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| King Charles III: a West End treat for royalists and tourists alike | King Charles III: a West End treat for royalists and tourists alike |
| (about 13 hours later) | |
| Although the ideal London theatres – the Prince of Wales and Her Majesty's – were sadly occupied by other shows, King Charles III, Mike Bartlett's play about what might happen when the Prince of Wales succeeds Her Majesty, has found a home at the Wyndham's theatre for its deserved transfer from the Almeida, site of its acclaimed premiere, to the commercial West End. | Although the ideal London theatres – the Prince of Wales and Her Majesty's – were sadly occupied by other shows, King Charles III, Mike Bartlett's play about what might happen when the Prince of Wales succeeds Her Majesty, has found a home at the Wyndham's theatre for its deserved transfer from the Almeida, site of its acclaimed premiere, to the commercial West End. |
| Posters for the production show Prince Charles with an X of tape across his mouth, illustrating the theme of a play, written in mock-Shakesperean verse, in which, after seven decades of hovering as heir, the king becomes caught in a constitutional crisis after refusing to sign a government bill. | Posters for the production show Prince Charles with an X of tape across his mouth, illustrating the theme of a play, written in mock-Shakesperean verse, in which, after seven decades of hovering as heir, the king becomes caught in a constitutional crisis after refusing to sign a government bill. |
| The publicity pictures are prominent outside the theatre but, in the versions on the sides of buses or at London Underground stations, the prince's face will be pixilated, after a ruling by Transport for London that the gagging image broke rules against depictions of violence. | The publicity pictures are prominent outside the theatre but, in the versions on the sides of buses or at London Underground stations, the prince's face will be pixilated, after a ruling by Transport for London that the gagging image broke rules against depictions of violence. |
| "This is why it's such fantastic subject matter," Bartlett said between previews, "because you don't have to go very far before the whole thing gets absurd with the royal family, and the way into which they fit into legality and the constitution." | "This is why it's such fantastic subject matter," Bartlett said between previews, "because you don't have to go very far before the whole thing gets absurd with the royal family, and the way into which they fit into legality and the constitution." |
| For the Wyndham's run, the 33-year-old playwright has "just made a few trims where the pace was dipping. The first half is four or five minutes shorter." He discovered that one advantage of writing iambic pentameters, which may have been one of the attractions to Shakespeare, is that it's hard to cut or change because the removal of a single word disrupts the rhythm: "Yes, it's hard to rewrite and the actors can't come up with their own lines, which can happen with prose plays. These are all added bonuses of writing in verse that I've discovered." | For the Wyndham's run, the 33-year-old playwright has "just made a few trims where the pace was dipping. The first half is four or five minutes shorter." He discovered that one advantage of writing iambic pentameters, which may have been one of the attractions to Shakespeare, is that it's hard to cut or change because the removal of a single word disrupts the rhythm: "Yes, it's hard to rewrite and the actors can't come up with their own lines, which can happen with prose plays. These are all added bonuses of writing in verse that I've discovered." |
| When the play opened, it seemed doubly bold to take on, in the language of England's greatest writer, a subject that makes many Britons touchy. So had Bartlett been nervous of doing it? "Yes, so much so that, after having the idea, I didn't write it for a year and a half. I thought: it's not only potentially a terrible idea but it's also in verse. But it struck me that this was the sort of situation Shakespeare would have been interested in: the man who waits all his life for something and, when he finally gets it, it's too late." | When the play opened, it seemed doubly bold to take on, in the language of England's greatest writer, a subject that makes many Britons touchy. So had Bartlett been nervous of doing it? "Yes, so much so that, after having the idea, I didn't write it for a year and a half. I thought: it's not only potentially a terrible idea but it's also in verse. But it struck me that this was the sort of situation Shakespeare would have been interested in: the man who waits all his life for something and, when he finally gets it, it's too late." |
| Issues of taste also arise, although the startling opening stage direction – "The state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II" – was toned down by the director, Rupert Goold, who decided that there would be no coffin on stage. The production focuses instead on the visual and verbal consequences that would follow the obsequies: a different face on the banknotes, QCs becoming KCs and the national anthem rephrased to ask God to save the King. | Issues of taste also arise, although the startling opening stage direction – "The state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II" – was toned down by the director, Rupert Goold, who decided that there would be no coffin on stage. The production focuses instead on the visual and verbal consequences that would follow the obsequies: a different face on the banknotes, QCs becoming KCs and the national anthem rephrased to ask God to save the King. |
