What will happen when the reigning 92-year-old queen of England, Elizabeth II, dies and her son Charles, Prince of Wales, becomes king? This play by Mike Bartlett, which PBS presented last Sunday, speculates that Charles will make a desperate attempt to protect one of the hallmarks of democracy, namely, the freedom of the press. In doing so, the new king upsets the prime minister, most of the members of parliament, and ultimately, his own family. The New York Times described this play as “flat-out brilliant.” I admire the subtle poetry infused into this “modern-dress version of an actual Shakespeare play.”
Bartlett, Mike. King Charles III: A Future History Play. Theatre Communications Group, 2015, 4. 2, p. 83.