Full cast revealed for THE QUEEN IS MAD at Edinburgh Fringe
Photo credit: Peter Langdown
SIX meets Sondheim in this dark saga about Catherine of Aragon’s fiery older sister.
The Queen is Mad is written by 2024 Stiles & Drewe Best New Song Prize finalists, Amy Clare Tasker and Tom James McGrath. Taking inspiration from the true story of Joanna of Castile. This three-actor musical begins when Joanna unexpectedly inherits the Spanish throne in 1504 and her father & husband conspire to usurp her power by convincing the world she was insane.
Director Amy Clare Tasker said: “She went down in history as Joanna the Mad – what if she wasn’t insane, but rightly furious at the way she was treated? How much has really changed for powerful women between Joanna’s time and the Free Britney campaign? The Queen Is Mad reclaims Joanna’s story as a quest for freedom and agency in a male-dominated world.”
The cast includes: Maria Coyne (The King & I, The Phantom of the Opera) as Joanna, Robert Finlayson (Road Show, Evita) as Ferdinand, and Brian Raftery (Sweeney Todd, Her Way) as Philip.
Composer Tom James McGrath said: “The Queen Is Mad has a fresh new sound that hasn’t been heard before in musical theatre. My influences for the show have included Stravinsky, Sondheim, and Max Martin. I want my music to move audiences with songs that are catchy and singable, but also haunting and profound.”
The Queen is Mad will play two preview performances at The Lion and Unicorn Theatre in London on 26 & 27 July before transferring to ZOO Southside at Edinburgh Festival Fringe from 1-24 August.