York Shakespeare Project takes on the Bard's Rivals with Christopher Marlowe's Edward II

York Shakespeare Project is proud to announce the next phase of its mission: to not only stage all of Shakespeare's plays, but the finest works of his contemporaries over the next 25 years.

To kickstart their work on Shakespeare's peers, the company will bring to life Christopher Marlowe's classic drama, Edward II.

Edward II is king at last. Determined to shower his loved ones with gifts, he summons his exiled lover, Gaveston. With King, court, and country intoxicated by their passions, the Queen takes her own lover and the nation is torn apart in a merciless divorce. Their child watches from the shadows, desperate to mend this broken family and nation - or bring them to heel.

Drawing on their personal responses to the script and their own lived experiences, the ensemble brings a fresh and modern perspective to this classic work. 

"Like Marlowe himself, we wanted to focus less on historical accuracy or psychological realism, and instead as a fantasia of power and love. This is a fearful England," says director Tom “Strasz” Straszewski (York Mystery Plays 2018, 2022). "Edward, his court, and his child all try to protect themselves, but without uniting together they’re vulnerable. Edward is usually portrayed as a weak king, but we found this to be untrue - Marlowe presents him as somebody who fights fiercely to protect his loved ones, despite his hatred of war and the devastation it brings. When his lover Gaveston is brutally murdered, he finally becomes the king the medieval nobles want him to be - warmongering, merciless, elitist - and it's to everybody's cost."

For James Lee (Gaveston), the play touches on contemporary issues of cancel culture, celebrity and social mobility, with his character destroyed for daring to reach above his station. “I think Marlowe would get a real kick out of how relevant his characters are. In a world of tabloids and gossip, characters like Gaveston rise and fall every day. Social mobility is championed and demonised. We're never allowed to forget the roles we are supposed to play, regardless of our dreams.”

To aid accessibility for Deaf and hard of hearing audience members, all performances include closed captions.

Tickets available online: https://tickets.41monkgate.co.uk/seasons/227c7e2e-2dc1-437c-8cae-89aec7bd7387 or email the Box Office at boxoffice@41monkgate.co.uk.

Edward II. Theatre@41, 41 Monkgate, York. 

Tuesday October 17, Wednesday October 18, Thursday October 19 and Friday October 20.

At 7.30pm and Saturday October 21 @ 2.30pm and 7.30pm.