A Review of Happier Year’s Virtue’s Cloak

Court life is one of backstabbing and allegiances, where every decision you make could dictate the difference between life and death. This idea of history is the central premise to Andrew Raynes’ Virtue’s Cloak, a play which traces the story of the trial of Robert Carr and Francis Howard for the murder of Sir Thomas Overbury. Throwing us into life in the court of James I, this is a play which provides a lot of detail in a very short space of time. Relying on narrative monologues at times Raynes’ writing is conscious that most audience members will not know this story prior to entering the theatre.

This is a play about people, about the tangled web of lives and love and the inevitable outcomes of actions taken. Each character adds to this web as they seek to author their own stories within the court. Leading the cast, Lindley Trueblood plays Robert Carr with a thoughtful seriousness. To begin with we can feel his conflicting emotions and uncertainty within a court setting as he tries to understand his place, yet this becomes a little lost towards the end. At his side, Srinetra Banerjee’s Frances Howard is excitedly in love, the performance being one of energy and romance that suggested her role as a pawn within the game being played. Central to the game, James I (played by Ethan McLucas) is a volatile character switching quickly between a gentle and playful lovingness and fits of anger.

The stage around the actors is minimal, with a desk being the only major set piece. Through the decision to set the stage in thrust the idea of a courtroom setting is reinforced, the eyes of the audience/court on almost all sides watching the every move. Within this space the cast remain throughout the entire production, lined up against the back edge in a way that we have become used to from professional productions but do not typically see in Oxford Drama. The only times that the characters do in fact leave the stage is to take seats in the audience, jumping up at a moments notice to return to the action. In multiple places, scenes coexit, playing out alongside each other. One such example is the marriage of Francis Howard and Robert Carr as Sir Thomas Overbury is murdered before the audience (no this is not a spoiler – the premise of the play is outlined within a few minutes of the play’s opening). While this often means that there is a lot taking place upon the stage, the directing choice in no ways detracts from the importance of what is taking place, rather enhancing it.

My only complaint is that I am not sure I necessarily understood the intentions behind some of Robert Carr’s decisions, his actions leading up to the trial appearing a little conflicted. While I am well aware of the time restraints of a slot at The Burton Taylor Studio, I did feel that a little more explanation was necessary. Within the twisting and turning politics of court a need to shift allegiances is well established; however, there is typically a clear cut reasoning behind the decisions and here they passed me by.

As someone familiar with the writer and director and who has reviewed his past productions, I feel confident in saying that it is clear that Raynes wrote this play. The story and the style are so quintessentially his. Said style goes beyond just the lines themselves (which fluctuate between modern and more classical), but also Aleks Botek’s striking costumes. These costumes are more ambitious than we typically see on a BT production and also versatile when actors are required to multirole. Ultimately, this is a play that provides a vivid insight into a moment in history, ensuring that the audience understand the details and highlighting the research that has clearly gone into the writing. Being akin to a Shakespearean history in categorisation, with a chessboard plot and set, and a range of fleshed out characters, this definitely a show to piqued my interest.

Virtue’s Cloak is currently playing at the Burton Taylor Studio