Saoirse Ronan wants to return to the Great White Way before a live audience. (Photo: Bang ShowBiz)
Saoirse Ronan, who’s appearing in the stunning period piece “Mary Queen of Scots,” longs for the sights and sounds of Broadway in New York City. It turns out, she loves a crowd.
The audience, she says, gives her real-time feedback when she’s on stage.
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Saoirse Ronan previously appeared on a Broadway two years ago in a revival of Arthur Miller’s iconic play The Crucible. in 2016.
The ensemble cast, led by Ben Whishaw, Sophie Okonedo, Ciaran Hinds and Ronan drew rave reviews during its run.
Miller’s play dramatized the Salem witch trials in the Massachusetts Bay Colony during 1600s. But he gave events a twist to reflect the political climate of fear and hysteria in the United States at that time. The nation was caught in the grip of the Red Scare.
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The play was her only turn on Broadway.
“When I did ‘The Crucible’ onstage in New York, I loved it, Ronan told The New York Post.
“I got to live here, but left when I was young. On a movie set, there’s no feedback from the audience. A live show is great. I relish coming back to the city. Being here, performing live theater is wonderful.”
In her latest film “Mary Queen of Scots,” Saoirse Ronan plays the rebellious Scottish queen, opposite Margot Robbie who plays Mary’s cousin Queen Elizabeth I.
The drama biopic focuses on the feud between England and Scotland in 1569, largely driven by religious differences. Scotland was Roman Catholic, while Britain was Anglican.
The “Lady Bird” star admits it is a dream come true to play the historical figure.
Saoirse said:
“The film focuses on the seven years before Mary’s arrest in England and we see Queen Elizabeth heavily involved in the politics of that time and the struggle against patriarchal authority. I’ve always wanted to play Mary and it was an amazing feeling to get to do it.
“It’s a fascinating and compelling story and I couldn’t wait to play this character. We get to see Mary in a very personal way, which adds another layer to the story and all the politics, betrayals and conspiracies taking place.”
On the death of King Edward VI in 1553, Mary, a devout Roman Catholic, was declared queen. Elizabeth was jailed for allegedly supporting Protestant rebels.
Elizabeth succeeded her in 1558 and declared the establishment of Protestantism as the official religion of England. Eventually, it became the Church of England.
Mary was considered the legitimate queen by English Catholics, and an intense rivalry ensued.
The Scottish queen plots to overthrow Elizabeth I and re-establish Catholicism as the official religion. But her coup failed and she landed in prison. Eventually, Elizabeth ordered Mary executed.
Oddly, Elizabeth, childless during her reign, was succeeded by Mary’s son, James VI of Scotland.
The film also stars Jack Lowden, Joe Alwyn, Gemma Chan, Martin Compston, Ismael Cordova, Brendan Coyle, Ian Hart, Adrian Lester, James McArdle, David Tennant and Guy Pearce.
Beau Willimon adapted the screenplay based on John Guy’s biography “Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart.” Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Debra Hayward are producers.
Kate Winslet and Ronan are set to play lesbian lovers in the upcoming Francis Lee romantic drama “Ammonite.”
“Ammonite” is based on the life of palaeontologist Mary Anning. It’s set in an 1840s English coastal town and follows her unlikely romance with a young, wealthy London woman.
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Anning unexpectedly becomes her nursemaid when the woman arrives in the town to convalesce.
Anning lived in late early 19th-century Britain. She is credited with making key scientific discoveries in the Jurassic marine fossil beds in the Channel at Lyme Regis in the county of Dorset in Southwest England.