BOOK REVIEW
Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers’ Favorite
Amias, by Thomas Penn Johnson, is a theatrical play set in Elizabethan England. Johnson primarily uses inns and taverns as settings, where multiple characters discuss philosophy, religion, law, the succession of the monarchy, and the climate of the time. These scenes are lively and diverse, as the characters run the full spectrum of 16th-century social hierarchy. Amias has sought the help of Francis Bacon, a man of political influence, with whom he’d had an affair in his youth. Amias and Bacon have an emotional reunion, although Bacon is hesitant at first to assist Amias, who has come as an emissary. Sotheran, Bacon’s footboy, witnesses the interaction, and it is later revealed that he too pines for another. Meanwhile, the rising action surges forward with social maneuvering, religious machinations, murder plots, and spycraft all converging at a famed bridge.
I was initially drawn to Thomas Penn Johnson’s play, Amias, not for the very real, although highly fictionalized, character of Francis Bacon, but because of Edward Coke, whose Institutes of the Lawes of England volumes are still held at the UK Supreme Court law library. There are a lot of pieces that playwright Johnson perfectly puts together that make his work here excellent. The dialogue is exceptional. Think Shakespeare in how it sings but made accessible through better staging and modern hindsight, the latter of which is skillful enough to take nothing away from the time. I loved that Johnson mixed in players that really existed, although they were adapted to fit the narrative. The standout is Alice, who is here a barmaid in her 20s but someone altogether different in real life. Every time she burst onto the scene, it was bliss. Overall, this is a thoughtful, fun, and well-written play, and if it makes its way into a house, Johnson can count me in to fill a seat.
Reviewed by Chelsey Tucker for Independant Book Review
AMIAS expertly utilizes a historical framework of the Elizabethan era to bring to life fictionalized encounters of Francis Bacon.
As the 16th century is nearing its close, Queen Elizabeth I has not yet chosen her successor. During her long reign, there are many moments of religious contention and ensuing violence. Many are worried, and some are relieved by the fact that “The Queen must die—despite her every subject drinking to her health.”
The inevitability of death and the subsequent aftermath for England breed conspiracies and rumors that flit about, making the Crown feel threatened and the kingdom uneasy. Phillip Howard, Earl of Arundel, sits awaiting death in a tower due to his being a perceived threat to the kingdom. This is the larger world at play, but the story of AMIAS begins inside a small tavern, the Falcon Inn, in South Warke.
Francis Bacon, a member of Parliament for Middlesex, finds himself in hot water with the Queen and her counsel after making a speech against a triple tax. Although Bacon infuriates some people, he has loyal friends around him, especially musician and close confidant Matthew Godwin, as well as his footboy, Sotheran. There are also those at the Falcon Inn whose allegiance he won at the same time as jeopardizing his safety. “Someone must speak for Alice, Madge, and Wags, who cannot pay a triple tax.”
Throughout AMIAS, fear, hate, and greed motivate people to hurt others. But there is also compassion, reverence, and loyalty that cause people to love and protect each other. The political plights, heinous actions, and acts of sacrifice make this play a captivating read worthy of live interpretation.
The vernacular used in AMIAS helps immerse the audience in the Elizabethan era. It’s a bit of a slower read as you interpret some Middle English into Modern English, but it is worth it because the story would lose its essence if it were written using today’s verbiage. Lovers of Shakespeare will undoubtedly enjoy this play too.
There are a few sections where those who are sensitive to vulgar language may not enjoy themselves. Certain lines within the play depict negative connotations around race and sexuality. However, it is not excessive and very much matches the setting of the story. History buffs will enjoy the efforts behind making the story as historically accurate as possible.
AMIAS brings the Elizabethan era to life through lively characters and historically accurate language. Johnson highlights that the Elizabethan era was more than just an era of a great queen through exploring the friendships and battles that would have taken place in everyday life.
AMIAS is listed in the June 6, 2024 issue of The New York Review of Books Volume LXXI, Number 10, page 31