To me, the Gamelan Musicians playing percussively against the backdrop went a long way toward meriting The Island Princess' epithet, "A Discovery Play." Probably the lightest of the RSC's 2002 Swan Season of rarely performed Jacobean plays, this one from 1617 fascinates by its referents to modern concerns like colonialism and clashes among cultures and religions. Rather than dismiss its melodramatic and non-intellectual facets, I found the swashbuckling and sudden "switchings" of allegiances amusing and the language fun. A further plus are Niki Turner's rich costumes of vivid red and gold plus all else but the black-and-white colonials' dress in glorious technicolor.
Gorgeous, bright-eyed Sasha Behar is Indonesian Princess Quisara, in love with blustering Portugeese colonial Captain Ruy Dias (purposefully hammy David Rintoul). He's with his adventurers on Tidore, whose King (mild mannered Michael Matus) has been captured by a sinister neighboring Governor (oily, mean-eyed Paul Bhattacharjee). Much-courted Quisara declares she'll give herself to the man who frees her brother, believing it will be Ruy Dias, for whom she'd go so far as to perhaps become a Christian. As he stalls, however, adventuresome newcomer Armusia (handsome, agile James Glover) affects a daring rescue of the King. He then has the Governor (disguised as a holy man) pursuing revenge against him, Quisara hesitating to keep her marriage promise, and Ruy Dias planning his murder. Further, the King is swayed by his "holy man" into thinking twice about his promised reward to Armusia because it might mean his and Quisara's children will be Christian, thus anti the island's heritage.
Loves and loyalties change rapidly, with Armusia being the only steadfast character in every respect. Finally, he wins respect for his religion by upholding his Christian faith not only in argument but with his very life. The Governor's duplicity and revengeful power-grabbing in the name of religion strike an intriguing modern note.
Among nice touches: the ease with which the Princess' maid is bribed to arrange access to her, as well as Quisara's aunt's self-importance (assuredly conveyed by Claire Benedict). And no movie villain was ever unmasked to more audience pleasure as is the Governor "unbearded."
I was relieved that the play wasn't camped; it was best to discover for oneself where the melodrama was ludicrous.
