OBSERVER: The Audience


The Audience – National Theatre Live

Live theatre performance, historical research and film technology merge brilliantly in the National Theatre Live production The Audience, written by Peter Morgan and starring Dame Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II.
Recorded in June 2013 at the John Gielgud Theatre, directed by Stephen Daldry, The Audience returns to cinemas for the first time in a decade, opening in Melbourne on June 4.
By 2013, Queen Elizabeth II had met with her 12 prime ministers over 60 years in private weekly meetings known as The Audience.
Viewers enjoy a fascinating insight into Her Majesty’s hopes, doubts and vision for her Commonwealth and personal life as she confers with her prime ministers of varying personalities and capabilities.
Using his beautifully-toned voice as Narrator, Geoffrey Beevers (The Equerry) sets each scene, introduces each prime minister and occasionally addresses the audience.
Depicting six decades from the 1950s, era-authentic furniture skilfully appears, from stately Buckingham Palace to Balmoral Castle with tartan covered chairs and the Queen’s corgis.
Helen Mirren is superb as Queen Elizabeth II. Portraying Her Majesty over 60 years, Mirren also achieves incredibly quick costume changes offstage; applauded when reappearing with different hair, clothes and jewellery.
Adding insight into Her Majesty’s youthful life before becoming Queen is Young Elizabeth, delightfully played by Nell Williams.
Nursemaid Bobo MacDonald’s (Charlotte Moore) influence is acknowledged in preparing the young Princess for the Throne.
The weekly Audience is an entertaining mix of humour, sharing confidences, politics and history. At one stage the Queen jokingly refers to herself as ‘A postage stamp with a pulse.’
Particularly enjoyable sessions are with Margaret Thatcher (Haydn Gwynne) and Harold Wilson (Richard McCabe). Tough but fatherly Winston Churchill is played by Edward Fox, Anthony Eden by Michael Elwyn, John Major (Paul Ritter), David Cameron (Rufus Wright), James Callaghan (David Peart), Gordon Brown (Nathaniel Parker) and the Private Secretary (David Poth).
A splendid film experience.
Opening in Palace Cinemas June 4.
Distributed by Sharmill Films.
Review by Cheryl Threadgold