REVIEW: King Charles III at MK Theatre

The Queen is Dead!

Review of King Charles III at MK Theatre

Following sold-out performances at the Almeida Theatre, King Charles III has hit Milton Keynes Theatre, bringing with it the shock that the Queen is dead. Directed by Rupert Goold and penned by award-winning Dr Foster writer, Mike Bartlett, the regal play explores not only Britain’s most famous family, but how the prince perceives ruling the roost for the very first time.

The humourous side of the play was continually enjoyed by the audience, however there are clearly more serious undertones to the dramatic performance too. With William and Kate – who is particularly well-cast and looks uncannily like the Duchess herself – having to make tough decisions, the play really did give an insight into just how significant the royal family are.

One character who particularly stood out was Prince Harry, played by Richard Glaves. His charm, immaturity and likeability really shone through and he constantly had the audience enthralled in his outbursts! King Charles III himself – played by Robert Powell – faces some very important decisions and there was a chill to be felt over the audience at two particularly haunting points in the performance – but we won’t give too much away.

King Charles III at MK Theatre

With the same setting used throughout, it worked seamlessly and the lighting worked fantastically well with the backdrop.  With crowns and royalty galore, it really was an exciting performance. Having already won an Olivier Award and a Critics Circle Award for Best New Play 2015, this really is a must-see!

King Charles III is at MK Theatre until 17^th October – visit atgtickets.com to book.

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Do you love the Royals?

If you are one of those camped outside the next known location of a royal visit and know the royal news before anyone else seems to, you may well call yourself a royalist. The term ‘royalist’ means to support a particular monarch or head of state, and although Kate Middleton isn’t Queen, many would today state that they are royalists due to being a particular fan of her. Interest and support of the royal family has always been there, but also peaks and dips at certain times. The wedding of Prince William and Kate was one of the more dramatic peaks, and now it seems Kate has her very own following. Her Royal engagements always see her being well received, and her recent visit to Bletchely Park was no exception. Kate was invited to re-open Bletchely Park, following an £8 million renovation project. As always, she greeted the public with smiles, and received flowers from children. Maybe the fact that she is not from royal birth makes her more relatable to the public, or is it actually a misconception that she is more loved by the public than the other royals?  

Despite this apparent love for Kate, both in the public and in the media, it seems her husband is actually the Nation’s favourite royal. A recent survey of ‘Britain’s favourite faces’ was answered by over 2000 people, and found that 68% of people expressed a ‘favourable’ view of Prince William, coming above the Queen who got 63%. The royal family as a whole came up far above many other faces of Britain, with the closest person to a regal score being Brian Johnson at 41%. So the question is why: do we like the idea of the royal family, or is it what they do that gets our support? Obviously everyone isn’t in the same boat with their support for the royals, but the whole country getting a bank holiday for the royal wedding probably gained them a few more.

What do you think?...