King Charles III NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (382)
See it if you love Shakespeare, especially the history plays, and have a love not just of the Royal family but the ins and outs of British politics.
Don't see it if You can't stand Shakespearean verse or the length of such plays, you find history boring, you are an Anglophobe.
See it if you've ever enjoyed even a moment of a Shakespearean History, watched William & Kate get married, or want metered plays to make a come back
Don't see it if you are politically disengaged. Hate alternate history or ending scenes with rhyming couplets. Read more
See it if How clever. Very underrated. Go see this one. The acting... wow!
Don't see it if You don't like British fare.
See it if you want bragging rights on having seen the best play of the season. Fantastic writing, great acting.
Don't see it if you don't like plays in blank verse or are bored by political or history plays.
See it if You like British things or political dramas with familial issues thrown in
Don't see it if British politics and the monarchy don't interest you
See it if Shakespearean epic tales of power and betrayal are your cup of tea! Brilliant writing and performances make for thrilling theatre!
Don't see it if you hate wordy plays with little action and not much spectacle. This is pretty cerebral fare.
See it if you are an Anglophile and/or a classic theater lover. The writing, acting, and production is superb. It is absorbing and thought-provoking
Don't see it if you have no interest in history, politics, or dramatic arts. It's a smart, clever, well-crafted play that will delight most theatergoers.
See it if you enjoy a complex, rich theatrical experience with fantastic performances and original writing--also, if you love Shakespeare.
Don't see it if you're not a fan of Shakespearean themes or are tired of stories about the British monarchy.
Critic Reviews (76)
"'King Charles III' is a terrific offering for this Broadway season. It’s juicy, smart, and skilled. That said, I couldn’t recommend it for everyone. I suspect the larger-than-normal and noticeable 'should we leave?' faces at intermission are an indication. There were some empty seats in Act II. Those that stay and thrive on this might be Shakespeare fans/appreciators. For them I say, get thee to see 'King Charles III.'"
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"Bartlett’s script is devoid of fat. For all its referential ties to the bard of Avon, it never seems pretentious or overblown. And the plot flows smoothly to its unavoidable conclusion…Pigott-Smith’s powerful performance is so rich it’s mesmerizing. A dark rainbow of ultimately desperate hues, he brings shaded nuance to a drama beautifully written and directed."
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"Bartlett has created a Shakespeare for our times, writing in a fluid iambic pentameter that mingles formal locutions with contemporary colloquialisms and scene-ending rhymed couplets. Using striking soliloquies and a healthy splash of humor, he weaves the political, personal, and familial conflicts together in a marvelously integrated dramatic narrative that subtly incorporates echoes of King Lear, Hamlet, Macbeth, Richard II, Richard III, and Henry IV."
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"Even if you’re not one of the rare Americans fascinated with Britain’s Royal Family, Mike Bartlett’s 'King Charles III,' is likely to have you riveted for 2 ½ hours. With its superb acting, accessible yet elegant language, and thought-provoking plot twists, 'King Charles III' proves to not only be a royal treat, but one of Broadway’s finest offerings this year."
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“Director Rupert Goold has deepened the sense of an Elizabethan drama with a superb cast, led by Tim Pigott-Smith…The acting helps elevate the plot to the feel of tragedy, despite some tabloid-tawdry goings-on…'King Charles III' was ecstatically received in London. The British critics were largely adoring, one observing that the play 'raises fascinating questions about the future of the monarchy.' I don’t find the questions so fascinating."
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"The persuasive grand manner with which the cast members perform as if vitalizing Shakespeare is notable... American audiences aren’t always as likely to be as electrified as their other-side-of-the-Atlantic counterparts, but Bartlett’s bold play remains utterly irresistible, a must-see."
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"A splendid provocation and a really fine play… I don’t think it will surprise anyone, least of all Bartlett, to say that he lacks Shakespeare’s gift for figuration and metaphor…If some of the middle feels workmanlike, the ending has poignancy and heft. There is a moment in the final scene that invites and earns audience gasps...Bartlett’s dark vision of a monarchy no longer content with being quite so ceremonial deserves a long Broadway reign."
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"Mike Bartlett’s 'King Charles III' is like an adult fantasy done Dr. Seuss style (iambic pentameter) with a plot that makes no sense…This whole cast is simply marvelous…Maybe, I am not so mesmerized by the Brits, especially Charles. Maybe, if I was going to hear iambic pentameter, I’d rather read the book. Maybe, the King has no clothes and I just can’t buy the Kool-Aid.”
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