| "In rehearsals", said Bartlett, "one of the things that came out was how different the country would feel. When you hear God Save the King, you suddenly think: 'What year is this? Is it the 1930s?' And that's why I find the subject so fascinating because our only points of reference for having a king are deeply historical. At the time of the next coronation, there will be almost no one alive who will have been involved in one before." | "In rehearsals", said Bartlett, "one of the things that came out was how different the country would feel. When you hear God Save the King, you suddenly think: 'What year is this? Is it the 1930s?' And that's why I find the subject so fascinating because our only points of reference for having a king are deeply historical. At the time of the next coronation, there will be almost no one alive who will have been involved in one before." |
| Bartlett acknowledges that scenes in which the ghost of Diana, Princess of Wales, appears to her sons may make some audiences uncomfortable on behalf of princes William and Harry. "Yes, it's potentially tough. But I think I give both those boys a lot of credit. I give them intelligence and conscience." | Bartlett acknowledges that scenes in which the ghost of Diana, Princess of Wales, appears to her sons may make some audiences uncomfortable on behalf of princes William and Harry. "Yes, it's potentially tough. But I think I give both those boys a lot of credit. I give them intelligence and conscience." |
| During the run at the National Theatre of This House, James Graham's play set in 1970s Westminster, it was common to see politicians in the audience, watching their portrayals. Is the team behind King Charles III scanning the stalls for familiar bald spots or ginger tops. "No. We'd love them to come. There was a rumour that Prince Harry had been in, but it proved to be untrue. I think he's the most likely to turn up, though. It's within his style to sit in the middle of the stalls and have a good laugh at himself. I hope Charles is aware of it or has read the play because it tries to talk about things he must have thought about it. I'd love them to see it, but I doubt they will." | During the run at the National Theatre of This House, James Graham's play set in 1970s Westminster, it was common to see politicians in the audience, watching their portrayals. Is the team behind King Charles III scanning the stalls for familiar bald spots or ginger tops. "No. We'd love them to come. There was a rumour that Prince Harry had been in, but it proved to be untrue. I think he's the most likely to turn up, though. It's within his style to sit in the middle of the stalls and have a good laugh at himself. I hope Charles is aware of it or has read the play because it tries to talk about things he must have thought about it. I'd love them to see it, but I doubt they will." |
| Bartlett was told that there was "quite a bit of walk-up" [passersby purchasing tickets] at the early performances, which suggests that some tourists, perhaps having seen trooping the colour, might be lured by this different royal attraction. And this pleases Bartlett: "I really wanted it to be a big popular play: come and hang out with our royal family for three hours, not to laugh at them but to hang out with." | Bartlett was told that there was "quite a bit of walk-up" [passersby purchasing tickets] at the early performances, which suggests that some tourists, perhaps having seen trooping the colour, might be lured by this different royal attraction. And this pleases Bartlett: "I really wanted it to be a big popular play: come and hang out with our royal family for three hours, not to laugh at them but to hang out with." |
| Shakespeare would probably have written Charles III, parts 1, 2 and 3. The plot of Bartlett's play makes it hard for the central character to carry on. But might he ever write, for example, King William V? | Shakespeare would probably have written Charles III, parts 1, 2 and 3. The plot of Bartlett's play makes it hard for the central character to carry on. But might he ever write, for example, King William V? |
| "The sequel? I thought I was done with this subject and form after this play. But I've loved doing it so much. So I'd like to write more. For example, the question of, if it happens, what kind of king and queen William and Catherine might be is very interesting. Maybe I'll ponder that." | "The sequel? I thought I was done with this subject and form after this play. But I've loved doing it so much. So I'd like to write more. For example, the question of, if it happens, what kind of king and queen William and Catherine might be is very interesting. Maybe I'll ponder that." |
| • 'Royally entertaining' ... Michael Billington's review of the Almeida production | |
| • Tim Pigott-Smith: how Ian McKellen made me raise my acting game |