2/9/14 – King Charles III

I went to see the play because I am a big fan of Prince Charles; He has done much good in the world. I mention as an example The Prince’s Drawing School. Drawing is the basic skill necessary to all expression in the visual arts; it is like seed corn and visual art cannot flourish without it, yet this is the only school because skill in art is unfashionable today – That’s why art isn’t happening.

Charles campaigns to save the environment and the planet. His position does give him prestige. He uses it to have a voice and people listen. He is criticised on the principle that he is not supposed to voice opinions that might influence people.

How will Prince Charles manage when he becomes King Charles III? How will he cope with having to rubber stamp the introduction of laws he doesn’t agree with? Why does he want this job? – This is the matter of the play.

It makes psychological sense to me that the monarchy do this job from duty. The Royal Family must see it as an overriding good. Otherwise who would want this slog of a job? A job where you can’t make decisions.

The monarchy has value. It gives stability and provides social cement and national identity. This is possible because the monarchy is hereditary. Its preservation depends on it having no political power or voice: this is the deal with democracy.

In the play and even before the coronation Charles tries to persuade/threaten the Prime Minister to drop the first bill he will be required to sign, a bill which supresses press freedom and protects the government. The Prime Minister refuses and the action is set up for constitutional battle: to win Charles will need the support of his family and the public.

The play is really impressive with a feeling of importance and of Shakespeare – iambic pentameter gives weight. Staging and costumes fit perfectly and the acting is completely convincing. Tim Pigott Smith playing Charles is super, they all are. The plot is gripping – until in the second half, for me the psychological truth fails with a phrase:

I don’t think the Royal Family do the job for personal aggrandizement. Charles says he wants to be “the best king ever.” This doesn’t ring true. If the play kept to the one motive of duty then Charles’s decision between that of refusing to sign away people’s freedom and that of risking the end of the monarchy would have real drama. The idea that somehow he wants it for personal vanity weakens the dilemma. And Kate Cambridge would not have needed to be cast as ambitious and scheming, wanting the monarchy “for George”.

One last thing, the play gets really Shakespearian with the threat of civil war. I don’t think civil war today would get further than the newspapers and the internet. We’ve begun to swap participation for virtual reality.

The play transfers to the West End on September 2^nd at the Wyndham Theatre.