King Charles III

The fourth play to transfer from the hit-making Almeida Theatre, this future historical play sees Tim Piggott-Smith as our future monarch Charles III, desperately pondering on how best to rule after a lifetime of waiting in the wings. When the Queen dies, the Prince finally steps into the sun. But it is markedly different from what he expected, for the new King is forced into difficult situations that he never once imagined, with the spectre of Diana hanging over him still like a Shakespearean ghost.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT?

As Prince Charles finally becomes Charles III following the death of the Queen, he is faced with a mltitude of problems. One of his first official duties includes signing a new act restricting the freedom of the press, which he refuses, causing political uproar and the threat of a new civil war. The problems don't stop as his daughter in-law Kate schemes with the Labour Prime Minister to have him abdicate in favour of William, days after his coronation.

Another challenge comes when Prince Harry wishes to rescind his royal titles and become a commoner, in order to marry a republican-leaning art student. Will the beleaguered Charles capitulate to those who hold the real power, or try to exercise the long-forgotten powers of the monarch to ensure his own survival, with the threat of war, usurpation and public hatred hanging over his newly crowned head?