The Burning (play)

The Burning
Written byStewart Conn
Date premieredNovember 18, 1971
Place premieredRoyal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, Scotland
SubjectWitchcraft, Persecution
GenreDrama
SettingKingdom of Scotland

The Burning is a 1971 historical play, written by Stewart Conn.[1] Set during the life of James VI of Scotland, the play addresses the power struggle between the King and his cousin, the Earl of Bothwell.[2] It exemplifies the brutality meted out to those caught in the midst of any struggle for religious or political power, and also deals with themes of witchcraft and superstition within the context of a battle between authority and anarchy.[3][4] Conn's play was partly inspired by, and written in answer to, Robert McLellan's four-act comedy, Jamie the Saxt (1936), which earlier depicted the same period and events, though with a less direct portrayal of the King's major role in the persecution of witchcraft.[5][6]

The play was revived by Theatre Alba in 2003, in a production staged at the Brunton Theatre, Musselburgh, and in Duddingston Kirk Manse Gardens during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.[7]

  1. ^ "The Burning 1971 | The Lyceum | Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh". lyceum.org.uk.
  2. ^ Brown, Ian (20 October 2013). Scottish Theatre: Diversity, Language, Continuity. Rodopi. ISBN 9789401209946 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ Pizzato, Mark (2 May 2019). Mapping Global Theatre Histories. Springer. ISBN 9783030127275 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ Brown, Ian (24 September 2016). History as Theatrical Metaphor: History, Myth and National Identities in Modern Scottish Drama. Springer. ISBN 9781137473363 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ Brown, Ian (16 May 2011). Edinburgh Companion to Scottish Drama. Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 9780748688371 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ Brown, Ian (3 July 2009). Edinburgh Companion to Twentieth-Century Scottish Literature. Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 9780748636952 – via Google Books.
  7. ^ The Burning / The Enchauntit Gairden theatre programme, Theatre Alba, August 2003