This play is the second collaboration between playwright, Peter Morgan, and established British actress Helen Mirren, after the acclaimed movie, The Queen. Such combination, of course, is the motivation behind me wanting to see the play.
'The Audience', similar to the movie, is centred around the Queen's relationship with her Prime Minister(s); but this time, from Winston Churchill to David Cameron. The plot is developed upon the regular private audience between the Queen and the Prime Minister on Tuesday afternoon, in which they discuss formal business like government policies to private concerns. In the beginning of each scene, a senior equerry stands on the stage and explains and descripts like the procedure of the private audiences, room decorations of the meeting, or the social background when a particular audience takes place, to the viewers.
Through those fictive conversations between the head of the state and different Prime Ministers in different periods of the British history, Morgan shows the transformation of Queen Elizabeth II. She was a newly crowned monarchy, who has no familiarity with actual parliamentary operation, in her first private audience with Churchill. She was rather shy, uncertain about how things were suppose to work and keen to look for advises from the experienced politician. But with the time passed, she was no longer the one who was being advised by, but to give suggestions to and backing her government unconditionally. She became one of the most influential public figures in the world.
However, even she is determined to perform her great duties and serve her country, she cannot deny there is always a little girl, who is curious about the outside world and eager to be free from all, lives in her heart. When the Queen is alone, the little princess will come out and talk to the adult version of her, showing the humanized side of the Queen and recalling the memory. Morgan also touches on the women side of the Queen, not from the angle of a mother of her children, but from a wife of her husband. In a scene where she was inquire about the possibility of taking Duke of Edinburgh's surname, she cannot help but crying out that "but I'm also a wife!', when the private secretary opposes her idea.
Apart from the (depicted) personality of the Queen, Morgan also keen to show the dynamical interactions between her and each Prime Ministers. Among those Prime Ministers, it was Harold Wilson, according to Morgan, occupied a particular status in the Queen's mind. In their first audience, the newly elected Labour leader behalf rather recklessly and certainly was a direct and plain speaker. However, with his relatively informal manner, the Queen gradually developed a sense of admiration towards this working class man. Her special interest in him can be spotted clearly when she was upset to learn that Wilson was ill and may leave the government soon. Morgan not just tackles the seriousness in those audiences, but occassionally lighting up the conversations with British humour and keeping the talk content up-to-date. This is particularly marvellous in the scene between the Queen and Cameron. In the start of their meeting, Morgan hilariously sets 'Gangnam Style' as the Queen's mobile ringtone!
Overall, I think it was right amount of sediments, seriousness and wittiness mixed in this fantastic play. Although the necessity of the British royal family remains controversial and debatable in Britain, Queen Elizabeth II's efforts and devotion to her country and people, still, cannot be denied. Think about this: She cannot simply quit or demolish herself, even when faces endless criticisms toward her family and could never issue her opinion publicly and wholeheartedly. It makes me wonder: what sort life is that? Of course it would be magnificent to live in a gigantic palace, have people deal with every trivial things in my life. But such life also means that I cannot state my own preferences or object whatever was putted in my plates. Maybe, sometimes, the royal family's out of touch is due to the fact that they were unable to access to the diversity of common men's life. I do enjoy the play enormously and, interestingly, would like to see it again if possible.
After the performance, of course, I went to the stage door of Gielgud Theatre for the chance to get Helen Mirren's autography. However, I was late when I got there. According to the fans that gathered outside, a theatre steward came out to collect people's requests very shortly after the performance ended, and bring those stuff inside to Dame Mirren to sign, and then handed them back afterward. Pity. Anyway, I am probably going to London at some point before the end of April. Hopefully I will be able to stop by at the theatre again.
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