King Charles III NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (382)
See it if Fine British drama exquisitely rendered but a great cast and fine director.
Don't see it if You don't like to think.
See it if you enjoy politics. ...you enjoy Shakespeare.
Don't see it if you don't enjoy politics. ...you don't enjoy Shakespeare.
See it if you like history, politics and great language and especially if you know Shakespeare's history plays.
Don't see it if have no interest in or knowledge of the English political system or the royal family.
See it if you want to see something truly brilliant, clever, quirky, ingenious, and timely.
Don't see it if you are averse to Shakespeare.
See it if You love British royalty, intrigue, Shakespearean notions and iambic pentameter. See it if you live for a solid play.
Don't see it if You can't abide the British.
See it if Intriguing, thought provoking premise. Exceedingly well acted.
Don't see it if You can't sit quietly and pay attention
See it if great writing, great acting, and great concept.
Don't see it if you won't, it closed.
See it if you would like to see what a modern Shakespeare play would sound like.
Don't see it if you hate British shows.
Critic Reviews (76)
"'King Charles III’ has a smarmy appeal for theatergoers who’ve never read People magazine…Many of the characters start to spout Hamlet Lite by using the word ‘thus’ a lot…Something truly Shakespearean, however, happens during intermission under Rupert Goold’s slow-burn direction…In a powerhouse performance, Pigott-Smith switches gears too. His befuddled light touch, making him a straw monarch in the first act, digs deep to reveal a truly heroic gravitas in the second."
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"'King Charles III' is smashingly good. Here is a new Shakespearean tragedy, and one at which you won't likely be dozing off…The entire cast, imported for the occasion, is admirable. Bartlett more than exceeds his promise with 'King Charles III.' Goold provides a stunning Shakespearean production…The tragic tale makes first-rate theatre, though, measuring up to its progenitors. A canny conceit, done exceptionally well."
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"The splendid production, fluidly directed by Rupert Goold, has a simple but effective set...The play has interesting things to say about the role of royalty in the 21st century and the current state of life in the UK. However, if you are not a devoted Anglophile or an avid follower of the royal family, you may find the evening a bit tedious."
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"The play is undoubtedly a wholly different sort of exercise in front of a London audience — a dramatized, dystopian vision of a not completely far-fetched future. Forget what little (or how much) you know about the royal family IRL, and the two-and-a-half hours’ traffic of their stage may grow tedious."
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"A royal thriller of epic proportions. From betrayal, greed, power, love, and familiar woes, Bartlett covers it all. And in stunning fashion...It’s an ambitious endeavor in which he undoubtedly succeeds…Just when you thought the story couldn’t get better, Bartlett offers even more…'King Charles III' may appear daunting but it is a must see for theater lovers and theater goers alike. It would be a shame if the Bartlett’s future history doesn’t get recognized come Tony season."
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"I felt tossed around by the inconsistent tone and confusing intentions in what is cleverly subtitled 'a future history play'... The faux sequel to Shakespeare's history plays is expertly performed, especially by Tim Pigott-Smith as Charles, and stylishly directed with stark pomp by Rupert Goold. Ultimately, however, the play feels more trivial than its pretense wants us to believe…Bartlett can't resist having too much fun with the well-known personalities."
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"Much of the dialogue is in blank verse. It's not great poetry, but it's wittily effective in linking the play to Shakespeare's great history dramas...'King Charles III' is quite wordy and likely more accessible across the ocean, but it's also unusually imaginative and a surprising bit of fun."
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"Starring Tim Pigott-Smith in a riveting performance as Charles, the play makes a Shakespearean tragedy out of the current monarchy...Rupert Goold directs a stellar cast, while Jocelyn Pook's music underscores both the solemnity and isolation of monarchy. Bartlett calls his work a 'future history play.' And while it may be fantasy, it makes for compelling theater."
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