Chicago Shakespeare's modern-day 'Charles III' a shrewd royal drama

It's unlikely any writer will out-Shakespeare William Shakespeare. But British playwright Mike Bartlett comes close with his canny, captivating “King Charles III,” a combination family drama and political intrigue in a stellar production at Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

From soaring soliloquies pairing blank verse with contemporary language, to wry, cleverly rhymed couplets, Shakespeare's influence is evident throughout the play, which commendably echoes “Hamlet,” “Macbeth” and “Henry IV” among others.

And yet “King Charles III” is entirely of the moment.

Directed with wit and increasing tension by Gary Griffin, Bartlett's “future history play” speculates on what happens after England's Queen Elizabeth II dies and Prince Charles ascends the throne. Written in 2014, before the United Kingdom elected to leave the European Union and the United States elected Donald Trump, Bartlett's shrewd, dazzling play imagines a new monarch bucking tradition in a way that sends the nation into paroxysms.

Rather than sign a bill passed by both houses of Parliament - something every British ruler has done since 1708 - King Charles (“Downton Abbey's” Robert Bathurst) vetoes it, sparking a constitutional crisis that threatens the monarchy. (That time may be running out for the royals is suggested by a clock, which remains set at five minutes to midnight.)

As with all great tragedies, the stakes in “King Charles III” are high. So are the passions. Characters scheme, manipulate and betray each other. They chafe under the obligation and constraints of their birth and position. They struggle to remain relevant, to balance the personal with the political, to define themselves and their place in the world.

The action commences immediately after Queen Elizabeth's funeral and unfolds over the months leading to the coronation of a man who has spent his life as monarch-in-waiting.

Bathurst's brilliant, impeccably shaded performance conveys both the power and pathos of a man who recognizes he is a “better thoughtful prince than king.” Yet Charles wants very much to perform that role which God ordained and duty demands. Bathurst's Charles is the classic tragic hero: earnest, complex, deeply flawed and endlessly compelling.

“My life has been a lingering for the throne,” says Charles, who begins his reign flexing his royal muscles and refusing to sign a bill limiting freedom of England's notoriously aggressive press.

Unaccustomed to sovereign opposition, politic Prime Minister Evans (Sean Fortunato) questions why Charles would side with the same reporters who for years hounded him and the late Diana (whose ghost is played by Sarah Chalcroft). He reminds the king the bill has support from the opposition, led by the fictional Mark Stevens (David Lively), and both parties have the support of the electorate. Obdurate yet principled Charles insists democracy requires a free press and refuses to acquiesce. That sets up an intriguing conundrum. To preserve democracy, Charles behaves like a tyrant, subverting the will of his subjects, who - like their elected representatives - become increasingly agitated.

After the military parks a tank outside Buckingham Palace as a “show of strength,” turmoil increases, threatening the nation's stability.

Unrest grips the royal family as well. Camilla, played with fierce devotion by Kate Skinner, stands by her husband. But Prince William (a nicely circumspect Jordan Dean) and his wife, Kate (Amanda Drinkall, as astute as she is resolute), urge Charles to reconsider his opposition. Recognizing the situation imperils their ascension to the throne, the young royals strategize - like a modern-day Lord and Lady Macbeth - how to best use their celebrity to ensure their future.

Meanwhile Prince Harry (the excellent Alec Manley Wilson, in another of this production's carefully nuanced performances), the Windsor version of Prince Hal, yearns for a life out of the spotlight. Meeting art student Jess (a bold, Rae Gray), a commoner who has little affection for the monarchy, amplifies his desires for a “life of normalcy ... rather than atop the mound unearned with a target on my back.”

Like his father, Harry is duty-bound. Their birthright allows neither deviation nor expansion of the role fate assigned them.

Yet in his provocative, tantalizingly ambiguous drama, Bartlett makes one thing demonstrably clear. These individuals are devoted to their country. They may disagree on how to best serve its interests, but they will never fail to sacrifice for its benefit.

“King Charles III”

★ ★ ★ ½

Location: Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Navy Pier, 800 E. Grand Ave., Chicago, (312) 595-5600 or

chicagoshakes.com/kingcharlesIII

Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 1 and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday; 3 and 8 p.m. Saturday; 2 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday through Jan. 15

Running time: About two hours, 30 minutes with intermission

Tickets: $58-$88

Parking: $15 with theater validation in the Navy Pier garage

Rating: For teens and older; contains mature language