Three Queens from the Opera
★★★★☆ Delightful
Stockbridge Church (Venue 317): Wed 6 – Mon 25 Aug 2025
Review by Rebecca Mahar
Michael Scott presents Three Queens from the Opera for a limited five show run at Stockbridge Church, in what proves to be a delightful musical parody revue of operatic royalty.
The Queen of Night (Jennifer Murray) and The Queen of Scots aka Lady Macbeth (Elaine Young) have decided to put on a concertino celebrating the queens of opera. But, after discovering that the Queen of Spades is in fact a playing card, have been joined by Cinderella (Caroline Warburton) as a substitute, even though she’s not technically a queen.
Elaine Young, Caroline Warburton and Jennifer Murray. Pic Michael Scott.
Written and directed by Michael Scott, this Three Queens is a revised and expanded update of an earlier iteration. This version has space to breathe and allow the queens to really strut their stuff. Murray is a wonderfully stuck-up Queen of the Night and Young a blunt and ruthless Lady Macbeth. As a duo, they play off each other brilliantly.
Warburton’s earnest and eager Cinderella just wants to be friends— and to be counted among the queens, because obviously, she has married a prince, and has “an opera named after me, which is more than I can say for you two.” But there really aren’t all that many queens in opera, when it comes down to it, and some are stricter on their definition than others.
a through line of empowerment
Amidst the trio’s excellent vocals, running a gamut of twenty pieces with parodied lyrics by Scott, there’s plenty of humour and a through line of empowerment: a queen will always be a queen, and she doesn’t need a king to make her one. That’s the in for Cinderella, once the Queen of the Night and Lady Macbeth realise she’s measuring herself by her attachment to her prince; they’ll be having none of that.
There are a few minor bobbles, and some places where the acoustics of the venue get in the way of clarity, but the enthusiasm with which the trio of singers tackle their concertino and its simple narrative, that wraps its girl power in a light-hearted fist, more than compensate.
Viva the queens from opera; long may they sing the glory of their story in opera!
Running time: 50 minutes (no interval).
Stockbridge Church, 7b Saxe Coburg Street EH3 5BN (Venue 317).
6, 10, 17, 23 & 25August 2025.
Five performances only: 4.30pm.
Tickets and details: Book here on EdFringe.com.
Facebook: @MichaelScott
Caroline Warburton, Elaine Young and Jennifer Murray. Pic Michael Scott.
ENDS
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