Picture: Earl Echivarre
New musical psychodrama The Queen is Mad at Studio at ZOO Southside has received a Special Commendation from the Musical Theatre Review Best Musical Award panel at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025.
Presented by Castile Collective Ltd in association with Pinecone Performance Lab, the piece tells the story of Queen Joanna who inherits the crown of Castile in the 17th century.
Stiles & Drewe Best New Song Prize 2024 finalists Amy Clare Tasker and Tom James McGrath took inspiration for the show from Catherine of Aragon’s older sister, Joanna. The production featured the Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut of West End actor Maria Coyne who starred as “Joanna la Loca”, the rebellious and furious Queen of Castile.
This three-actor musical highlights the power struggle between Joanna, her father, and her husband when she unexpectedly inherits the Spanish throne in 1504. The men use Joanna’s fiery nature against her, spreading rumours that she is mentally unfit to rule and locking her away in a tower.
Edinburgh editor Fiona Orr who led the team of judges commented: “This is a beautiful story, well told, with simple, effective staging keeping the narrative clear and outstanding performances. Book, music and lyrics are superbly crafted and deserve to be highlighted.”
Actor Brian Raftery, writers Tom James McGrath and Amy Clare Tasker, producer Hannah Jayne, performers Maria Coyne and Robert Finlayson and MTR Edinburgh editor Fiona Orr
MTR reviewer Charlotte Purkis wrote in her five-star review: “Maria Coyne offers a faultless and controlled vocal performance of high intensity and passion married with precise character portrayal. An incredibly experienced performer, she sustains a strong and compelling presence. She manages to project herself as abused and vulnerable with just a look or a twitch. The desire to rush and save her is strong.
“Whatever the truth about her mental state, the production succeeds at questioning Joanna’s alleged ‘madness’ in a far more effective way than a narrative history book because the audience is taken on her journey and carried along by the powerfully emotional vocalisations of this amazingly varied high standard show.”
Musical Theatre Review editor, Lisa Martland added: “It is a privilege to highlight musical theatre across the Festival Fringe every August. We look forward to seeing how The Queen is Mad develops in the future. Not forgetting the shortlisted productions, it’s fascinating to see new talent progress.”
Cast and creative credits for The Queen is Mad are: Maria Coyne, Robert Finlayson, Brian Raftery (cast); Amy Clare Tasker (book and lyrics, director); Tom James McGrath (book, music and lyrics, musical director); Eve Mary Oakley (designer); Rose Ryan (intimacy director); Chiara Vascotto (assistant director); and Katie Bennett and Hannah Jayne (producers).
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NEWS: Shortlist revealed for Musical Theatre Review’s Best Musical Award at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025.
REVIEW: The Queen is Mad at Pleasance Two at Pleasance Courtyard.
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