Review: 'Serving Elizabeth' at Ontario's Stratford Festival

The Stratford Festival’s under the tent season continues with the exciting and complex drama ‘Serving Elizabeth’ by Marcia Johnson.  Premiering in British Columbia in 2020, the story interweaves two generations and multiple class levels offering an impactful statement around the issues of colonialism, race, and cultural exploitation.  Starring two Stratford mainstays in Sara Topham and Sean Arbuckle along with three Stratford newcomers, the plot centres around the 1952 Kenyan visit by Princess Elizabeth. The parallel plot focuses on a 2015 television production crew in London based loosely on a popular Netflix program about the royals.  Demands on the actors are immense as each plays at least two characters, from both parts of the plot.  What also becomes most clear is that the costume design by A.W. Nadine Grant makes this production dazzle.

Discomfort and conflict arise immediately in Mercy’s traditional Kenyan restaurant where she and her daughter, wearing spectacular flower print dresses, meet a complete stranger who is white and seemingly out of place.  Talbot (Sean Arbuckle) arrives in a crisp tan suit with gleaming shoes and fedora to match.  The conflict is both visual and textual.  He is clearly auditioning Mercy (forcefully played by Arlene Duncan) for a role in Elizabeth’s visit, but she refuses the moment she hears about “comportment lessons.”  Her daughter Faith (Vergilia Griffith) contrives to secure the lucrative contract and the stage is set for the convergence of classes and the conflicts that follow.

The London plot that dovetails the Kenyan plot begins with a Canadian film student, Tia who is played by the versatile Ms. Griffith, and focuses on a script by a Caucasian writer that soon becomes her kryptonite as it reveals its myopic view of colonialism.  Along with her production manager (Topham), both dressed in smart, but colourful business fashion, Tia works on a more robust and culturally sensitive script.

The strength in Ms. Johnson’s script is in the constant interplay between the two plots.  This is also a strength of the costumes.  They define characters and the generations.  They also define the various classes but intricately demonstrate the interactions and commonalities between princess and cook or envoy and driver.  Elizabeth’s formal dress is a spectacular tea length swing dress in a soft blue with subtle embroidered gold.  The servants’ uniforms are a similar colour and Tia’s 2015 dress echoes her Kenyan alter ego’s outfit.  A Kenyan driver and Cambridge graduate, played with energy by Cameron Grant, is smart in a full officer’s suit that is highly starched by colonial overrule.  As a 2015 actor, he is more relaxed in rich pastels that reflect his vibrant character.

The climax takes place as Mercy plots her opportunity to confront Elizabeth about the ills of the commonwealth takeover.  The irony is that Mercy has learned of George VI’s death and Elizabeth has not.  Elizabeth is wearing a plain sporting outfit, ironically unaware of her new and overwhelming role.  Mercy is tempered by this and they find common ground.

One intrigue was some brilliant physical humour from Mr. Arbuckle as he struggles with compromised eyesight trying to read a script.  After a confrontation with Tia, and some storm personification, his eyes seem to improve.  Ms. Johnson asks us to question what we see and question who should be telling our stories.  In the end, though, Ms. Grant’s costumes win the day.  The fussy envoy at one point belittles the quietly seething Mercy as he reminds her that an apron is missing from her uniform.  She returns with the adjustment – costumes tell a great deal of this story.

Production runs one hour and 43 minutes with no intermission.

Photo of L - R: Sara Topham as Elizabeth and Arlene Duncan as Mercy by David Hou.

‘Serving Elizabeth’ by Marcia Johnson

Performers:  Sean Arbuckle, Arlene Duncan, Virgilia Griffith, Sara Topham, Roy Lewis

Director:  Kimberley Rampersad

Set designer:  Tamara Marie Kucheran

Costume designer:  A.W. Nadine Grant

Composer:  Debashis Sinha

Lighting designer: Michel Charbonneau

‘Serving Elizabeth’ runs to September 26 at the Tom Patterson Theatre Canopy, Stratford Ontario. For tickets and other information, please visit www.stratfordfestival.ca.