Edward II
Coming soon:
Christopher Marlowe’s
Edward II
Renaissance tragedy meets Mean Girls meets 80s slasher in Carlos Pons Guerra’s queer dance adaptation of Christopher Marlowe’s Edward II.
Telling the true story of the king of England who fell in love with his male court favourite, DeNada Dance Theatre transports Marlowe’s narrative to the only place scarier than the medieval court of England: high school.
Hormone-fuelled, spectacularly camp and aggressively poignant, Edward II explores the struggle and endurance of queer people across history. The King of the class, the boy he loves, and the war that tears the playground apart: a high school fever dream that bleeds and sweats with the angst and joys of forbidden passion.
Danced, lesson to lesson, by a top class of international dancers; with DeNada’s signature high-octane theatricality and explosive physicality. Set to an original score that glitches from 90s video arcade to medieval electronics by Luis Miguel Cobo, with time-warping costume designs by April Dalton and lighting by Barnaby Booth, Edward II holds up a mirror to the haunting nostalgia of the playground we all remember.
Whether the prom queen, the jock, the outcast, the final girl, or the nerd: this visceral production speaks to anyone who’s faced the brutal battlefield of adolescence.
Class is in session. Will you survive the playground?
Choreographed and directed by Carlos Pons Guerra
Inspired by Christopher Marlowe’s 1592 Edward II
Running time: approx. 1.5 hours (including 20 min interval)
Age guidance: 12+
“Dazzling imagery…superlatively danced” FINANCIAL TIMES
“Dynamite dancing” THE GUARDIAN
Touring to theatres autumn 2026 / spring 2027.
Stay updated for tour announcements.
Programmers and venues: enquire about the production.
A glimpse at DeNada Dance Theatre’s Edward II
Photography by David Lyndsay
Dancers: Ruby Portus, William English, Mariano Zamora, Sebastien Kapps, Thalia Russel
In Rehearsal: Edward II
Photography by Josh Hawkins
Dancers: James Southward, Ruby Portus, Benji Knapper, Elle Fierce.
Edward II
Choreography and direction: Carlos Pons Guerra
Based on Christopher Marlowe’s Edward II
Music: Luis Miguel Cobo
Design: April Dalton
Lighting: Barnaby Booth
Produced by Spin Arts
Dancers: Ruby Portus, Mariano Zamora, Will English, Thalia Russel, Sebastien Kapps.
Duration: Approx. 1.5 hours, including interval.
Age Guidance: 12+
The creation of Edward II is kindly funded and supported by Arts Council England; the Arts and Humanities Research Council, the White Rose College of the Arts and Humanities (Universities of Leeds, Sheffield, and York); Barnsley Horizon Academy; the Northern School of Contemporary Dance; Barnsley Civic; CAST Doncaster; the Cervantes Institute.