Show: The Prince
Venue: The Southwark Playhouse, London
Running until: 8th October 2022
Star Rating: ★★★★
Running at London’s Southwark Playhouse, The Prince, written by Abigail Thorn and directed by Natasha Rickman blends Shakespeare and fantasy in a unique way that works well in a way one may not initially expect. Mix the traditional elements of a Shakespeare production – knights in armour, sword fights and complex family relationships – and mix it with modern-day life, and The Prince is the brilliant outcome. The premise is that characters realize they’re stuck in a Shakespeare play and want to break out, but the show is so much more than that. The cast is led by Abigail Thorn, Joni Ayton-Kent and Mary Malone as Hotspur, Sam and Jen respectively and together with the remainder of the cast who all do a stellar job, they work together to bring Shakespeare into the 21st century. The play is a clever way to integrate LGBT people into text that is otherwise at times dated; not only that, it integrates the LGB without the exclusion of the T.
The use of costume courtesy of Rebecca Cartwright and Asher Thomas is very clever – Hotspur’s costume altering and almost seeming to shed parts as the characters drift further from the play and closer to reality, as well as the costumes Hotspur wears altering between more masculine to more feminine costumes throughout the performance; subtle changes between scenes that become more noticeable as the play unfolds, and certainly something of note.
The elements of Shakespeare text interwoven throughout the play are clever, but perhaps at times too clever. Audiences of this show are not attending to see a Shakespeare play, but rather a take on one; so to have scenes of pure Shakespeare drama displayed can sometimes cause a loss of focus and attention – especially when they are long scenes and passages which can be hard to understand and decipher what exactly is going on.
The modern text combined does come in helpful for translation and ensuring audiences are not missing out on key lines or parts, but these are less infrequent in act two than in act one. This combined with the dropping into different Shakespeare plays in act two is somewhat confusing to watch and takes a moment or two to catch yourself up. It is a clever choice to make but one that ensures the audience cannot drop their focus for a second. All this combined means where act two follows the high energy and fast-paced nature of one can at times make the play feel like it is somewhat lulling in comparison.
Having said all this, the themes and messages within the show are heartwarming to watch and experience. That of playing a role that is assigned to you versus playing the role you want and were born for, stepping out of your comfort zone, identity, complexities of family, accepting yourself and finding a community are but to name a few of the crucial themes that are respectfully interwoven into the story.
The lighting aspects of the show, courtesy of Martha Godfrey, really help. to immerse the audience into this world; or rather with the black mirror-esque style in which the lighting and the effects have been carried out, to immerse the audience in a reminder the scenes we are watching is neither in one world or another, but somewhere in between. This added thought and intricate attention to detail really help bring that fantasy element to the production and aids in elevating the performance in a really effective manner.
The text as a whole has found a balance between emotional, comedic and necessary lines to move the plot along, and the same balance between fantasy and magic and reality. This journey and acceptance and growth we see the characters go on throughout the course of the show is to be simply put – remarkable and touching.
This play feels long overdue but also like it is coming along at just the right time; with trans people still having to fight to be seen, respected and have a chance to tell stories in the media, The Prince is a wonderful example of inclusivity in a comedic, relatable way for audiences of all ages and walks of life to enjoy.
The Prince runs at the Southwark playhouse until 8th October 2022. You can buy tickets here.
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