Reviewed by James Karas
The Madness of George III, Alan Bennett’s 1991 play, has some 27
characters not including footmen, courtiers, Members of Parliament and
assistants. The mentally ill King George III dominates the play and the horde
of other characters go on and off the stage in quick succession that at times
makes it difficult to follow the plot in detail.
Director Kevin Bennett has reduced the number of roles to 23, excluding
footmen and walk-on parts and has a dozen actors play all the parts. It does
not help in following the fast paced action. Bennett has made a few other
unhelpful changes. The role of Greville, the King’s male equerry is assigned to
Rebecca Gibian. The roles of Edward Thurlow and Sir Lucas Pepys are given to
Marci T. House. Burke and Braun, both male roles, are given to Lisa Berry who
also plays Lady Pembroke. Most of the other actors take two or three roles
which does not add to clarity.
Tom McCamus as George III with the cast of The Madness of George III. Photo by David Cooper.
Ken MacDonald has designed a pretty set in the small Royal George
Theatre. It looks almost like a miniature set with two tiers of seats for
members of the audience on each side. I am not sure why Kevin Bennett decided
to put audience members on stage and even less so when the actors interact with them.
As I said, the play is dominated by King George III and Tom McCamus
gives a bravura performance in the role. He goes from incredible arrogance to
being tied up in a chair and humiliated by his doctors. Both ends of the
spectrum are shocking. The King considers himself as only short of divine and
his treatment of others is utterly contemptuous. No one is allowed to address
him directly and they must walk backwards when leaving his presence. It is a
pretty disgusting picture of unrestrained arrogance.
As his mental illness deteriorates, the King comes under the mercy of a
number of quacks who proceed to treat him with the best medical care of the
era. Bleeding, examining his stool and pulse for reliable indicators of his
health, restraining with an iron crown around his head and tying him up with belts
around his wrists and legs are a few examples of first rate medical care of the
day. Emetics, purgation, blistering and no doubt some remedies that I did not
catch are also included. It is all a horrific sight.
All of this is handled by McCamus with consummate skill. He blusters, he
babbles, he screams in agony and yells in arrogance and he is tortured to the
point of appearing like a Christ figure but without any humility.
Martin Happer is the foppish, hateful and scheming Prince of Wales who wants
to push his father aside and be appointed Regent. André Sills is the
self-assured Pitt and the foolish Dr. Warren.
Chick Reid as Queen Charlotte and Tom McCamus as George III with the cast of
The Madness of George III. Photo by David Cooper.
Chick Reid plays the loving but equally arrogant Queen Charlotte with
Jim Mezon turning in a fine performance as Charles Fox and Dr. Baker.
The political forces are those of the government of Pitt poised against
the opposition led by Charles Fox with the Prince of Wales as a catalyst.
Even more important in the play is the roles of the doctors, Willis and
Nicholson played by Patrick McManus, Mezon as Dr. Baker and Sills as Dr.
Warren. You can disagree and argue with politicians, but you cannot disagree with
royalty or doctors. In The Madness of George III, doctors
gain the upper hand and their treatment is so atrocious they almost humanize
George III.
Unfortunately Kevin Bennett tried several ways to bring his view of the
play but he met with very little success. The production needs more clarity and
easier pacing so that we can keep up with action and less doubling up of
roles.
_________
The Madness of George III by Alan Bennett continues in repertory until October
15, 2017 at the Royal George Theatre, Shaw Festival, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. www.shawfest.com.
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