We went to check out Mike Bartlett’s King Charles III at Lace Market Theatre…
Set in a near-future Great Britain, Bartlett’s take on Shakespeare follows the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the power gap that comes after. The now-king Charles must step up into parliamentary duties of signing a journalism-restricting law into place, though his personal opinions stop him from doing so, creating a rift between Parliament and the Monarchy not unlike the Civil War. Meanwhile, Prince Harry falls in love with an art student named Jess.
That subplot of “the rich man wants to live common!” had me fidgeting in my chair impatiently, and the fact that the play had the nerve to reference Common People in Jess having gone to “Saint Martin’s College” – while missing the point of Pulp’s scathing song – had me reeling even more.
A lot of the problems were down to the play’s writing; the piece was written about four years ago and therefore long-since out of the cast’s control. But there was a lot they could have done to bring it to life, bad script or not. The titular lead of Charles, being a conflicted regent-to-be in a difficult political and emotional position, was completely deadpan throughout, only putting emotional weight into his very last action of crumbling in frustration and mourning after William takes the throne.
There were some good ideas in the stagecraft though, including a live playing of local radio before the performance started, which was cut off with an in-play headline of “Breaking news: the Queen has died.” Then, a funeral procession came through the audience. This highlight, however, was quickly undermined with an audio flub of the funeral music cutting off immediately.
Shakespearean techniques like iambic pentameter were used sometimes, but seemingly only when the writer felt like it, and its cribbing from Macbeth and Hamlet just smacks of a moderately-achieving A-Level project. Every glimmering jewel in King Charles III crown was instantly washed away by ideas so interbred that they had Habsburg chins.
Still, well done to everyone for attempting to humanise the Royal Family. That’s a feat that’d take longer than a two-hour play.
King Charles III is showing until Saturday 17 November at Lace Market Theatre
Lace Market Theatre website
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