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'King Charles III' puts British monarchy onstage

Posted April 11, 2014 1:01 am

Associated Press

LONDON - A new play about Britain's future king is getting rave reviews. Once it would have been theatrical treason.

"King Charles III" imagines current heir Prince Charles taking the throne, with catastrophic results.

Just a few decades ago, depictions of living British monarchs were banned from the country's stages. Even in 2014, Mike Bartlett's drama is provoking strong reactions.

Daily Mail critic Quentin Letts said the play "seems anxious to provoke a serious row." The paper headlined its review "So could King Charles III be deposed by scheming Kate?"

Yet most of Britain's newspapers applauded the play on Friday. The Times of London said it was "bold, brilliant and unstoppably entertaining," while the Financial Times called it "scintillating and audacious."

A new play about Britain's future king is getting rave reviews. Once it would have been theatrical treason. "King Charles III" imagines current heir Prince Charles taking the throne, with catastrophic results. Just a few decades ago, depictions of living British monarchs were banned from the country's stages. Associated Press

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