The James Plays

James I, II and III

Rona Munro

• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Year: 2016
• Print ISBN:
  9781848425606
• eBook ISBN:
  9781780014920
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: British Drama
• Index: Literature

Rona Munro's vividly imagined historical cycle brings to life three generations of Stewart kings who ruled Scotland in the tumultuous fifteenth century.

James I: The Key Will Keep the Lock explores the complex character of the colourful Stewart King – poet, lover and law-maker.

Captured at the age of 13 and crowned King of Scots in an English prison, James I of Scotland is delivered home 18 years later with a ransom on his head and a new English bride. The nation he returns to is poor: the royal coffers empty and his nobles ready to tear him apart at the first sign of weakness. Determined to bring the rule of law to a land riven by warring factions, James faces terrible choices if he is to save himself, his Queen and the crown.

James II: Day of the Innocents depicts a violent royal playground from the perspective of the child King and his contemporaries, in a terrifying arena of sharp teeth and long knives.

James II becomes the prize in a vicious game between Scotland's most powerful families. Crowned when only six, abandoned by his mother and separated from his sisters, the child King is little more than a puppet. There is only one friend he can trust: William, the future Earl of Douglas. As James approaches adulthood in an ever more threatening world, he must fight to keep his tenuous grip on the crown while the nightmares of his childhood rise up once more.

James III: The True Mirror , like the King himself, is colourful and unpredictable, turning its attention to the women at the heart of the royal court.

Charismatic, cultured, and obsessed with grandiose schemes that his nation can ill afford, James III is by turns loved and loathed. Scotland thunders dangerously close to civil war, but its future may be decided by James' resourceful and resilient wife, Queen Margaret of Denmark. Her love and clear vision can save a fragile monarchy and rescue a struggling people.

Each play stands alone as a unique vision of a country tussling with its past and future; viewed together the cycle creates an intricate and compelling narrative on Scottish culture and nationhood, full of playful wit and boisterous theatricality.

The James Plays premiered at the Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, in August 2014 as part of the Edinburgh International Festival, before transferring to the National Theatre, London. The original three-play cycle was named Best New Play at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards 2014.

JAMES II

DAY OF THE INNOCENTS

Characters

JAMES II, King of Scots

JOAN, his mother

ANNABELLA, the King’s sister

MEG, a lady of the Scottish court

JOHN STEWART LIVINGSTON, Earl and Keeper of Stirling Castle

CRICHTON, Earl and Keeper of Edinburgh Castle

BALVENIE, senior statesman and lord, much older than appears

ISABELLA, noblewoman and long-term prisoner

YOUNG DOUGLAS, sixth Earl of Douglas, seventeen years old

DAVID, the Earl’s younger brother, fifteen years old

WILLIAM DOUGLAS, Balvenie’s son then eighth Earl of Douglas, eleven to twenty-two years old

MARY, the King’s French wife, fifteen years old

HUME, a Scottish lord

THE BULL-HEADED MAN, a nightmare vision

And LORDS, GUARDS, SERVANTS, SUPPORTERS, etc.

ACT ONE

Stirling Castle, Night / A Dream Memory

From now on everything we see is either nightmare or heightened memory. We hear, but don’t see, MEG calling off, desperate.

MEG. Jamie! Jamie!

The closed chest sits in the centre of the room. Offstage, MEG is still calling for JAMES, moving further away.

WILLIAM enters.

He crosses to the chest and opens it, looking inside.

WILLIAM. I knew you’d be here. I won’t tell them. They won’t find you. I won’t let them come in.

Slowly JAMES climbs out of the box.

Did they kill them both?

JAMES. Yes.

WILLIAM. It’ll be fine. Just stay here with me a while. No one’s after you. They never kill the wee bairns. Well, they might kill you because you’re King but you’ll be fine here with me. They won’t find you. There’s no one here but me. Look.

JAMES. There was all blood… on the floor.

