King Charles III, coming soon to Broadway?

[marylander1940]

Spoiler alert, I'm telling you the end of this play, if you want to watch don't read it.

 

Charles and his family gather following the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. He then holds his first weekly audience with the Prime Minister, principally discussing a new bill for statutory regulation of the press. This has passed the House of Commons and the House of Lords and is only awaiting Charles' royal assent to become law. Charles, however, expresses doubts that the law restricts the freedom of the press too much and would allow governments to censor the news and prevent legitimate uncovering of any abuse of power by the government. He asks the prime minister for alterations to the bill but he refuses and the two part, as the Leader of the Opposition arrives for a weekly meeting with Charles, an innovation the new king has introduced. The Leader of the Opposition expresses his own doubts on the Bill but states he sees little alternative but for Charles to sign.

 

In parallel, Prince Harry has begun a relationship with a republican named Jess and both Charles and Prince William have seen the ghost of Princess Diana, promising each man that he will become "the greatest king of all". The following day Charles' butler arrives at 10 Downing Street, hand-delivering the Bill with 'Assent Reserved' written in place of Charles' signature. The Prime Minister holds a crisis meeting with the Leader of the Opposition and then goes alone to try to convince Charles to sign, but he continues to refuse. The Prime Minister then threatens to pass a new law bypassing the royal assent and then pass the press law, but Charles then dissolves parliament before he can bring either of these plans into effect.

 

Protests begin across the country and especially in London. Charles increases the army guard at Buckingham Palace, offers his protection to Jess (who the media have made the centre of a sex scandal) and agrees to Harry's wish to become a commoner. The Duchess of Cambridge plans a solution, which turns out to be William publicly offering himself as a mediator between parliament and his father. He announces this at a press conference without his father's knowledge and consent. Seeing this as a betrayal, Charles reacts angrily but ultimately finds himself forced to abdicate in favour of William, who will sign the press bill and restore the status quo between king and parliament. The play concludes with Harry's rejection of Jess and William and Kate's coronation as king and queen.

 

http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2014/sep/12/king-charles-iii-review-shakespeare-mike-bartlett-wyndhams-tim-pigott-smith

 

[video=youtube;cO5mWN7ItcI]

[+ WilliamM]

Thanks, the plot is very interesting, especially Harry. I remember seeing "MacBird" off-Broadway during the last years of the Johnson Administration, so the play may find a home on Broadway in 2015.

 

I doubt that Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson saw "MacBird," but they would have been impressed with the two people who played them on stage:

 

Stacy Keach as MacBird, Rue McClanahan as Lady MacBird, Paul Hecht as John O'Dunc, William Devane as Robert O'Dunc, John Pleshette as Ted O'Dunc, John Clark as Earl of Warren, Cleavon Little as Witch 2

 

The O'Dunc family = The Kennedys.