Rent Edward II (1991)

A queer Edward II - Edward II review by GF

This very individual adaptation of Marlowe's Edward II made me long for a more traditional performance of the play. Here we have Marlowe's words, but often accompanied by or interspersed with action that is more extreme ( generally more violent and more obscene, but sometimes more childish) than anything to be found in the text. The actors appear in modern dress, and the young Edward III plays with 20th century toys. This may enable Derek Jarman to make some non-Marlovian satirical points, but its incongruousness is damaging to the realism of the play which is basically a true story of known events in the history of 14th century England. The play is sensationalised and trivialised at the same time. Jarman's version does not have the weight that the text requires. Edward III is the only good character in the play, and in the final scenes he is required to restore order and normality after the troubled reign of his father. In Jarman's version he is too childish and does not have the dignity and authority that would enable him to fill this role successfully.