O, thou well-skilled in curses, stay awhile,

And teach me how to curse mine enemies.

Margaret Anjou has spent her life learning about words: where they’ve come from, how they’ve transformed, and why they hold so much power. But when words are used against her, what can she do to stop their destructive power. Ho Ka Kei (Jeff Ho)’s latest work, Prophetess, turns the War of the Roses into a modern masterpiece. Directed by Tarragon’s artistic director Mike Payette, and starring the inimitable Karen Robinson, Prophetess is a haunting examination of language, love, and loss. What a way to start off Tarragon’s 55^th Anniversary season!

Margaret has made her way to the top of York’s English Department. She specializes in etymology, particularly the history of curse words. There’s a new hire this year, Anne Neville, who idolizes Margaret, and is something of an etymologist herself. But Margaret has been having strange dreams of spiders who speak to her and now they are appearing in her waking hours as well. After an incident involving Anne, Margaret is confronted by an HR representative, Elizabeth, and her husband Richard (or Dickie as the spider calls him), who was a star pupil of Margaret’s back in the day. Can Margaret escape the tangled web she finds herself in?

Jeff Ho has masterfully taken some of Shakespeare’s most passionate and intriguing characters and given them a bold new life in Prophetess. The idea of having them teach at a University is brilliant, as it allows for a hierarchical structure similar to a monarchy while allowing it to remain in this modern context. He’s kept everything that makes these characters memorable: their power, their vulnerability, their insecurities, and their deep history with one another. There are whole scenes where the characters involved and the dynamic in general is right out of the Bard’s works, and yet it still feels fresh at the same time. This delicate balance which Ho has struck with this marvellous text thrills me; it gives me that sense of recognition while also exploring a different dimension and plot for these characters. Not to mention that there are twists and turns in this play which made me gasp aloud; another testament to the incredible writing and performances we get to witness.

The design of the production entirely supports Ho’s vision; every element is impressive on its own, but they come together to create a cohesive and immersive vision. Jawon Kang’s set is honestly what I had hoped my university experience was going to look like: bookshelves line the walls, with majestic arches cut out to reveal stunning stained glass windows. On one shelf there are some personal items, photos and such, which act as subtle clues into Margaret’s life. Logan Raju Cracknell’s lighting design and Laura Warren’s projection design allow us to understand when we’re moving locations even though the set remains the same. The projections are integral to the more eerie elements to this play, accompanied by Maddie Bautista’s impressive sound design – just thinking about it gives me chills down my spine! This is all topped off by Ting – Huan 挺歡 Christine Urquhart’s perfectly designed costumes. Margaret and Henry, as the Lancaster faction, wear deep shades of red, while Elizabeth and Dickie wear white and blue to represent the house of York. Anne’s green ensemble shows her not only to be new to this whole ecosystem of York University, but also as a third party to the ongoing feud.

Karen Robinson is a tour-de-force as Margaret. Passionate, feisty, yet deeply emotional, Robinson is making a triumphant return to the stage. Natasha Mumba beautifully matches that energy as Anne; her final speech to Elizabeth and Richard at the end of the play put a fire in my heart that I can still feel days later. Christine Horne is by turns meek and professional and by others vicious as Elizabeth. She’s a perfect foil for Robinson and to see the two of them verbally sparring throughout this play is a delight. Rick Roberts plays two wholly different characters and he does so with grace and humour. Watching his moustache slowly falling off was a highlight of the final act of the play, making me giggle in places which were definitely supposed to be more serious.

One of Margaret’s passions in Prophetess is curses, and modern curse words especially. Yet what about the flip side to that? What about the blessings in her life? We see how they linger in her memory throughout the play, yet also how they might be presenting as a new colleague, a new friend. Ho’s text reminds us that for every horrible thing in the universe, there’s something bright and wonderful, too. Even though it can feel like the darkness is all-consuming, there’s often a blessing waiting on the other side of a curse.

Prophetess has just been extended through to October 29 in the Tarragon Theatre Mainspace. For more information and tickets, visit: https://tarragontheatre.com/plays/tarragon-season-26-27/prophetess/

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Quote from Richard III: https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/richard-iii/read/4/4/?q=Queen%20Margaret#line-SD%204.4.0

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Cover Photo: Karen Robinson. Photo by Jae Yang.

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