Staging of a Play about the Life of Queen Margaret
A play about the life of the historical figure Margaret (1045-93), Queen Consort to King Malcolm Canmore of Scotland, was performed by Queen Margaret College acting students in 2000. The play ‘Margaret’ which charted the life and influence of the queen, was written by Ian Brown, QMU’s former Dean of Drama. Staged at the Gateway Theatre, which used to house QMU’s School of Drama, the play was one of the events which marked the institution’s 125th anniversary.
Ian Brown’s historical drama shared the story of an influential, powerful and deeply religious queen who was known to be a fine scholar with a formidable intellectual capacity. Not only did the 11th century queen debate the affairs of state with the King’s noble and clerical advisers, she was concerned with works of mercy and giving, and particularly with the care of the poor and orphaned children.
Such was her influence on the changing religious landscape of Catholicism in Europe, that Margaret was canonised in 1250 by Pope Innocent IV in recognition of her contribution in bringing the church in Scotland into the community of the wider church through Europe. In 1972, our founding institution incorporated the name of the Queen into its new title. The name of the queen was seen to personify Queen Margaret College’s key values of serving the community and enhancing quality of life. The same values continue to shape the work of Queen Margaret University to this day.
