KING CHARLES III Previews — Page 5

I have not seen To Play The King - but saying something is derivative or not as good as the original does not really inform whether this production is worth seeing. Even if you've seen To Play the King. And of course Shakespeare is reputed to have ripped off contemporaries and predecessors - so, as this is in the manner of a Shakespeare "history play", it would be totally appropriate.

But, if King Charles III were such a rip-off, then were are the comments (and lawsuits) from Andrew Davies and Michael Dobbs?

Maybe I was being over-generous when I said that King Charles III is derivative. Its basic construct is not derivative of To Play The King nor is it similar; it is identical, namely that Prince Charles, when he becomes king, will not in good conscience be able to remain apolitical but will intervene in the affairs of government forcing the then Prime Minister to insist on his abdication and see the crown pass to William. Everything else is peripheral.

My comments are not designed to say whether this production is worth seeing but to counterbalance the over-praise lauded on the playwright who, had he been so clever, would have been able to think of an original contrivance. This play, like Enron and That Face, is severely over-rated and seems to be lauded by West End critics for want of something better to praise. One of the other disappointments of this play is that the playwright didn't even attempt to explore the issues relating to freedom of the press that exacerbate the constitutional crisis; a more skilled hand could have done so.

So it most definitely is a case of The Emperor's New Clothes, a comparison particularly valid not only in reference to its substance but to its subject as well. Wherever else that analogy has been used on this board I know not and do not care as I wasn't one of those using it.

"If King Charles III were such a rip-off, then were are the comments (and lawsuits) from Andrew Davies and Michael Dobbs?"

This is an irrelevant comment for a number of reasons not least of which is that the litigious cultures in the US and the UK are considerably different. But to answer to your question, they are probably in the same place as the lawsuits between Dobbs/Davies and the BBC, when the television adaption of Dobb's third novel tampered with its source, much to Dobbs dislike.

And as for the spoiler, ggersten, Google is not your friend - quoting Wikipedia just exposes the weakness of your defence. There is rather more I could say but I can't be bothered.

Updated On: 11/8/15 at 01:06 PM

Really? Our Queen just died.

Dancingthrulife2 said: "songanddanceman2 said: "Really? Our Queen just died."

1) Sorry for your loss but for us here it presents an interesting opportunity to examine the premises and assumptions this play presents in a very thought-provoking way.


Maybe for some of you, but not all of us here. I find it crass and ill-timed.

This play was always extremely morbid and probably not in the best of taste, considering everyone involved was alive and well. I still loved it and saw it twice. It immediately came to mind today and I will be watching the film tonight. I don’t consider it in poor taste to discuss this play today. She had a very long and incredible life and I don’t consider her death a tragedy.

BroadwayNYC2 said: "The show is literally about the reign of King Charles and we are in…the reign of King Charles. The brain worms on this board grow stronger every day."

Not only that, but the subjects of the play are - intense partisanship dividing Britain, civil unrest over Government actions, ambivalence about the role Royalty plays in the modern era, Harry stepping away from the family over love... all things that have been in the discourse receni. Sure it's heightened and played over a condensed timeline, but that is very much in the spirit of the Shakespeare histories that inspired it.

If someone wanted to put the iron to the fire and get a revival going with, say, Ian McKellen in the title role, I think it'd do good business. Mike Bartlett's work has been very popular in general lately, if nothing else.

I never knew they made a film of this (or maybe just forgot) so I’ll be checking this out today!