The Diana Tapes NYC Reviews and Tickets

72%

(63 Reviews)

Positive

71%

Mixed

24%

Negative

Members say

Thought-provoking, Absorbing, Disappointing, Ambitious, Slow

About the Show

With the 20th anniversary of the Princess’s untimely death upon us, this new drama explores the subterfuge and deception which lead to a scorching climax and changed celebrity, privacy, and the Windsor family forever.

'The Diana Tapes' moves swiftly between Morton’s office, the sitting room where the Princess recorded her darkest secrets onto cassettes, and the dingy West London cafe where one of her best friends surreptitiously handed them over. This play allows us to consider the role of the media in our cultural institutions and governing bodies, and the impact it has on our perceptions, then and now.

Member Reviews (63)

Savvy, Unfinished, Snarky, Intriguing, Reportorial

See it if you want to see a less than reverential treatment of the oft-reported breakout of Lady Di from her royal straitjacket.

Don't see it if you have heard far too much about Lady Di already. Read more

Disappointing, Quirky, Slow, Dated

See it if you want a live take on what is already known - nothing new offered here. Kudos for some unique, bare budget staging.

Don't see it if you want a fast-paced the the main story. While the acting is okay, there is a lack of a spark to the production.

Critic Reviews (5)

"Mr. Clements’ treatment of these events is straightforward and confirms existing perceptions of these figures...That there are no surprises or fresh insights could be overcome if the production had vitality but it doesn’t...The alluring Ana Cristina Schuler is a winningly credible Diana...The saga of Princess Diana is certainly rich material for the stage but that potential hasn’t really been demonstrated here."
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"The one-act makes for an enjoyable evening. Obviously it takes skill to recreate Diana..The ensemble pulls it off in the end...The inherent structural challenge with trying to make a thriller out of a history play is that we already know how the story ends...I’m hesitant to say that the play adds much new to the conversation about Princess Di. But perhaps for a true Anglophile, the issue of novelty is less pressing than the chance to relive history."
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"This production is amateurish and makes ninety minutes seem more like 3 hours. Part of this is due to the direction by Wednesday Sue Derrico...The events are straightforward, but it is hard to follow, as this seems more like a student production. None of the actors are old enough...Only the lighting designer Elizabeth M. Stewart and Ms. Wall’s costume design seem NYC ready. I was intrigued to see this show, but the material does not live up to the name Princess Diana."
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"For those unfamiliar with her entire story, Clements teases out an interesting view into Diana…‘The Diana Tapes’ asks intriguing questions, but falters from a lack of intensity...The taped conversations and interaction between friends Colthurst and Diana are key…The characterization did not manifest Diana’s turmoil and inner conflict in sustained emotionalism throughout. When both actors did hit their notes and make their relationship believable, those scenes popped.”
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"With an insightful, balanced mixture of fact and creative nonfiction, Clements and his What Will the Neighbors Say colleagues dramatize events leading to the 1992 publication of 'Diana: Her True Story-in Her Own Words'...That’s plenty for director Wednesday Sue Derrico to work with, since Diana’s cooperation proved difficult...'The Diana Tapes' is a smart variation on the Diana myth. The only thing Clements doesn’t answer is what happens to Andrew Morton and Dr. Colthurst."
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