Tim Pigott-Smith stars in this TV version of his recent London and Broadway stage triumph – and it’s a fortunate record of his performances, because, unfortunately, after starring in Mike Bartlett’s wildly daring 2015 play about a hypothetical succession of British royalty, Pigott-Smith died unexpectedly last month at age 70. His most famous role was as star of the classic 1984 miniseries
The Jewel in the Crown. Here, in
King Charles III, he plays the title role – in a play, written and performed entirely in Shakespearean iambic pentameter, imagining what might happen, in a near future in which the Queen dies, and Prince Charles inherits the crown. In other royal roles in this drama, William is played by Oliver Chris, Harry by Richard Goulding, Kate by Charlotte Riley, Camilla by Margot Leicester – and, as a ghostly apparition haunting the castle (another nod to the Bard), Katie Brayben as the late, but still not forgotten, Princess Diana.
For a full review, see David Hinckley's All Along the Watchtower. Check local listings.