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Swive [Elizabeth]
Elizabeth I is the only unmarried woman to have ever ruled England. And she reigned for forty-four years. Mastermind. Seductress. Survivor. Swive [Elizabeth] premiered in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse at Shakespeare's Globe, London, in December 2019.
- GenresPlays
72 pages, Paperback
Published October 27, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 13, 2025
Like whatever. I imagine it plays better than it reads. I’ve seen this thematically all before and I will see it again.
July 19, 2020
As I’m a huge sucker for anything Elizabeth, this was a must read and I have to say, this may be my favorite Elizabeth in theatre that I’ve read. The dialogue alone was wonderful and really pulled you in, and I loved the way the roles were broken up.
At the beginning, with Elizabeth’s constant praying and fear of the dark, it almost read like a horror movie, before falling back into the traditional courtly dramas. All in all, I think the vibe was Dark Shadows in a way for me (and that is a compliment, believe me).
I particularly loved the entire episode with the Seymour/Parr family. Her budding savvy, combined with some of the best dialogue in the entire piece, made this the highlight for me.
The younger Elizabeth is, to me, the most intriguing character, as she fluctuates between afraid and tender to icy and official so easily that it’s jarring.
Favorite line I’ve read in a long time:
“Don’t use your intellect on me. I gave it to you.”
At the beginning, with Elizabeth’s constant praying and fear of the dark, it almost read like a horror movie, before falling back into the traditional courtly dramas. All in all, I think the vibe was Dark Shadows in a way for me (and that is a compliment, believe me).
I particularly loved the entire episode with the Seymour/Parr family. Her budding savvy, combined with some of the best dialogue in the entire piece, made this the highlight for me.
The younger Elizabeth is, to me, the most intriguing character, as she fluctuates between afraid and tender to icy and official so easily that it’s jarring.
Favorite line I’ve read in a long time:
“Don’t use your intellect on me. I gave it to you.”
July 10, 2022
"I would encourage future productions to engage with the work as a new play rather than a historic play"
Swive [Elizabeth] is beautifully written in a modern way that brings humour and relatability while still sticking truthful to the sentiment of the historical characters it presents
Swive [Elizabeth] is beautifully written in a modern way that brings humour and relatability while still sticking truthful to the sentiment of the historical characters it presents
December 31, 2020
The beginning of an all-night Wikipedia wormhole.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews