Review: Victoria: A Queen Unbound (Watermill Theatre)

Review by Hywel Farrow-Wilton

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The story of Queen Victoria is arguably one of the most significant and widely known of all British monarchs. The woman who once ruled a third of the entire world, an Empress whose authority stretched from Mumbai to Scunthorpe. Of course, whenever anyone thinks of Victoria, her husband, Albert, is never far away. They are always thought of as an inseparable pair, tragically torn apart too soon by Albert’s early death, causing Victoria to enter mourning for the rest of her life, which surely proves that you cannot have V without the A. But is this true? Were they as much in love as they are remembered? Was Albert always a loving, doting, benign husband to the all-powerful Empress of the British Empire?

These are the questions that Victoria: A Queen Unbound seeks to answer; dissecting the psyche of a widow in mourning for 40 years, contrasted against a young woman struggling with the effects of nine pregnancies and her husband’s ambition on her ability to rule an Empire. The result is an emotionally reflective two-hour experience that addresses themes of the theatricality of royal life, what legacy we leave behind, and who gets to write that legacy.  

Victoria: A Queen Unbound is the latest adaptation of Queen Victoria by writer Daisy Goodwin. The play is a spiritual companion to Goodwin’s ITV series Victoria, starring Jenna Coleman in the titular role. Where the play differs from the ITV drama is that it purely centres on the relationship between Victoria and Albert, a political thriller this is not. The play opens with the ailing, elderly Queen Victoria consulting with her physician, Dr Reid, who tells her that she is nearly at the end of her life. She meets with her eldest son, Bertie (the future King Edward VII), and her daughter Beatrice, to discuss her wish for her personal diaries to be published after her death. She then begins to re-read her entries, starting with her first meeting with Prince Albert. The Queen quickly becomes a spectator to her own life as her younger self, and Albert springs to life from the diary pages and replays scenes from the past. What we then witness is a challenge to the assumed harmonious relationship between V&A as old memories begin to stir, reframing  Albert as an ambitious, often manipulative and coercive husband who takes advantage of the Queen’s practically continuous nine pregnancies to exert more control and influence for himself.

Writer Daisy Goodwin is, at this point, probably one of the most prolific authors of Victoria’s life in contemporary media, having written an ITV drama, a novel and now a play about the Queen. She has said that her interest stems from having read Victoria’s diaries at university, and she uses these diaries, often with direct quotes from them, as the basis for her depiction of Victoria in this play. The play’s form of a historical figure nearing death, looking back upon their life, isn’t exactly original. However, the effect of writing a young and an old Victoria as separate characters works extremely effectively and provides an interesting contrast to the person that she was and the person that she became. 

The play often reads more like an aristocratic kitchen-sink drama than a historical piece, which gives it a vital freshness and originality to one of the most famous, well-known and often-adapted women in history. This enables the play to forge new ground and makes it enjoyable for those who have seen plays and films about Victoria before. Because it refuses to touch on any of the political events of the time, it can solely focus on the relationship between the royal couple, which, in turn, allows it to become a wider commentary on the gender politics of marriage, power and pregnancy, which are still as relevant today. At times, I was concerned that the play was going to carry Victoria’s name but end up being about Albert and his life, and whilst it almost strayed into that territory near the end, I was very thankful that the two Victorias had the last word over Albert and their shared legacy, powerfully declaring that “I will be remembered as Queen. You will be remembered as my husband.” - I must admit that I nearly jumped to my feet to applaud that line.

Direction by Sophie Drake, whilst not thrilling, found strength and authority in its naturalistic minimalism. There were a few times when I found myself a little bored by the static nature of the scenes with the elderly Victoria and her children, but they provided a nice contrast to the scenes with the young Victoria and Albert, which were more youthful and expressive. Having the elderly Victoria on stage watching her younger self from her wheelchair was a very effective choice, and it humanised the Queen by putting her and the audience on the same level as evaluative critics of her life and relationship. There were a couple of moments that were slightly undermined by a tendency to play the lines for comedic relief when dramatic tension would have landed more powerfully, but ultimately, they didn’t completely detract from the politics or the emotional gravitas of the play.

Set and Costume design by Alex Berry were both very effective in conveying themes of reflection whilst maintaining historical accuracy. The costumes portray the contrast between the young and the old, with the elderly Victoria in her instantly recognisable black dress and veil, and the characters she interacts with also dressed in black in keeping with her full court mourning, which she maintained after Albert’s death. The young Victoria and Albert are dressed in brighter colours, showing their youth and excitement as well as giving their scenes a warmer, nostalgic quality when compared to the stark realism of the world of the older Victoria. The central piece of Berry’s set design was a huge frame of glass reminiscent of The Crystal Palace, built for The Great Exhibition. It also very effectively furthered the theme of reflection by being literally reflective of the actors on stage, whilst also using lighting to sometimes allow the audience to see through the glass to a huge bookcase behind it. A beautiful touch was a projection of a Victorian oil painting on the floor of the stage, only seen by the audience through the reflection in the mirror. This made it seem like the people depicted in the painting had jumped out to perform for the audience, and the old Victoria was bringing history back to life for herself and the audience. 

Amanda Boxer, as the elderly Victoria, is captivating, perfectly encapsulating the physical fragility of Victoria’s age. She expertly shows her immense power through her austere and imperious personality, but still retains the audience’s sympathy through her sardonic humour and wit. Jessica Rhodes gives a stand-out performance as Young Victoria, capturing her youthful vigour and humour at the beginning of her marriage, gradually turning it into suspicion and anxiety as she deals with her pregnancies and Albert’s manipulations, finishing as a Queen who finds newfound power in her life as a widow. Rowan Polonski strikes a tall and commanding figure as Prince Albert, starting as the handsome, lovable Prince before getting closer to villainy as he coerces and gaslights Victoria in his attempts to consolidate power in government and their relationship. 

Stephen Fewell, as Bertie, gets a fair few laughs playing a very pompous, rather impatient Prince of Wales, who, now approaching sixty, has waited nearly his whole life to be King. Sound familiar? Lydia Bakelmun plays Victoria’s daughter Beatrice as a benign and loving daughter who is facing her own relationship troubles, drawing comparisons between mother and daughter. Last, but not least, is Steve Chusak as Dr Reid, Victoria’s doctor and close confidant. He doesn’t have much stage time, but he still manages to portray a kind and likeable man whom Victoria trusts seemingly above members of her own family.

It is always an extremely difficult task to adapt a historical figure to the stage, especially one as well-known as Queen Victoria, but the Watermill have successfully managed to find a unique and interesting perspective that justifies, a lot better than others, re-visiting this story. It is very commendable that the production manages to prevent itself from being a run-of-the-(water)mill historical drama by framing their relationship through a gender critical lens. There are even, indirectly, parallels with Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, so if you’re a fan of The Crown, there are a lot of fascinating similarities to be found in this play. Armed with a unique script, compelling performances and thoughtful design, Victoria: A Queen Unbound is a thought-provoking show that appeals to those already familiar with the story of Victoria and Albert, to those more interested in the critical analysis of love, power, womanhood and legacy.  

Victoria: A Queen Unbound plays at the Watermill Theatre until 9^th May 2026. Tickets from https://www.watermill.org.uk/events/victoria#dates-and-times

Photos by Pamela Raith