But I can hear them speaking like magpies,
And they mean to thieve his life,
The Lord's anointed servant,
They mean to kill God.

Speaking Like Magpies, specially commissioned by the RSC as part of the Gunpowder Season to mark the 400th anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot, brings to vibrant life the background to this notorious event in British history.

Frank McGuinness' play premiered at the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, in September 2005, its final performance marking the end of the RSC's Gunpowder Season on 5 November 2005.