King Charles III was developed in 2014 by playwright Mike Bartlett as a futuristic British drama, as it dared to imagine a world without the incomparable Queen Elizabeth II. What could be considered a treasonous thought nine years ago, is now our new reality. Queen Elizabeth II passed away on September 8, 2022 and by royal birth right, Charles became king. The entire concept of the show, a what if narrative, innately shifted. No longer a futuristic show, it is a present-day play, and one that could, quite literally, take place any day.
The idea of staging this show in the year where Charles was officially crowned King, was absolutely thrilling. This play will never be more timely or relevant. The real-life Charles held his coronation on May 6th 2023, exactly five months to the day when this show opens, October 6th. Charles became the longest waiting prince to be crowned King of England, awaiting a staggering 70 years before he would become king. Despite many years of waiting in the wings, when Charles ascended the throne, much was up in the air. No one knew for certain the type of man, or rather King, Charles would become. This is where fact and fiction meet. While much is still uncertain for the real King Charles, playwright Bartlett has offered a thoughtful and realistic look at what could be, and thus the pathos of King Charles III.
Bartlett has modeled this show after the great Shakespearean dramas. Audiences will easily be able to discern the likes of King Lear, Hamlet, Julius Caesar and Macbeth (but shhh don’t say that last one aloud in the theatre.) Bartlett himself seems to have borrowed some magic from Shakespeare’s soothsayer character in Caesar. He eerily predicted a rift in the royal family, protests that closely resemble the turmoil and power of Brexit and Harry dating a person the palace absolutely abhors. It’s difficult to believe this play was written 9 years ago.
As realistic as this show is though, it is merely a work of fiction. These are characters not people, and my actors will be doing interpretations, not impressions. Though the way my actors perform, you’ll swear you’re seeing the real things. Welcome to the palace, His Majesty has been expecting you.
Emily Miller – Director
