Shakespeare’s history plays defined a genre that is rarely revived in modern theatre. It makes sense, then, that Mike Bartlett would evoke the Bard in this contemporary play about the monarchy, though it’s torn between fact and fiction.
King Charles III is a
satire on the current Royal Family, with Bartlett posing the question: what
will happen when the Queen dies? The
plot hinges on the flimsy notion of Charles (now acting as king) refusing to
sign a new bill that would restrict freedom of the press (something that is
nowadays done out of ceremony rather than true power). Yet once we’ve suspended our disbelief, the
play sees him as a tragic figure (in a moving portrayal from Tim Pigott-Smith)
torn between duty to his country and to his family – is he a king exercising
his right, or has power driven him to madness?
Through this, Bartlett explores the ceremonial position of the monarchy
in this day and age, questioning whether image is more powerful than
constitutional rights, as well as the relationship between the monarchy and the
press. How intrinsic is the monarchy to
Great Britain? If you cut away at every
British institution, what’s left? And
that pearl of wisdom comes, ironically enough, from a lowly kebab shop owner.
Rupert Goold’s production brings a great sense of stately
grandeur. The set is candlelit, with
merely a red-carpeted platform on which the drama plays out – a stunning,
minimalist design that remains suitably evocative. Live music, too, adds regal appeal: the play
opens with the cast, shrouded in darkness and bearing candles, marching around the stage singing
an Agnes Dei like a procession of monks.
It only heightens the comedy, which, on the surface, is amusing purely in
seeing such recognisable figures satirised on stage.
The performers are no mere impressionists, however, though it
is perhaps the younger generation that are most successfully portrayed. Oliver Chris’s Prince William balances youth with
clear-headed intelligence, whilst Lydia Wilson’s secretly manipulative Kate is
hilarious – her monologue explaining her true intentions is amusingly sassy,
complete with hair flick. Richard
Goulding’s Prince Harry is perhaps the most damning depiction: a young man who longs
for a normal life, fascinated by the mundane (“I went to Sainsburys!”) and in
love with student Jess (Tafline Steen) who proves herself better than his usual
taste for “Sloane fluff”. These
characters are far more relatable than their elder counterparts, largely for
their current position in the media as the new well-known faces of the
monarchy.
Much of the comedy, however, stems from Bartlett’s Shakespearean
style. This seeps into all levels of the
drama, from the themes of monarchy, power and manipulation, to Hamlet-esque ghostly
apparitions (the cast as a whole are, of course, haunted by the ghost of
Diana), and to the use of blank verse and rhyming couplets. Hearing such contemporary characters speaking
lines like “What, ho, here’s comes Kate!” is anachronistically hilarious,
though the play is far more than a game of spot the reference.
There is tension, however, between the source material and
the style. There’s no doubt history was far
bloodier in the Tudor period, but Bartlett’s play lacks the drama of
Shakespeare. This is a play of subtle,
well-paced manipulation rather than gruesome action, yet in attempting to
predict realistically what may happen to the Royal Family in the future, the
plot conforms to expectations with an ending that feels a little
anticlimactic. Bartlett could've been braver and pushed the boundaries more. This is no dramatic
flight of fancy – instead it offers both intelligent comment on the current
state of Britain and a tightly-woven family drama. It operates on many levels, ensuring there’s
enjoyment here for all.
4/5
Watch: King Charles III runs at the Wyndham's Theatre until 31st January 2015.
