In BETC production of ‘Elizabeth I — In Her Own Words,’ Tammy Meneghini wows as the Virgin Queen of England.

Anyone with a passing knowledge of English history knows the major events in the life of Queen Elizabeth I. The daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth was not quite 3 when her father ordered her mother’s death. After the deaths of her half-brother Edward VI and half-sister Mary I, Elizabeth became queen at 25 in 1558, reigning for an astonishing 43 treacherous years.

Thanks to her intellectual prowess and enormous political cunning, she was able to outwit foe after foe and survive multiple plots to unseat or kill her— most notably those by her charismatic cousin Mary Queen of Scots, whom she ultimately had executed.

A powerful but enigmatic monarch, Elizabeth’s intentions and emotions were often unclear despite the numerous speeches she gave, letters she wrote, and private comments faithfully recorded by her ministers, courtiers and ambassadors. It is a testament to playwright Carole Levin and her collaborator Tammy L. Meneghini that their play Elizabeth I – In Her Own Words provides a believable, compelling and intimate portrait of the woman whose life and career have inspired generations of leaders who have followed her into the annals of history.

When we meet Elizabeth – played by Meneghini in a blazing tour de force performance – she is near the end of her life, alone in her bedchamber preparing for sleep. She immediately begins speaking directly to us, the audience, in what might seem like a bizarre break in the fourth wall. But as the play proceeds, the queen’s words — often taken verbatim from Elizabeth’s actual utterances — make it clear that we are stand-ins for her loyal subjects.

It’s a device that ensures our full attention as Elizabeth gradually reveals more and more of her inner and outer struggles as she navigates the demands she faces as England’s monarch and as a woman in love. (Known as “The Virgin Queen,” she never married.)

Tammy Meneghini as Elizabeth I, pictured in the meadow beside Craigmillar Castle, Edinburgh. | Photo: Colin Hattersley

Peeling back the layers

At first it appears the play will be essentially a literal historical drama as Elizabeth looks back on important events in her life and that of her nation. But as Meneghini literally removes layer after layer of Elizabeth’s beautiful queenly attire, it soon becomes obvious the play is far more than that. By its final scene, we are deeply moved almost to tears by how this extraordinary woman triumphed over the most daunting personal and political challenges on her march to building one of the greatest colonial empires the world has ever known.

In addition to Meneghini’s total embodiment of Elizabeth, the production also features occasional musical accompaniment on classical guitar by Rick Pruitt. It also features beautiful writing, using some of Elizabeth’s own words and numerous quotes from Shakespeare’s plays as they are relevant to the occurrences and feelings that Elizabeth is recounting.

Shakespearean scholars will easily identify most of the quotes; for those of us less knowledgeable we can still hear echoes of The Bard’s magnificent language. But don’t be distracted by trying to identify the quotes or their sources: Meneghini’s stunning performance is deserving of our full attention as she communicates the mind, spirit and power of arguably England’s greatest monarch.

BETC’s entire artistic and production team is to be applauded for bringing this stirring play to our area after its successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, also starring Meneghini. Elizabeth I – In Her Own Words is having a brief run in by BETC in Boulder but area patrons will have another chance to see the show, in Denver in September. It’s not to be missed.