What a special privilege and rare treat to witness a Jacobean Masque in Oxford!

'A celebration of honourable and true Fame, bred out of Virtue'.

Masques of this kind were very much intended for royalty and the court to show off to themselves - they were performers as well as audience, striking poses, pretending to be classical heroes and deities; no expense spared that could be committed to ostentation. Emma Whipday's ensemble did not have the same resources and were many fewer in number, but did a magnificent job of presenting a rare spectacle at New College.

While the choice of the chapel may have been influenced partly by a striving for authenticity - this was an early evening performance, illuminated mainly by atmospheric candlelight much as Jacobean performances would have been - in some ways the venue did not serve the production well.

Mary Collins, Anne Deller and Steven Player deserve special mention as the regal (and energetic) dancers of the masque, but the well-honed choreography and splendid costumes were somewhat lost both by the long narrow stage between choir stalls, and by the tenebrosity of the chapel, which was a tremendous pity. The excellent musicians up at the East end of the chapel were heard recreating Holborne, Praetorius and Caroso, but could scarcely be seen, and to see the witches writhing on the floor and casting black magic spells in a Christian chapel was frankly disconcerting at times!

This was not a completely faithful recreation of how such a masque would have been played: as such I was left feeling that a modern venue with stage lighting, better acoustics and staging would have been no greater compromise, and would better have served this strong, imaginative and expert theatrical creation. If Oxford is fortunate, maybe they'll be back to do just that for us.