Photo by Bill Hill. (L to R) Michael James as the Earl of Essex, Robert Loucks as Lord Burghley, Jan Streader as Queen Elizabeth I, Peter Wilkinson as The Fool, Chris Allen as Sir Robert Cecil, Aaron Franks as Sir Walter Raleigh

Jan Streader – Queen Elizabeth I

It was a tremendous responsibility playing such a great historical figure. The powerful Queen struggling to hold her own in a viper’s nest of men, all plotting the downfall of her favourite. The tempestuous love affair between Elisabeth and the young, ambitious Earl of Essex ended with his death on the block, leaving her a broken-hearted old woman. Months in preparation, this sumptuous production was lovingly mounted by a cast and crew of ninety-seven.

Jan Streader as Queen Elizabeth I