‘King Charles III’: Battle Royale

‘KING CHARLES III’: Tim Pigott-Smith as Charles at the Coronation. Photo: Joan Marcus

KING CHARLES III
Written by Mike Bartlett
Directed by Rubert Goold
Music Box Theatre
239 West 45th Street
(212-239-6200), www.kingcharlesiiibroadway.com

By Scott Harrah

The Queen is dead. Prince Charles is now King.

As the show opens, we see the Windsors on a dark stage, holding candles and singing an Anglican-style requiem in Latin for their beloved Queen Elizabeth II. From the very first scene, it is evident that playwright Mike Bartlett and director Rupert Goold have created a distinctly British saga that is mired in the complex machinations of “The Crown in Parliament,” for what follows is as much a story about the royals’ place in politics as it is about their glamour.

Last season’s The Audience starred Oscar winner Helen Mirren as Her Majesty, and took dramatic license to depict what was discussed during decades of the Queen and her private weekly meetings with various prime ministers. This latest British import about the Crown isn’t even based on fictionalized “facts” or history. The whole show, featuring a cast of outstanding British actors, is a nearly three-hour hypothesis of what could happen when Elizabeth dies. The show raises numerous questions about the validity and relevance of the monarchy in the 21^st century and is consistently riveting.

The British monarchy is merely a curiosity for Americans. Prince Charles and Camilla, Princes William and Harry, Kate Middleton, Queen Elizabeth II and the late Princess Diana are simply celebrities to us. Americans follow the merry lives of the Windsors as if they are well-dressed characters on an upscale reality TV show, but there is more to the monarchy than scurrilous gossip. For people in the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, the monarchy is a controversial institution indeed that is the foundation of government, history and culture, and something citizens of these “realms” have strong opinions for and against. The head of state, though a figurehead, is not elected but instead “anointed by God himself,” and everything related to the government is named after the monarch. In addition, the monarchy costs taxpayers money, so the royals’ “role” is constantly questioned by critics. The very existence of this anachronistic tradition is challenged, in epic, tragicomic, Shakespearean detail in Mike Bartlett’s Olivier Award-winning “future history” play.

Tim Pigott-Smith as Charles and Adam James as Mr. Evans, the British prime minister, are both magnificent. It is the king and his prime minister—and their endless clashes—that make the drama so fascinating and give the show a Shakespearean feel, thanks to the two actors’ richly textured portrayals. Shortly after his mother’s funeral, Charles has his first weekly audience with the prime minister. A bill for statutory regulation of the press has passed in Parliament and the PM simply needs Charles’ signature (royal assent) to become law. The trouble is, Charles knows that regulating the media also restricts freedom of the press. The PM says it would help avoid future hacking scandals and violations of privacy (referring, of course, to the voicemail hacking crimes at the News of the World). The most ingenious aspect of the play is author Mike Bartlett’s idea of Charles being a royal with a mind of his own, rather than simply being known for cheating on Diana with Camilla (Margot Leicester).

Charles, at least in Mr. Bartlett’s mind, wants to make an actual difference as a monarch. Charles believes regulating the press would lead to government censorship of legitimate news, and open the door for corruption in Parliament that the press couldn’t accurately cover.

Charles defends the press that has made his family’s lives such hell. Because, in Britain, the monarchy only “rules” by public opinion (one nurtured by the press), so the sovereign and Fleet Street have an ongoing symbiotic relationship. It’s truly fascinating theater to watch if—and only if— one is interested in the monarchy, the ethics of journalism and democracy, or the arguments for and against the royals’ existence.

Charles is later visited by a Ghost (Sally Scott), who turns out to be his late ex-wife Diana. Like the witches in Macbeth, this paranormal visitor has a prophecy, but it’s a good one. For the husband for whom she loved and was emotionally tortured by in life, she says, “You will be the greatest king ever.” She is portrayed as a ghoul with a black veil (sorry, no Versace gown, Diana fans). When he tries to question what she means, she vanishes. She makes another appearance to son William and tells him he will also be the greatest king. Confusing at first, but without giving too much plot away, Diana’s cryptic prophecies ultimately come true.

The most trenchant scenes in King Charles III involve Mr. Pigott-Smith playing the new king dealing with nasty clashes in Parliament, and the last 15 minutes of the show in which the fate of the monarchy is finally decided. Mr. Pigott-Smith is truly heartbreaking in his final showdown with William, Harry and Kate. Every raw hole of his soul is bared, and Mr. Pigott-Smith brilliantly depicts the pain Charles feels. His final soliloquy to his children is one of the finest moments of acting you’ll see on Broadway this season, as haunting as anything from Shakespeare’s King Lear or Macbeth.

Oliver Chris is effective as William, as is Lydia Wilson as wife Kate. Both are supposed to display a conniving, Machiavellian streak, but seem to have been cast simply because they look similar to the real-life Will and Kate. Margot Leicester plays Camilla with unconditional love for Charles, Miles Richardson as James Reiss, Charles’s acerbic, sarcastic press secretary, is first-rate. Mr. Richardson’s James Reiss delivers many poisonous bon mots with aplomb.

The most unnecessary subplot involves Harry (Richard Goulding), the ginger-haired, hard-partying playboy. Mr. Goulding does a fine job as Harry, but watching him stagger drunk across the stage, talking about visiting a Burger King in Leicester Square and wishing to be a commoner, is pointless. Even more absurd is his fling with an art student, Jess (Tafline Steen), both of them parading around London streets. There are some other head-scratching moments, particularly the opening of Act II, when protesters outside Buckingham Palace wear silly masks straight out of V for Vendetta for no apparent reason

Rupert Goold directs everything at a gripping pace, which is no easy task with subject matter this epic and thorny. One wonders if the show could have been polished, with the aid of an American co-director, to trim the unnecessary subplots. To audiences in Britain or any Commonwealth nation in which the Windsors “reign,” King Charles III is heady, provocative stuff. In America, however, the complicated political narrative and convoluted back story limit its appeal. However, King Charles III is still a masterpiece. Love live the king.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published November 8, 2015
Reviewed at press performance on November 5, 2015

‘KING CHARLES III’: Oliver Chris as Prince William, Duke of Cambridge & Tim Pigott-Smith as the new King Charles. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘KING CHARLES III’: Oliver Chris as HRH William, Duke of Cambridge & Lydia Wilson as HRH Katherine, (“Kate”), Duchess of Cambridge. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘KING CHARLES III’: Lydia Wilson & Tim Pigott-Smith. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘KING CHARLES III’: Margot Leicester as Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall & Tim Pigott-Smith as King Charles Photo: Joan Marcus

‘KING CHARLES III’: Tafline Steen as Jess, a new girlfriend for (right) Prince Harry (Richard Goulding). Photo: Joan Marcus

‘KING CHARLES III’: Tim Pigott-Smith. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘KING CHARLES III’: The cast sings a requiem for Queen Elizabeth II. Photo: Joan Marcus