King Charles III - Wyndham's Theatre

King Charles III  promotional material

Vivat Rex. This 2014 play by Mike Bartlett depicts the lives of key members of the British royal family in the period between the death of the present Queen up to and including the coronation of the next monarch. Charles takes over after the Queen's death, but is soon faced with a dilemma - should he sign into law a bill restricting the freedom of the press, even though he disagrees with it? Debate ensues between the King and politicians as to the limits of royal power, and what the consequences will be for the monarchy if he adheres to his principles. The play was written in blank verse, which gave it a poetic, Shakespearean quality. 

I enjoyed the actors' portrayals of the royals. Their voices and mannerisms were done extremely well and the costumes were recognisable. Tim Pigott-Smith was sympathetic as a principled and naive Charles III. 

Apart from the face, Kate (Lydia Wilson) looked exactly as she does in real life - glossy chestnut hair slightly waved at the ends, severe black dress showing off her very slim figure, stiletto heels...Her voice was perfect, too. 

Harry (Richard Goulding) was convincing, with characteristically rumpled hair and a desire to spend most of his time away from the palace. He forms a relationship with a stereotypical art student, Jessica. My favourite usage of blank verse in the play occurred when Jessica described her past indiscretion of sexting a boyfriend to a member of palace personnel, in the hope that he would stop the papers from hounding her. She described it as 'sending a token of my love' or something.

At the beginning of the play, William (Oliver Chris) and Kate came across as benign, benevolent and slightly condescending. But as the play progressed it became clear that Kate was more invested in the future of the monarchy than one might suspect and that she was playing the long game. Hilary Mantel was correct when she described the way in which Kate is depicted in the media: 'In those days she was a shop-window mannequin, with no personality of her own, entirely defined by what she wore. These days she is a mother-to-be, and draped in another set of threadbare attributions. Once she gets over being sick, the press will find that she is radiant. They will find that this young woman’s life until now was nothing, her only point and purpose being to give birth.' 

It was refreshing to see Kate depicted as a cunning strategist. I like the idea of her being like that in real life. She was a more interesting character than William, who was more conventional in his approach to the situation. Towards the end of the play the actions of the dapper duo - masterminded by Kate - took a turn for the sinister. I felt a little chill down my spine when Harry informed Jessica that he must break up with her...having been ordered to do so by William and Kate!

Set: concave brick wall with doorways through which people (including the ghost of Diana) entered and exited, a frieze near the top of the wall showing indistinguishable faces, a rectangular plum tiered stage not covering the stage proper, which had parquet flooring...Candles. Good set, helped evoke atmosphere.

Music: chorus at outset, reminiscent of Philip Glass. Also helped evoke atmosphere. 

I enjoyed this, but didn't love it. I was amused by the funny parts but not deeply affected by the more serious elements. 3.5 stars out of 5.

Next: Sunny Afternoon

Bring up the Bodies - Aldwych Theatre

Bring up the Bodies book cover

I saw this in mid August, so this review is delayed. Bad me. I enjoyed this more than 'Wolf Hall', but I think that's more because I prefer the story of 'Bring up the Bodies' than because the production was significantly better.

I really didn't like the block-y metal decoration thing above the stage. I presume it was there specifically for these plays  - WHY, though? It went well with the concrete walls, but I wasn't keen on them, either. Concrete and the Tudor era just don't go well together.

Like 'Wolf Hall', 'Bring up the Bodies' was rushed and there wasn't a great deal of atmosphere. Thomas Cromwell wasn't sufficiently sagacious or in control. Some of his movements were frenetic and indicative of anxiety, which is not how Mantel's Cromwell should be. In the book he comes across as completely reliable, steady, unflappable and sure of himself. As well as a genius.

I liked the bit near the beginning where ghosts from Cromwell's past appeared, including his wife.

Regarding dramatic pauses, there was a decent dramatic pause during the interrogation of Mark Smeaton. Well done, 'Bring up the Bodies'. 

Jane Seymour was annoying. Sorry, but she was. In the book Jane Seymour is quite a complex character - she's quiet, apparently shy, doesn't really fit in at court, among her family, or with anyone else, and has an unexpected kind of sense of humour. In the play they've made her stupid. Which is a shame. Her put-on undulating voice was annoying.

Costumes again were wonderful. Jane Seymour's gown right at the end was particularly beautiful.

An indication of how good/impactful a production was is how much one thinks about it afterwards. I'm afraid I didn't think much about this one. For both productions, I felt that everything important was included, plotwise. The costumes were perfect. A lot of Mantel's dialogue was used. But...they lacked soul and genuine drama. Most of the main characters were two-dimensional and created through a very literal interpretation of Mantel's books. The plays somehow seemed a bit commercial rather than properly thought through.

Next: Julius Caesar

Wolf Hall - Aldwych Theatre

Wolf Hall book cover

I've read both Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies and was favourably impressed. They were gripping, intense, atmospheric, disturbing, unusual, authentic-sounding... 

Wolf Hall the play

was

not.

The costumes were wonderful. The script was very faithful to the book. The play contained all the important plot points. 

But. It was two-dimensional. It lacked tension, drama, a sense of impending doom. I found it difficult to become properly absorbed in it. I even almost fell asleep in the second half (!!!). I forced myself to stay awake because the costumes were so beautiful. I'm a sucker for swishing robes and English hoods. And because I'd paid £40 to see it.

I think one of the main problems was its pacing. It was too fast. Even a theatre novice like myself understands the importance of pausing in order to create dramatic tension. But there were very few pauses in the play. Lighting and sound effects could also have been employed to ratchet up the tension. There should have been more shadows for people to lurk in, and more people lurking in them. I felt that the producers/directors prized competence and basic faithfulness to the plot over trying to create the book's pressurized atmosphere.

Sir Timothy

The characters, again, were played competently and somewhat literally. Thomas Cromwell was a cockney (well, kind of), Anne Boleyn shouted a lot and Jane Seymour cowered in almost pantomimic fashion. One didn't get a sense of the depth of the characters. In addition, Thomas Cromwell didn't have much of a 'presence'. I tended to forget about him when he wasn't speaking. Which isn't right! Thomas Cromwell needs to have a strong, imposing, definite, slightly intimidating presence. It's true that how actors look doesn't necessarily matter - if they are good actors they'll make you believe in the character even if they don't look much like them - but I found it difficult to get beyond Ben Miles' refined looks. I think he's more suited to lord of the manor-type roles in period dramas.

I didn't like the concrete walls/columns surrounding the stage. Yes, I know it's modern and almost expected to have minimal scenery/props etc., but I found the concrete incongruous with a play set in Tudor times, in which the actors are wearing Tudor costumes.

In conclusion, my recent discovery that Boots no longer stocks Chapstick or Lypsyl gave me a much greater sense of tension and drama than this production.

Next: probably Round Two - Bring up the Bodies. Ding ding!