Barring divine intervention, the 90-year-old reigning sovereign of the United Kingdom, Queen Elizabeth II, will eventually die, and her eldest son, Prince Charles (currently 68), will ascend the throne—assuming, of course, that he’s not also dead by then, which would be just his luck. In King Charles III, Brit playwright Mike Bartlett imagines a less than orderly succession.
Best known to American audiences as Sir Anthony Strallan from Downton Abbey, Robert Bathurst neatly embodies the dignified confusion of an honorable but crucially limited man who requires a hell of an awakening before he’ll understand his place in the world. He’s surrounded, in Gary Griffin’s well-paced staging, by an army of Chicago’s better actors. Amanda Drinkall, in particular, exudes a smooth ferocity, making herself at home in the rather retrograde role of manipulative Kate. David Lively’s opposition leader is like one of those rubber stress relievers: however hard you squeeze him, he pops back into shape. Jonathan Weir is a decorous hoot as Charles’s personal secretary. v
Through 1/15: times vary, see website Chicago Shakespeare Theater 800 E. Grand 312-595-5600chicagoshakes.com $58-$88
