King Charles III

I thought it was great. Going into it not knowing a thing except reading the plot on Wikipedia, I was very pleasantly surprised. The Wikipedia summary made it sound boring, but I thought the main concept was really interesting. Also very funny. However I did not like the whole side plot with Prince Harry.

Can all the reviewers be wrong or is it me? Political thriller, iambic pentameter, brilliant innovation are used to describe this tedious bore.
I expected surrounding seats to be empty after the intermission– not so but it must be our collective need to get our money’s worth.
Unfortunately, this is definitely not worth the price of a Broadway ticket.
PS incorrect grammar with a British accent is still incorrect grammar.

Went on a Wednesday evening the first week in December. The theater was nearly packed for this performance. Highly recommend you go to see this quirky Shakespearean tragedy spoken in iambic pentameter. You will never look at the Royals the same again. The first act was a bit slow but give it a chance, the acting, costumes and plots were superb. The actress that plays Kate is so convincing (even down to the mannerisms and the exquisite jewelry) that you almost believe that it’s really her!

If you need to catch up on your sleep, this is the play for you! I’ve yet to go to a show where I was surrounded by people nodding off! Including myself! We had such high hopes for this show. The reviews were great. The premise was interesting. I would of had more interest in watching paint dry! We left at intermission. When Princess Diana paraded the stage in a black veil saying something which was inaudible, I had had ENOUGH! Save your money and see any other show but this one! UGH!!!

Saw this show today. They had a rush ticket at box office for 37. Said partial view, I was in the fourth row on the right. Did not miss anything. Show was little slow first act, second was definitely better. Acting was excellent, the set very large. Well worth the visit.

I have been looking forward to seeing Charles III ever since it was shown in London last year. I was not disappointed. The current production at the Music Box Theater is amazing and intense. Amazing in its virtuoso performances and use of language. Intense in its tragic dimensions and genuine pathos.
The play’s gimmick, if you will, is a setting in the not-​to-​distant future where Charles, Prince of Wales, finally becomes King of England. The new king is a noble idealist with an anachronistic view of the divine right of kings and an indecisive, yet stubborn, nature. Alas, he is surrounded by vultures: a treacherous family, duplicitous politicians, and disloyal retainers. His reign seems likely to be doomed.
The plot begins with Queen Elizabeth’s funeral, with the cast chanting the Agnus Dei (later they will sing the Dies Irae and Te Deum). Initially the play seems a satire on the royal family and English mores with the royals behaving much as their public personae. But gradually they and the plot deepen into something almost Shakespearean in its intensity. Part of that is the use of blank verse and Elizabethan word order. Kudos to playwright Mike Bartlett for a splendid job on that score. Another part is the many Shakespearean allusions, including an unexpected ghost on the ramparts who is one of the forces rallied against Charles. A Duchess of Cambridge who has learned her lessons at Lady Macbeth’s knee. Traitorous children and courtiers worthy of King Lear’s household. And, of course, Charles III itself is much in the style of the history plays.
There are only twelve in the cast, playing a variety of roles. Tim Pigott, almost in every scene, is splendid as Charles. Margot Leicester plays a sympathetic Camilla. Oliver Chris reveals the naked ambition beneath Prince William’s bland affability. At 6’3″ it’s interesting to note how Rupert Goold’s direction keeps him from towering over the shorter cast. Lydia Wilson is a sexy and steely Lady Macbeth… eh, Duchess of Cambridge. Anthony Calf is an archetypal slimy politician and Miles Richardson’s a smooth, self-​serving courtier. The only faltering performers are Richard Goulding and Tafline Steen as Harry and his working class girlfriend. Their various permutations of character are too abrupt to be believable.
Charles III is good theater, a play of unexpected depth and maturity. I expect a hit.

Go see this immediately as it is now in previews (it officially opens on November 1^st) and you have a better chance of obtaining a reasonably priced ticket before the stateside reviews come out. Regardless, the cheapest tickets start at $ 37 and the premium seats go up to $ 227, which is actually cheap considering: (1) it is Broadway; and (2) it is the best Broadway play I have seen this Fall (sorry, «Fool for Love»). The basic premise of this play is that after a million years on the British throne, Queen Elizabeth expires and as a result, it is her son, Charles’, turn to reign.
Even by talented British thespian standards (Hello, «Wolf Hall»), this cast is phenomenal. The man playing the eponymous character had a naïveté and doddering nature about him that was charming, even if it detrimentally effected his country. The actress playing Kate Middleton treated her as extremely self-​aware and charming, but mildly Lady MacBethesque when taking into consideration her children’s legacy. The man playing Harry was well-​intentioned and hilarious while the leader of the minority British political party was two-​faced and sinister in a way that meant he could have easily been playing an American politician.
Almost the entirety of the cast played several speaking roles, in addition to acting as the greek chorus throughout the 2 hour 30 minute running time. The players were not scenery chewers, their acting was in fact so humorously subtle and plausible, that this play felt as if it could indeed be depicting future, historical events. Importantly, the writing was spectacular, thoughtful and well done. At no point did I find this boring, stuffy or difficult to follow and even the minor characters served an important purpose.
You should see this show before its run ends in January 2016 since in addition to having the original cast and winning a slew of awards in England, it still had only a limited run on the West End last year, so the chances that this play will run as long as «Cats» is small. You do not need to be an Anglophile to find this delightful, but read the wikipedia entries on the House of Windsor, the British constitutional monarchy and Princess Diana beforehand if you have no idea of what has been happening in in England for the past century or so. Also, do not let the running time scare you, the plot never wanes, the players never tire and your focus will never deviate, such that the play will end quicker than you realize.