Mary Queen of Scots with Max Richter

Mary Queen of Scots explores the turbulent life of Mary Stuart (Saoirse Ronan). Queen of France at 16 and widowed at 18, Mary defies pressure to remarry. Instead, she returns to her native Scotland to reclaim her rightful throne alongside her cousin Elizabeth I (Margot Robbie) who rules as England’s Queen. Rivals in power and in love, and female monarchs in a masculine world, the two must decide how to play the game of marriage versus independence. Determined to rule as much more than a figurehead, Mary asserts her claim to the English throne, threatening Elizabeth’s sovereignty. Betrayal, rebellion, and conspiracies within each court imperil both thrones – and change the course of history.

Max Richter is a composer whose work embodies both the rigor of the classical tradition and the experimentalism of contemporary electronica. Disarming in its honesty, his music, despite its underlying sophistication, remains accessible. Almost uniquely among contemporary classical composers, Richter’s music is radically unafraid of appealing directly to our emotions. Numerous classical No.1 records and sell-out performances at the world’s premiere venues, including Royal Albert Hall, Sydney Opera House, Philharmonie de Paris, and Berlin’s Berghain are a testament to Richter’s wide appeal.

Richter’s 2012 release Recomposed: The Four Seasons topped the classical charts in 22 countries, while its follow up, the eight-and-a-half-hour epic Sleep, explored new ways for music and consciousness to interact. Richter moves successfully between solo works starting with his 2002 album Memoryhouse and collaborations with other artists. Richter’s work with musician and filmmaker Woodkid (The Golden Age) brought the duo a Grammy® nomination, and the recent production of the Olivier award-winning Woolf Works, with long term collaborator Wayne McGregor at The Royal Ballet, resulted in the album Three Worlds, again topping classical charts worldwide.

Although long a staple of the avant-garde by virtue of his influential solo albums, Richter’s name has recently entered public consciousness through his many collaborations with filmmakers including Golden Globe®-winner Waltz with Bashir, HBO’s drama The Leftovers, Jessica Chastain’s Miss Sloane, Hostiles starring Christian Bale, Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror, and Tom Hardy’s Taboo, which gained Richter his first Emmy® nomination. Numerous directors, including Martin Scorsese (Shutter Island) and, most recently, Denis Villeneuve (Arrival), have used Richter’s catalogue.