Buxton is a somewhat isolated town in the Peak district so it is perhaps not surprising then that the annual festival Fringe’s reach extends out into the countryside with the small village of Eyam being twelve miles from Buxton. The Mechanics Institute theatre, seating around 50 and having a proper curtained stage is an idea venue for fringe productions, located directly opposite the church in this historic village, making a perfect setting for a historic play.
‘Jane – England’s nine day Queen’ by Kim Louise-Sparks, tells the tragic story of Lady Jane Grey with remarkable historical accuracy and attention to detail through twenty-five songs and very limited dialogue. The cast of nine (and a little doubling-up) display all the key characters in the story, with a key emphasis on the fact that Jane herself has no real desire to become a queen, essentially manipulated by relatives and others through mixed desires of power and religious fervour.
With the emphasis on telling the history, this is a very stylised production with the costumes a mix of modern dress and symbolic garments and weapons such as cloaks, swords and ecclesiastic appendages. The bare stage is bereft of props save a chair and a chess set on the two boxes (one of which also serving as the execution block), with the obvious symbolism that all the characters are to some extent pieces in a game although some clearly have more power to influence events than others.
The music makes for a pacy show, for the most part piano-based but with some guitar and other instruments, in the style of later works by Andrew Lloyd Webber (where the rock operas are less centred on rock music). A good balance is achieved between solo performances, duets and full ensemble songs with the mood of the music suitable mirroring the emotions of the story, from the optimism of the taking of the crown to the separation of Jane and her husband Dudley, as they await execution. The cast have plenty of accomplished singers, although the volume of the recorded music makes it difficult at times to hear clearly the words of the un-amplified singers.
Writer Kim Louise-Sparks also directs the show and has made the most of the small stage area to allow movement of the cast, at times with some dance or swordplay, although the full complement of nine pretty much fills the performance area, with little room for much action. A duet between Jane and Mary works well with perfectly mirrored movements as each ruminates on the outcome of events. The split set of Jane and Dudley in separate cells awaiting execution is also simple but effective, as each receives last letters from the other.
Reviewer: John Waterhouse
On: 18th July 2026
