The Queen is dead. After a lifetime of waiting, Prince Charles ascends the throne. A future of power lies before him... but how to rule?
Winner of the 2015 Olivier Award for Best Play, King Charles III is the "bracingly provocative and outrageously entertaining" (The Independent) drama of political intrigue by Mike Bartlett that comes to Broadway following a sensational West End run. Directed by Rupert Goold and deemed "the most insightful and engrossing new history play in decades" by Ben Brantley of The New York Times, this "bold and brilliant" (The Times of London) production explores the people underneath the crowns, the unwritten rules of Britain's democracy and the conscience of its most famous family.
Though it was certainly never intended as such, Bartlett's text is also a boost to the recent argument (ignited by theOregon Shakespeare Festival) for presenting the Bard's work in modern vernacular. Richard III is written in free verse, an open form of poetry with no meter or rhyme, preferred by Shakespeare. But the language courses with the vivid moxie of 21st century life. Charles, in a moment of great frustration, refers to his subject's faces, 'Of no emotion, botoxed in place.' In a dazzling soliloquy in the first act, he speaks about the hipness and efficiency of GPS on a car, while smilingly comparing himself to a trusty old tool: 'When lost, and crisis strikes, we soon mistrust these modern ways, and reach for what we know: We seek the map.' We seek the map, too. Watching King Richard III is like looking at the topographical landscape of a familiar world, one which we faintly recognize despite not having yet seen. It is as fresh, as thrilling, and as awesome as an undiscovered country. A
At its core, King Charles III, which opened Sunday at the Music Box Theatre, is pure soap opera -- Downton Abbey refigured with real-life characters and even posher addresses. But playwright Mike Bartlett is going for something heavier. At first, his 'fantasy' seems to both ennoble the monarchy and wink at our fascination with it. Characters speak in blank verse, so that the younger Windsors, in particular, can sound comically lofty.
2015 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2016 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Play | Tim Pigott-Smith |
2016 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Director of a Play | Rupert Goold |
2016 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Play | King Charles III |
2016 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Tim Pigott-Smith |
2016 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play | Mike Bartlett |
2016 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Costume Design (Play or Musical) | Tom Scutt |
2016 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Director of a Play | Rupert Goold |
2016 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Broadway Play | Mike Bartlett |
2016 | Tony Awards | Best Costume Design of a Play | Tom Scutt |
2016 | Tony Awards | Best Direction of a Play | Rupert Goold |
2016 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play | Richard Goulding |
2016 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play | Tim Pigott-Smith |
2016 | Tony Awards | Best Play | Mike Bartlett |
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