King Charles III
A future history play. Sounds implausible, but playwright Mike Bartlett ( Cock ) has crafted exactly that. King Charles III , directed by Rupert Goold , is epic and provocative, just like the classic Shakespearean history plays, like Richard III , and, like a history play, is written as a look back on an exceptional moment in history. Unlike most history plays, though, nothing depicted in the play has actually happened...yet. Taking place in the not-so-distant future, King Charles III imagines what it will be like when Queen Elizabeth II passes away, and Prince Charles becomes the titular king. Bartlett conjures a reign that is fraught with the politics of The Crown in Parliament—the duel between the crown and the popularly-elected leaders—and intra-palace politicking. The catalyst for most of the goings on is a bill that seeks to limit the free press. The prime minister, Mr. Evans (a terrific Adam James ), who is for the bill that has already passed Parliament, brings the bil...