Scottish Ballet's Mary, Queen of Scots: some riveting performances

Roseanna Leney as Mary with Scottish Ballet in Sophie Laplane’s Mary, Queen of Scots

Charlotta Öfverholm, Thomas Edwards and Harvey Littlefield in Mary, Queen of Scots

Roseanna Leney as Mary and Evan Loudon as Darnley in Mary, Queen of Scots

Madeline Squire as Catherine de’ Medici in Mary, Queen of Scots

Kayla-Maree Tarantolo as the Jester in Scottish Ballet's Mary, Queen of Scots

Thomas Edwards (Walsingham) and Harvey Littlefield (Younger Elizabeth) in Mary, Queen of Scots

By Jonathan Gray, 06 March 2026

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“Events unfold with rapidity, but they are often simplistically told”

Reviewed at Sadler's Wells Theatre, London on 5 March 2026

Mary, Queen of Scots (Sophie Laplane)

Scottish Ballet

James Bonas, Director

Soutra Gilmour, Set Designer, Costume Designer

Bonnie Beecher, Lighting Designer

Scottish Ballet Orchestra

Roseanna Leney, Dancer

Bruno Micchiardi, Dancer

Evan Loudon, Dancer

Harvey LIttlefield, Dancer

Madeline Squire, Dancer

Thomas Edwards, Dancer

Charlotta Öfverholm, Dancer

Mary, Queen of Scots: Scottish Ballet at Edinburgh Festival

Kathy Elgin, 15th August

Resident choreographer Sophie Laplane, star dancer with the company for 13 years before spreading her choreographic wings, takes on Scotland’s most tragic and divisive historical figure

*****

Twice-Born: Scottish Ballet punches well above its weight

Graham Watts, 6th March

A film and two live performances prove to be an excellent demonstration of Scottish Ballet's diverse talents.

****1

Ballet Black's HEROES: supremely well danced double bill

Graham Watts, 7th November

A programme to show that heroism is not just about feats of action and adventure, with Ballet Black's supremely good dancers rising to each challenge.

***11

Scottish Ballet excels in a diverse, quirky quadruple bill

Kathy Elgin, 16th October

By the time a rain of multicoloured paper hands floated down from above, a bizarre figure in orange strolled onstage, ignored by everybody, the audience was in love with the whole thing.

****1

An evening with Scottish Ballet at the Edinburgh Festival

Graham Watts, 8th August

A worthwhile addition to the locker of lockdown digital dance.

***11

Scottish Ballet: Sibilo / Emergence

Kirsty Morgan, 29th September

From whistles to buzzing bees, Scottish Ballet’s October double-bill of Siblio and Emergence delight the Theatre Royal in Glasgow.

****1

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Jonathan Gray

Jonathan Gray was born in Wales and studied at The Royal Ballet School, Leicester Polytechnic and Wimbledon School of Art. He was a member of the curatorial department of The Theatre Museum, London, from 1989 until 2005, and was editor of Dancing Times from 2008 until its closure in 2022.

Scottish Ballet’s Mary, Queen of Scots: some riveting performances