Mary, Queen of Scots at London Coliseum review: a long overdue standing ovation

With the 96-year-old US-resident composer in attendance, the opening of Thea Musgrave’ s Mary, Queen of Scots was an event of the kind that used to be a regular occurrence at the English National Opera (ENO).

Musgrave, a Scottish composer held in high regard yet accorded too few performances these days, has written no fewer than eleven operas – of which this is the fifth. Premiered by Scottish Opera at the Edinburgh International Festival under Musgrave’s own baton in 1977, Mary, Queen of Scots has not – until now – been staged in London.