As an NSTA representative, I had the pleasure of seeing an excellent school production of King Charles III at Kingston Grammar School on the evening of Friday 21st November 2025. Directed by Mr Crohill and assisted by Mrs Starmer (Production Manager), Miss Chen (Costume Design) and Mr Zaporozan, this production showcased an impressive level of creativity, discipline, and ambition from all involved.
King Charles III is a 2014 play written in blank verse that imagines the accession and reign of the then Prince of Wales; it premiered at the Almeida Theatre in London and went on to win the 2015 Olivier Award for Best New Play. This compelling and engaging production at Kingston Grammar School transformed Mike Bartlett’s future history play into an evening of theatre that was both clear in its storytelling and confident in its execution. The cast and creative team approached Bartlett’s blend of political drama, personal conflict, and Shakespearean language with remarkable assurance, producing a performance that felt both immediate and mature. What emerged was a thoughtful and highly engaging interpretation of the text that captured the play’s tension between public duty and private conscience while offering a visually striking and emotionally rich experience.
At the centre of the production was Arlo’s portrayal of King Charles III. He delivered a performance of remarkable depth, charting with sensitivity the monarch’s growing frustration at the restrictions of a ceremonial role. Arlo handled the complexities of Charles’s emotional and constitutional turmoil with impressive control, particularly in the scenes surrounding his refusal to grant royal assent to Parliament’s proposed press regulation bill. His command of the stage and clarity of intention meant that the audience could follow the logic and intensity behind Charles’s choices, even when those choices appeared extraordinary or extreme. Arlo’s depiction of the moment Charles decides to dissolve Parliament was especially powerful. It revealed not only the character’s desperation, but also a sense of tragic inevitability, moving the narrative towards a gripping portrayal of unrest and political crisis. Arlo succeeded in presenting Charles as neither hero nor villain but as a man caught between expectation, tradition, and conviction.
Miller’s portrayal of Prince Harry offered an important emotional contrast to the political tension. He gave an engaging and thoughtful performance, capturing Harry’s desire to step away from royal life after beginning a relationship with Jess, an art student portrayed with quiet confidence by Zara. Miller brought sincerity to Harry’s longing for a more normal life and handled the character’s inner conflict with sensitivity. His scenes with Jess allowed the production to explore the human consequences of public duty and the pressures placed on individuals born into the monarchy. Miller’s portrayal of Harry was gentle, conflicted and often moving, and his contribution added warmth to the wider political narrative.
As Kate, Eva delivered a compelling and clearly defined performance. She captured the character’s intelligence and ambition with precision, showing the calculating mind that lies beneath Kate’s polished public image, with an exceptional monologue about duty. With thoughtful delivery and a strong sense of presence, Eva highlighted the political power at play in the role and turned Kate into a strategic figure within the crisis. Her scenes with Will, played with confidence and control by Jamie, were among the production’s most memorable moments. Jamie brought a steady, quietly authoritative energy to Will, grounding the character with a measured emotional restraint that contrasted effectively with Kate’s sharper ambition. Together they created a partnership shaped not only by marriage but also by a shared sense of duty and ambition. Their exchanges suggested the future direction of the monarchy and added an important layer of tension to the drama.
Lily delivered an excellent performance as Camilla, fully inhabiting the role with depth and understated complexity. Her stage presence was quietly commanding, allowing her to shape scenes with a natural authority that never felt forced. Through measured delivery and finely tuned emotional detail, she revealed both the strength and vulnerability beneath Camilla’s composed exterior. Lily’s nuanced choices enriched the production, adding emotional resonance to key moments and elevating the overall impact of the play.
The ensemble cast also supported the leading performances with commitment and unity, creating a credible and well-balanced representation of a nation in turmoil. Whether portraying politicians, journalists, or members of the royal household, the company maintained clarity of intention and consistency of style, which helped the world of the play feel cohesive and grounded. Aram’s portrayal of James Reiss was particularly memorable, as he demonstrated excellent comic timing and delivered his lines with strong vocal precision. His performance provided moments of welcome wit without disrupting the gravity of the wider political narrative.
Behind the scenes, the production benefited from Joe’s excellent work as Lighting Designer. His choices brought mood and atmosphere to every scene, elevating the emotional and political stakes of the story. The pulsing lights on the crown created a striking visual motif that reinforced the pressure and fragility surrounding the institution at the heart of the piece. The nightclub lighting used for Prince Harry’s scenes introduced a vivid sense of contrast, capturing both the energy of his attempt to escape royal formality and the intensity of the world outside palace walls. In moments of political crisis, the use of low, tense lighting shaped the mood with remarkable clarity and helped the audience understand the urgency facing the characters as they wrestled with constitutional uncertainty. Joe’s work ensured that each moment had a distinct tone, and his understanding of the play’s shifting atmosphere contributed significantly to the production’s overall impact.
Together, this cast and technical team created a powerful and polished performance. The central themes of the play, including press freedom, the role of the monarchy, and the strain of constitutional uncertainty, were handled with sophistication and confidence. The production drew clear connections between the play’s imagined future and issues that affect society today, but it did so without using obvious comparisons or strong political statements. Instead, it allowed the story to develop naturally, showing a world where personal wishes clash with public duty and where power brings both expectation and responsibility. This was an incredibly impressive production by a talented cast at Kington Grammar School!
National School Theatre Awards
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