*****
WRITER Mike Bartlett is a clever man; he recently wowed TV audiences by setting up a typical domestic drama about infidelity, and pulling the rug underneath the audience many times, during the run of hit drama Doctor Foster – giving Suranne Jones her best role in years.
The end result is a thought-provoking, intriguing and entertaining play
If you enjoyed the twists and turns Bartlett provided here, you will love King Charles III – a dark and funny satire, following the death of the Queen. This leaves Prince Charles stepping up to do the’ top job’ that he has dreamed of for decades.
The brilliant unique selling point of this play is that it is essentially a five act Shakespearean family drama, with much of it delivered in verse. For the most part this works wonderfully well, as Robert Powell’s King Charles is classic Bard material – he is torn between his family and the people he is born to serve. Far from a bumbling fool, you feel for this man, thanks to Powell’s multi-layered performance.
Many of the main characters compliment Charles’ tortured Hamlet-esque reimagining. Jennifer Bryden and Ben Righton are young Macbeths, waiting to step up to the plate – with the people and Hello magazine firmly onside. Bryden in particular is icy yet fragile, ‘stuck’ as a photogenic yet silent wife and mother, who longs to speak and be heard. She uses William as a cypher in which to shout out loud, whilst remaining by his side in photographs.
Not of all the characters move the narrative forward though; Richard Glaves’ Prince Harry has some funny lines and the actor gives him a realistically tortured expression on his face. But Bartlett veers into comic sketch territory when he sends the Prince into a kebab shop, bemoaning the lack of a normal Sainsbury’s visit, as part of his routine.
His girlfriend Jess, although played with conviction by Lucy Phelps is supposed to be his Kryptonite, as she is a commoner. But she is too underwritten to have the desired impact.
The ghost of Princess Diana makes a visit, too. Though this highlights how the King is torn between past and present and ticks the Shakespeare box, it does feel slightly too overcooked to be totally successful.
The vision of a UK without the Queen more than makes up for the odd overindulgent moment, as it does feel stark and faceless – so much so that even a non-Royalist will feel a sense of ‘what now?’ This also lays the foundations for a thriller to emerge in act two, when the knives come out in true Shakespeare style.
Powell has a tough job playing a familiar regal face but grounds King Charles III in reality and shows a man who has been waiting so long that his ideals are at odds with a government and the country that he serves.
There is the odd lapse in pace in the first half. But the second act ups the ante and the end result is a thought-provoking, intriguing and entertaining play, which asks important questions and gives audiences much to discuss.
King Charles III runs at Manchester Opera House until 12 March
