Review - King Charles III

It's becoming apparent I should block TDF from my computer.  I am completely unable to control myself when I see listings for new plays.  And now, because I didn't exercise self-control, I will be eating cocoa pebbles, ramen noodles and 99-cent pizza for the next week.  Not at the same time, of course.  But it was totally worth it!  King Charles III was wonderful!

I honestly didn't really know what to expect.  I just had the barest hint that this was a piece about Prince Charles becoming king, but I didn't really know anything else.  I especially didn't know that the play was written in iambic pentameter!  Or that it was going to be positively Shakespearean.  But adding all those components together truly made for an unforgettable experience.  I just read a really wonderful interview with the playwright, Mike Bartlett, about how he put the play together.  I'm going to link it HERE.

My seat was extreme house right, so I did miss some of the set and staging.  So that was a bit of a drag.  And I was next to a gentleman who smelled of (sorry) musty unlaundered clothes, mothballs, hospital disinfectant and despair.  I kept having to get out my perfume rollerball to try to re-scent the air around me.  He was also very upset there was no synopsis in the program ("How will I know what's happening?!").  Of course, a synopsis probably wouldn't have kept him awake nor kept him from snoring.  Moving on.  Oh, and if you go to the show and you're directed to aisle 4, don't get alarmed at the very long line.  It's where people line up to get their assisted listening devices.  I saw the line and thought, wow, that's a lot of TDF tickets in the same location.  Just move to the right and walk around that line...

photo credit: Joan Marcus

Back to the play.  I've always had an interest in the royal family and their escapades.  I got up and watched almost all of the royal weddings on tv and I enjoy looking at photos of royal babies.  Therefore, I had a pre-existing interest in how this play would handle the idea of Charles finally becoming king.  And my goodness, the way it played out on the stage was so compelling!  The script was so original and thought-provoking, and the acting so completely realistic and human, that now I can hardly imagine things turning out in real life any other way.  The play begins with the death of (current) Queen Elizabeth and suddenly, after 70 years, Charles finally takes the throne.  Tim Pigott-Smith, as Charles, doesn't go for an impersonation, but he does capture the essence of a man who seems to be more of a thinker rather than a doer.  He knows he's waited his whole life for this chance, and has given his whole life to his people, so he wants to get everything just right.  And his first task as king becomes a huge power struggle between the Prime Minister and the palace.  All of the arguments, on both sides of the aisle, were interesting and cogently presented.  You could see that Charles was fighting for principles, but also for his finally-attained-status.  He was so vulnerable and compassionate, but also obstinate and short-sighted.  I think Pigott-Smith is giving a masterful performance, where you can see so much with just the way he stands, moves and speaks.  I felt so sorry for Charles (and I often have pitied him in real life), and was moved to tears several times by the genuine pathos portrayed.  And the decision he makes to end act one was cataclysmic - I didn't see that coming and was quite breathless going into the intermission.

photo credit: Joan Marcus

All of the actors were terrific, though.  I was very taken with Richard Goulding as Prince Harry.  We see him start off as the flighty n'er do well, as he is often portrayed in the press, but the play gives him a beautiful arc that leads him to an unexpected place.  Goulding captured a lot of layers in a young man who is seemingly torn by the life he's expected to live.  The actors playing William and Kate were wonderful, as was the actress playing Camilla.  I also greatly enjoyed Miles Richardson in the relatively small role of the royal press secretary, who always seemed to know more than people gave him credit for.

I barely noticed the play was in verse - only occasionally did the dialogue seem a tad awkward.  It mainly elevated the material in beautiful ways.  There are stunning soliloquies and so much complexity in the language.  There's also a great deal of humor throughout.  I did also notice Shakespearean influences in the staging and the characterizations.  More than once did I compare characters in King Charles III to characters in Shakespeare.  Most often, I was reminded of Richard II, Prince Hal, Lear and Lady Macbeth.  Oh, and maybe a little bit of Hamlet's father's ghost.  Because, yes, there is a ghost.  But I think Bartlett has juggled this story of a dysfunctional family and a fractured nation with such genius.  I was completely engrossed throughout and was surprised, tickled, saddened and entertained the entire evening.  I should also mention there's a gorgeous original score by Jocelyn Pook, played live by two musicians, sitting up in one of the theater's boxes.  It just adds to the richness and the wonderfulness of the evening.  I highly recommend seeing King Charles III - it's a limited run so don't waste any time, even if you have to eat ramen noodles for a week.