KING CHARLES III
BBC2, WEDNESDAY 10 MAY, 9PM
It’s a busy week for writer Mike “Doctor Foster” Bartlett, whose great episode of Doctor Who screens on Saturday (see page 93). Then, on Wednesday, his adaptation of his own award-winning play, King Charles III, arrives in the form of this one-off 90-minute drama.
THE PREMISE
The bold idea is that Prince Charles finally ascends the throne when Elizabeth II passes away, only for him to cause major political ructions almost as soon as he meets the Prime Minister, because the new King doesn’t like Government legislation designed to rein in the excesses of the press. Understandably the PM is stunned and shocked that the new monarch wants to interfere in the political process, while Chas himself feels this is a matter of conscience and principal and he cannot allow the freedom of the press to be challenged. As the PM and King Charles dig their heels in, a constitutional crisis develops, which also threatens the future of William and Kate. Meanwhile, poor Harry gets embroiled with a commoner who doesn’t approve of the monarchy at all…
THE CAST
Tragically, Tim Pigott-smith, who plays Charles with astonishing power and subtlety, died last month, so this is one of his final works, but it serves as a fitting tribute to his talent. He’s joined by Charlotte Riley (Peaky Blinders) as Kate and Oliver Chris (The Office) as William, and a very convincing Richard Goulding in the tough role of Harry (who he also played in C4’s The Windsors).
THE VERDICT
Bearing in mind the dialogue of this high-concept piece is in archaic blank verse, and there are sequences in which Princess Di pops up as a figment of Charles’ imagination, it’s not exactly meant to be naturalistic. In the brilliant three-hour stage version, all this worked perfectly, but it’s harder to pull off on TV – especially when the scenes involving Harry’s relationship with a woman living on a council estate feel very different in tone. Despite these flaws, there’s a huge amount to enjoy. ★★★★ Boyd Hilton