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The Journey of Jeannie Deans
By
Jul 15, 2008, 18:58

Reviews of Rowan Tree's

The Journey of Jeannie Deans

**** THE SCOTSMAN 

It’s a truth universally acknowledged, alas, that no-one reads the novels of Sir Walter Scott any more; which is why we owe a special debt of gratitude to shoestring companies like Judy Steel’s Rowan Tree group. 

Based in the Borders, it may lack the resources to present the kind of sleek work seen elsewhere on the Fringe, but it has a sharp eye for the superb theatrical potential of some of the finest romantic stories ever told. 

The tale of Jeannie Deans is perhaps the finest of them all, courageous and – for its time – groundbreaking, in its account of how a brave girl from the outskirts of Edinburgh walks all the way to London to beg royal mercy for the life of her sister, Effie, condemned to death for concealing a pregnancy and for presumed child murder. 

Scott’s doughty defence of strong women betrayed and bullied by patriarchal law, the superb character of Jeannie herself, and the brilliant strand of political and constitutional commentary that accompanies the tale – set in an 18^th century Edinburgh still smarting from the loss of its won king and parliament – makes the story as gripping, and as full of contemporary resonances, as it is gripping. 

There’s a real, successful ingenuity in Steel’s efforts to tell such a wide-ranging tale with only three actors, and one wild and brilliant female fiddle-player. .. This is a show that  gives its audiences a memorably good time… 

Joyce McMillan

**** EVENING NEWS 

Adapted by Judy Steel from Sir Walter Scott’s novel, the Heart of Midlothian, the Borders company’s latest offering is a brilliantly acted, well-constructed, and thoroughly engaging piece of theatre.  … 

Given the versatility of the actors and the quickness of the costume changes, the audience might be forgiven for thinking there are more than four cast members. 

Nicola Jo Cully gives an excellent performance as Effie.  Her bouncy, carefree demeanour at the beginning of the play slowly gives way to fear and desperation .  She is almost unrecognisable when she assumes the role of Queen Caroline. 

Sean Kane, too, shows great versatility, portraying not only Effie’s English lover George Robertson, but also thick-accented Edinburgher Mr. Saddletree, the Lord Justice Clerk, and the second Duke of Argyll.  

The title role is played with relish by Zoe Hunter, utterly believable as the woman torn between family and faith. 

Cully and Hunter also effortlessly transform into a couple of Edinburgh wifies, who not only chat with Mr. Saddletree about the riots, but also make pertinent comments on Scotland’s national identity. 

Talented musician Hannah Read completes the line-up as fiddle-playing Madge Wildfire. 

Comprised of black drapes and maps of the city, the set is simple, allowing the audience to focus on the drama, skilfully orchestrated by Catriona Taylor. 

Tom Maxwell

***THE TIMES 

Judy Steel, with her Rowan Tree Company, may also lay claim to being one of Scotland’s playwrights.  Working with director Catriona Taylor, she has carved out a section from Sir Walter Scott’s The Heart of Midlothian and turned it into a workable piece of theatre. 

Using just three actors and a musician, she manages the streets of Edinburgh, the infamous Porteous Riots and the London court for the story of how Jeannie walked to London top plead for the life of her younger sister, Effie. 
 
She had been accused of concealing a pregnancy out of wedlock and then allowing the child to die.  Jeannie is too schooled in the morality of the Kirk to lie on oath, but, as in the real-life incident from which Scott got the story, her faith and love, and a twist of fate, helped her win the day…It remains a great story, and Zoe Hunter has enough sincerity and grace in the title role to make it work.