the real mastermind, and guilty party tothis treasonous plot.
Between interrogation scenes there are flashbacks that serveto show how Elizabeth and Thom’s characters and relationship evolved overtime. True, Seymour wanted to be morethan the head of the Royal Navy, but is Elizabeth old enough to be capable ofthis kind of intrigue as well?
Interrogator Ted startsout as the jovial, and warm uncle, he’s the good cop to Eleanor’s cold and aggressivebad cop. Though as the play goes on Ted’s cuddly exterior is shown to hide a viciousnessthat more than matches Eleanor’s. Elizabeth’sgoverness Ashley ( Monique Gaffney) and accountant Perry (Wil Bethmann) aresubjected to increasingly brutal interrogation techniques as they are notprotected by their rank from Ted and Eleanor’s methods of inquisition.
Elizabeth’s older sister Mary (Brittney M. Cladwell) findsherself unwillingly pulled into the events as well when she tries to showsisterly support to Elizabeth.
While the play is not a trial of judge and jury, this situationis based on actual circumstances that the teenage Elizabeth I found herself inafter her father’s death. (This is whereI could insert all the historical facts of the situation but I am not going todo so – you’re welcome)
Stephenson is excellent as the two faced interrogator and ismatched by the cold brutality of Gorell-Getz as Eleanor. Lone’s Thom is both a seductive social climberand a brilliant strategist, but as he starts to lose control of all the threadsin the plot his behavior also starts to unravel.
Mary wishes she was half as fierce and commanding asBrittney M. Caldwell makes this character. While Gaffney and Bethmann are fiercely loyal and sympathetic as Elizabeth’sloyal companions enduring increasingly brutal circumstances.
As strong as this ensemble is the play belongs to the fantasticHodson as Elizabeth. The entire playhinges on the fact that Elizabeth teeters on that cusp from a young girl to womanhood. From her court gown to her sparkly shoes, hergirlish voices to her calculating turns of phrase, Hodson displays the constantshifting and calculating Elizabeth does to get what she needs from eachsituation.
When Hodson’s Elizabeth says “I like to play games” in response to an inquiry is both a simple girlish response and a steely warning of what is yet to come.
Director Rob Lufty keeps this political thriller’s momentumand tension building as the audience and the interrogators try to figure out whois innocent or guilty. His direction builds upon Hennig’s play which challengesthe audience to try to make that decision through all of this carefullycalculated intrigue.
Scenic design by Elizabeth Puksto and costume design by VeronicaMurphy blend historic fact with the anachronistic more modern locations, and thrillersensibility. The outfit when Elizabethmakes a power move is a perfect representation of the reputation, and personashe will soon adopt.
While Seymour’s treason is a historical fact, THE VIRGINTRIAL plays with the undercurrent of how society both then and now, underestimatesand villainizes teenage girls as they navigate a predatory world that has nocompunction sacrificing innocence at the girl’s expense.
THE VIRGIN TRIAL is playing at Cygnet Theatre throughOctober 6th. For ticket andshow time information go to www.cygnettheatre.com