An Introduction to Mary, Queen of Scots
Closing ENO’s 2024/25 London Coliseum Season is a concert performance of Thea Musgrave’s Mary, Queen of Scots. This rarely performed twentieth century operatic masterpiece by one of Scotland’s leading composers makes its ENO premiere this season.
The opera begins with Mary’s return to Scotland in 1561 after the death of her husband, and weaves through the political intrigue and personal tragedy that she faces, and ultimately, her imprisonment and eventual execution.
The Story
After King Francis II, King of France and Mary’s husband, dies, Mary returns to Scotland to become the Scottish Queen in 1561.
The story then revolves around Queen Mary’s relationships with three key men – her half-brother James Stewart, Earl of Moray who thought he would take the throne; her cousin and later husband, Lord Darnley who after their wedding becomes increasingly controlling; and her lover the Earl of Bothwell who she turns to for protection from her husband.
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The composer
Thea Musgrave is a renowned Scottish composer. She is celebrated for her groundbreaking contributions to opera and classical music. She has written over a dozen operas throughout her career. Mary, Queen of Scots premiered at the King’s Theatre in Edinburgh on September 6, 1977 and the libretto is based on Amalia Elguera’s play Moray.
Thea Musgrave has written several operas about other real life people in her career including American abolitionist Harriet Tubman (Harriet, the Woman Called Moses) and Simon Bolivar the South American revolutionary leader.
She has also composed orchestral, chamber, and choral pieces. She is probably one of the most influential female composers of the 20th century.
ENO’s 2025 production of Mary Queen of Scots
Our production is directed by Stewart Laing, the versatile Scottish director and designer. His credits include the design of the Broadway musical Titanic for which he won a Tony Award, as well as theatre and opera across the world.
Bringing Musgrave’s melodies to life on stage and making her ENO debut is American soprano Heidi Stober as Queen Mary. She will be accompanied by former Harewood Artist and baritone Alex Otterburn as James Stewart, Earl of Moray, and tenor Rupert Charlesworth as Lord Darnley. Tenor and another former Harewood Artist John Findon returns to the ENO as Earl of Bothwell.
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