As always, on our recent visit to London, we had reserved one evening for the theatre. On scanning the list of plays, Alka’s sister-in-law, Raka suggested we watch ‘The Daughter of Time’. It was playing at the Charing Cross Theatre – a theatre which is well regarded by the discerning theatre going community for its intimate atmosphere, and for its commitment to staging a diverse range of productions, including lesser-known plays, and offbeat adaptations.
The Daughter of Time is a stage adaptation of Josephine Tey’s 1951 crime classic – that is regarded by many as the best crime novel ever written. In the play, laid up in hospital with a broken leg, Inspector Alan Grant becomes consumed by the centuries-old mystery: did Richard III, the King of England from 1483-85, truly murder his nephews, the Princes in the Tower of London? The story was canonized by Tudor supported historians and Shakespeare’s depiction of Richard III. Grant, who regards himself as an expert in reading faces, refuses to believe that Richard III was a murderer after studying his picture.
Grant decides to investigate the alleged crime of Richard III by treating it as a “cold case file” by reading up several books published on England’s history of that period, and the information collected by a young researcher from documents and records available in a London Museum. Grant’s investigations – the framing of hypotheses, the collection of evidence, the acceptance/rejection of the hypotheses basis the evidence collected – are presented to the audience through Grant’s dialogue with a host of characters – the nurses that look after him, the young researcher who works with him and periodically presents his own inferences to him, a colleague from the police, and his actress friend, Marta – who facilitates Grant’s investigation to ensure that Grant does not lose his mind from the inactivity in the hospital. At the end of 2 hours and 45 minutes, Grant concludes that despite the multiple historical narratives to the contrary, Richard III was falsely framed as a murderer of the princes.
Not having read the book, and being unfamiliar with England’s history of that period, while I followed the main thread of the story unfolding on the stage, I missed the nuances of the arguments presented in the dialogue heavy play – often pithy, rhetorical, and laced with dark humor. I decided to read the book, which I duly did – and the play acquired a larger meaning – something I had missed earlier.
The Historical Perspective
The House of York ruled England for 24 years from 1461-1485. The three Yorkist monarchs were Edward IV, his short-reigned son Edward V, and Richard III who died after being defeated by Henry Tudor (who became Henry VII) at the Battle of Bosworth Field on August 22, 1485. This battle ended Richard III’s reign and began the Tudor dynasty’s rule over England. The Tudor dynasty ruled England for 118 years from 1485, starting with Henry VII’s victory, until 1603, when Elizabeth I died.
The adaptation highlights how history is shaped by victors – in this case, the Tudor dynasty. The story of murder by Richard III of the Princes in the Tower (sons of Edward IV) to ascend to monarchy was canonized mainly by Tudor propagandists. The story got further currency by William Shakespeare’s adaptation of the story in his play Richard III. The historical play focuses on the rise to power of Richard III and his brief reign as King. The play depicts the nature of evil and how unchecked ambition may lead to moral corruption of leadership.
After studying Richard III’s picture, Inspector Grant refuses to believe, despite the overwhelming historical evidence, that he was a murderer who had his nephews killed (sons of elder brother, Edward IV) to become King. After meticulous investigation based on the narrations in the books he reads and the information collected by his researcher from a museum, Grant concludes that Richard III did not murder the princes. Very likely the princes were murdered by Henry VII to secure his monarchy from a possible rally of Yorkists around the princes.
The Modern Parallel
Unscrupulous Leaders
The play’s theme finds echo everywhere today. Just as the Tudors shaped history, political leaders often manufacture “legends” by repeating falsehoods until they become accepted truths. The most powerful person in the world has notably perfected this tactic – while denouncing “fake news”, he has been repeatedly perpetuating falsehoods himself. His repetition of lies, regardless of their factual basis, has shaped public belief. This mirrors how Shakespeare’s and Tudor-era rhetoric warped Richard III’s image, embedding it into collective memory.
Social Media
In the digital age, lies spread like wildfire. Misleading images and videos go viral only to be debunked later by fact-checkers. Deepfakes, the fabricated videos that look real, can circulate widely before people realize that they are fakes. Chain messages on WhatsApp and Facebook often result in false information getting forwarded countless times and acquire credibility through repetition. Repetition, visual plausibility, and social sharing often makes lies “stick”, making them the truth – until someone investigates and finds out that they are false.
We live in an era where misinformation spreads widely – via broadcast media, social media, and cultivated echo chambers. Just as Tey’s novel asks us to question historical “facts,” today’s world demands vigilance against manipulations by manufactured truths.
Final Thoughts & Recommendation
The Daughter of Time offers a rich theatrical experience. Thematically profound, intellectually challenging, the play is engagingly staged in an intimate setting (Charring Cross Theatre). The play is timely and resonates with our extant situation – inviting us to reflect on how narratives, both historical and current, are constructed and disseminated. In an era of “fake news” and public manipulation by repetitive motivated narration, it reminds us that we owe it to ourselves to question the stories we are told today.
The play’s title – and its guiding wisdom – derives from the proverb “Truth is the daughter of time,” used as an epigraph in Tey’s original novel. By fostering skepticism, diverse voices, and fact-based discourse, society can resist legends built on lies- and as stated by Sir Francis Bacon, ensure that “Truth indeed remains the daughter of time, and not of authority.”
The play is well staged by competent performances and is worth watching. To enhance your experience if you plan to watch the play, or even otherwise, do read the engaging book, “The Daughter of Time”, by Josephine Tey.
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