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The brown word: Death on the Throne @gatehouselondon

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We’re warned at the start of the show with an upbeat number that this is not the usual sort of musical. And it turns out to be just that. But with boundless enthusiasm and energy from its two leads, who deploy a range of voices and breathtaking energy to create a series of voices for puppet characters, a bedtime story becomes a silly oddball tale about four souls stuck in purgatory. With puppets. And various toilet humour references. It’s currently playing at Upstairs At The Gatehouse . The piece starts as a bedtime story. Daddy (Mark Underwood) is about to read a bedtime story for Louise (Sarah Louise Hughes). But her stomach felt funny, and soon, she went to the bathroom. Then, for reasons that seem to only make sense in the confines of the show, they start telling the story of four people who died in unfortunate circumstances in the bathroom. Depicted as puppets, they’re stuck in purgatory as St Peter doesn’t have enough space for each of them in the afterlife. And so begins a puppe...

Smokes and parasites: A Princess Undone @ParkTheatre

It’s a hot and stormy August evening, and Princess Margaret is on a mission in A Princess Undone. The trouble is, with so much reverence for the subject - and not much of a mission - it’s hard to see the drama (or comedy) in this piece by Richard Stirling. It’s currently playing at Park Theatre.

It’s August 1993. Most of the Royals are at Balmoral. Princess Margaret is at Kensington Palace with the Queen Mother’s steward William Tallon (also played by Stirling). After clearing out correspondence from the Queen Mother’s rooms in Clarence House they’re getting ready to burn it. 

The trouble is Princess Michael of Kent is watching them. And they aren’t too sure if Diana has slipped out for a night of playing catch with the paparazzi. And some boy is claiming to have information on her liaisons with underworld figure John Bindon.

The premise sounds like it could be a farce exploring the world of the royals and the sycophants that surround them. But too often the punches are pulled and we’re left with a drama rather than a romp. Which is too bad since it would be much more fun to laugh at all the fuss about nothing. 

Most of the secrets being burnt would be let out by a succession of books and people lining up to sell their stories to the press. The piece points out Princess Margaret’s drinking, drugs and sexual escapades were eclipsed by the next generation of squidgy and toe-sucking royals. But there was still much to find mirth in the princess without a point. A royal with a title and no purpose. Other than to have a few streets named after her and a string of lovers of dubious reputation.

Throughout the play much is also made about the Gasworks, the Chelsea spot where many of the characters frequented. You could be forgiven thinking it was a glamour spot rather than some grim place run by eccentrics serving up indelible food.

Felicity Dean as Princess Margaret looks the part with her big hair and chain smoking. Too bad she isn’t allowed to be nastier, funnier and dirtier in this piece. Afterall, that’s what would make us feel there’s a little Princess Margaret in all of us.

Directed by Jonny Kelly, A Princess Undone is at Park Theatre until 17 March.

⭐️⭐️⭐️


Production photos by Simon Annand

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