WILLIAM. Did you see how they killed them? Did you not look? We need to look. A fighting man needs to be fit for that.

JAMES. I’ve dark blood, like snakes, under my skin.

WILLIAM. No you don’t.

JAMES. It’ll come out. I’ll kill people.

WILLIAM. You might. But not with snakes.

When we’re grown we can learn killing.

I’m nearly grown. Till then we need to learn how to bear looking at it. I’ll teach you.

It’s like when you take a beating. You think you can’t stand it but if you just get used to what it feels like to get clouted round the heid, you can. Makes you stronger. I’ll help you. I’m going to be the greatest warrior in Scotland. See when my father finds out what I can do? We’ll be warriors, wee Jamie. We’ll rule this country like roaring lions.

JAMES. I don’t want to do that.

WILLIAM. Aye you do. I’ll help you.

See if anything bad’s happening all you need to do is call for me. Just…

WILLIAM is suddenly wrenched away from JAMES, before he can finish the sentence, he’s just gone, whipped away into the dark.

JAMES cries out, sitting up, looking round wildly for WILLIAM.

WILLIAM is gone. JAMES is sucked further into the nightmare.

JAMES. Will?!

JOAN. Jamie?

JAMES. Mum? What is it?

JOAN. I need you to be a brave boy now, Jamie.

A brave, brave little boy.

Can you do that?

JAMES. I’m not a little boy. I’m six. I’m six whole years old.

JOAN. That’s right. You’re my brave little man. Come here, sweetheart.

JOAN’s in a terrible state of fear and tension but covering. She has blood on her.

JAMES. You’re hurt.

JOAN. No, no, I’m fine.

JAMES. You’re bleeding.

JOAN. It’s not my blood, Jamie. It’s from the men who killed your father.

JAMES. What are you doing?

JOAN is finding and putting on jewellery.

JOAN (preoccupied with her task). They’ll have to tear them off me, they’ll have to tear every jewel off me. They won’t get them otherwise. This is my wealth, Jamie. This is half my power.

JAMES. I like that one.

JAMES reaches out and touches a bracelet.

JOAN puts it on.

JOAN. Your father gave me that, when Annabella was born. He should have known. Pearls are unlucky.

(Shows JAMES.) But I have the King’s ring, look. I have your father’s ring. And when you’re big enough you’ll wear it and be King yourself.

JAMES. I don’t want to be King.

JOAN. Oh sweetheart, you’re King already, but it’s alright. I’ll help you. I’ll wear the ring and Mummy will be King for you till you’re grown.

She hears shouts outside – looking round, sees the kist.

They won’t stop me leaving if they think I’m alone…

JAMES. Who?

JOAN.…Bad men. Just bad men. They don’t want Mummy to be Queen.

They’ve come to drive me away. Traitors!

MEG enters with ANNABELLA, they’re ready for a journey.

MEG. What are you doing?

JOAN (the kist). This will work. Yes.

(To JAMES.) Come here, darling. I need you to hide in here.

MEG. Joan, no! I don’t want to leave him either. But we can’t take him with us!

JAMES. Why not? Where are you going? Meg?

JOAN. It’s alright, darling. We’re not leaving you behind.

JOHN STEWART hurries on.

JOHN STEWART. Queen Joan. Your guard is ready. They’ll let you ride out.

JAMES. Who’s that?

JOAN. Oh Christ save us, James, there’s no time, please, please… you’ll be safe in the box.

She helps him into the kist.

(To JOHN STEWART.) Save us, John Stewart. Save your King.

Save me and you’ll win me. Look at me. It’s true. You’ve seen how I’ve looked at you. I know you have. Help me now.

He hesitates.

JOHN STEWART. All the lor...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Contents
• Introduction by Rona Munro
• Acknowledgements
• Original Production Details
• James I: The Key Will Keep the Lock
• James II: Day of the Innocents
• James III: The True Mirror
• About the Author
• Copyright and Performing Rights Information