Richmondshire Today

Dyad Productions returned to the Georgian Theatre Royal with That Knave, Raleigh — and what a return it was.

Written and performed by Andrew Margerison and directed by Rebecca Vaughan, this powerful one-man show captivated the audience from the first breath to the last, offering a compelling and deeply human portrait of one of history’s most enigmatic figures.

Sir Walter Raleigh — seafarer, courtier, poet, prisoner — emerges here as a man of brilliance and contradiction. Margerison’s performance masterfully draws out Raleigh’s extraordinary intelligence, charisma, and drive, while never shying away from his flaws: his ambition, pride, and political miscalculations. This is a Raleigh who can dazzle with wit one moment and break your heart the next.

Over the course of 75 mesmerising minutes, Margerison holds the stage entirely alone, yet the world he creates is rich with drama, danger and emotional depth. The audience becomes his confidant — drawn into his storm of rage, regret, love and longing. His delivery shifts seamlessly between vitriol, confession and feverish dream, offering glimpses of both the public figure and the private man.

Among the most gripping moments are his initial sentence — to be hung, drawn and quartered — and the reprieve that delays but does not save him. Years later, we see him reflect with both clarity and defiance as he faces the execution he believes befits his life and legacy. The poignancy of his final farewell to his beloved wife Bess, for whom he defied Queen Elizabeth all those years ago, is deeply moving. Equally affecting is the moment he recounts the death of his son Walter, shot on their doomed expedition to win gold and the elusive favour of James I.

The production vividly evokes the intrigue and instability of the Jacobean court — a world dominated by favourites, whispers and betrayal. Through Raleigh’s eyes, we sense the fragility of status, the brutality of politics, and the crushing weight of royal disapproval. Is he guilty of treason? Is he lying? Has he been betrayed? The play never offers easy answers, and therein lies its power: the audience must decide.

The staging is simple, the effect profound. A particularly haunting image is Raleigh watching the gallows rise from the window of the Tower, a chilling reminder of his fate. That moment — quiet, human, and devastating — lingers long after the final bow.

Fans of Dyad Productions will not have been disappointed by this latest offering. Their reputation for intelligent, thought-provoking theatre remains firmly intact. And the audience, visibly moved and audibly impressed, left with much to ponder — and perhaps a newfound desire to read more about the man behind the myth.

Hampshire Chronicle

Before this evening’s performance of That Knave, Raleigh, I must admit that my poor recollection of history lessons at school left me with only a little knowledge of the subject. However, thanks to a truly absorbing performance from Dyad Production’s Andrew Margerison, I now feel that I knew the man!

This one-man show delves into the life and legacy of the infamous Elizabethan courtier, Sir Walter Raleigh. With only a simple stage set and the inspired use of lighting, Margerison pulls the audience into the trials (both literal and figurative) and tribulations of this historical figure. Structured as a story being told by the man himself, we were treated not only to exceptional acting skills but also to the clever use of wit as well as historical depth and accuracy. It offered a fascinating perspective on the man who helped shape this period of English history, and whose relationship with Queen Elizabeth I remains a subject of fascination to many.

Andrew Margerison, who also wrote this production for Dyad, commands the stage from the opening moments. He plays the role with the gravitas and nuance that any solo performance must have. His portrayal of Raleigh is multi-faceted, witty in places, and heartbreakingly tragic in others. His gift for monologue keeps the audience engaged, as he encapsulates Raleigh’s rise from courtier and a favourite of the Queen, through his voyages to the New World, and ultimately to his tragic end.

The script uses historical insight as well as poetic language, which helps transport the viewer to a different era. It explores Raleigh’s motives, ambitions, and the consequences of his actions.

That Knave, Raleigh is another testament to Dyad Productions’ strength in crafting intelligent, actor-driven historical dramas. Whether you have a love of history, or, if like me, you have forgotten most of the history you may have learned, this is a performance to enjoy. Dramatic, entertaining and informative.

Broadway World

Dyad Productions is back at our Fringe with three performances, the first featuring Andrew Margerison, directed by Rebecca Vaughan, in That Knave, Raleigh. If you had English History lessons at school, you probably know little more than that Sir Walter Raleigh led his fleet to defeat the Spanish Armada, and have heard the anecdote that he placed his cape on the ground so that Queen Elizabeth could cross without stepping in the mud. There is much more to his story than that.

The production is primarily concerned with Raleigh’s life after James I succeeded Elizabeth I, and the King accused him of being a traitor. From his well-researched script, Margerison breathes life into Raleigh’s tale, taking the facts and bringing them to life in a captivating narrative. With occasional references to earlier parts of his life, Raleigh tells of being taken from prison in the Tower of London, to a biased trial that condemned him to death, reprieved on the scaffold to spend 13 years in prison, set free in 1616, but not pardoned, sent to seek the gold of the legendary El Dorado, and to his eventual execution. There are no ‘spoilers’ in this synopsis; it’s history.

What Margerison does is to show us the man, his character, and his many facets. Raleigh wrote poetry, had a love of fine clothes, studied at Oxford, fought the rebels in Ireland, for which he was awarded vast estates in Munster, served as a Member of Parliament, and had a family, but you’ll hear more of them in the performance.

Margerison does his character justice in a superb performance, aided only by a few pieces of furniture to delineate different places and times, an occasional variation to his costume, and some very effective lighting. Historical drama is a genre that the English do well. Growing up in London, I was surrounded by history and, like so many, it fascinated me. This production satisfied my love of the past, as well as my love of excellent theatre. Margerison provided both in this wonderful production. There are gems in the Fringe, and this is one of them this year.

This was a fine start to my Fringe for 2025, and the second performance of the afternoon, A Room of One’s Own, continued the pleasure.

Stage Whispers

Sir Walter Raleigh spends a lot of time locked up in the Tower of London. Whether it’s for marrying the Queen’s lady-in-waiting without permission from the monarch, or treason against the King, Raleigh has found a way to live a reasonable life from within a prison cell, seemingly his only trouble being where he last had his clay pipe.

Raleigh cheats death with unusual frequency too: we’re told of death sentences aplenty, but delayed, then quashed, then renewed once more. This is a life of a true adventurer, but is he a visionary or a victim?

Dyad Productions present a one-man show about Sir Walter, performed with style, wit and a troublesome ruff, by Andrew Margerison. He starts and ends with Raleigh in the Tower, but in between, the audience is taken on exciting adventures across the seas, talking up his role in the destruction of the Spanish fleet (with Sir Francis Drake), and his final mission for a monarch, seeking the lost city of Gold in what is now Venezuela.

Yet Margerison offers more than a man with a thirst for adventure: he’s a husband, a father, and his love for his wife and son are strong: though, his opportunity to escape seems to win out most times. He’s shown as a man with a gift of oratory, with immeasurable optimism (or conceit) that his way will prevail. As Margerison performs as Raleigh, his case is persuasive, and it’s hard to argue that this didn’t serve him well.

It's a good history lesson from a great performer.