Broadway Review: The Audience with Helen Mirren

Helen Mirren Reigns as the Queen of Broadway
By Lauren Yarger
If you think you know everything there is to know about Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, think again.

Even if you enjoyed Helen Mirren’s portrayal of the monarch in the film “the Queen,” which won her an academy award, there’s another side to the cold, detached woman you saw who doesn’t seem to get why her subjects are upset by the death of Princess Diana. Mirren gets a chance to bring a more human woman to life for her Broadway portrayal of Elizabeth in The Audience.

The film’s Oscar-nominated writer, Peter Morgan, also returns to write the book for the play, which focuses on a number of private audiences between the queen and prime ministers over the years.

When the young Elizabeth takes the throne, the first prime minister is Winston Churchill (Dakin Matthews). She has some suggestions for him and a lot of questions, but quickly is rebuffed by the bigger-than-life personality who has been the veteran of service to five monarchs before her (Victoria, Edward VII, George V, Edward VIII and George VI). That’s not how these audiences are done, he tells her. He gives her updates, she mostly supports and doesn’t ask questions.

In a time-traveling format, the audiences are not presented in chronological order and rely on the talented creative design team (Production design by Bob Crowley; Hair and Makeup design by Ivana Primorac) to allow Mirren to quickly transform between ages and decades – sometimes right before our eyes. Music composed by Paul Englishby aids in the transitions, but one in particular, which has the queen in her slip seem undignified. We can’t believe her majesty would be pleased at appearing in her skivvies before a sold-out audience.

Tight direction by Stephen Daldry and the two opulent sets ranging from Buckingham Palace to Balmoral in Scotland keep us from getting lost, but the time jumping does seem unnecessary. Also superfluous is a device where the queen talks with her younger self (a role shared by Sadie Sink and Elizabeth Teeter) to present her insecurities and to express her desire to be free of the obligations of her duties.

The other prime ministers paying visits are:

·         An underdeveloped and stereotypical Margaret Thatcher underusing the talents of Judith Ivey to play the Conservative Iron Lady -- the only female to serve in the post-- from 1979-1990.

·         The youngest PM since 1812, David Cameron (Rufus Wright), who currently holds the post.

·         Gordon Brown (Rod McLachlan) who confesses he’s not sure he is cut out for the job in which he served from 2007-2010.

·         Sir Anthony Eden (Michael Elwyn), who handled the Suez crisis during his term from 1955-1957.

·         Sir John Major (Dylan Baker)

·         Tony Blair (also Wright in an almost non-existent role – I guess you’ll have to watch the movie where he is more prominent as the PM counselling Elizabeth through the death of Princess Diana. He served from 1997-2007

·         The queen’s favorite, Harold Wilson (ably played by Richard McCabe), the Labour Party’s gruff two-term PM (1964-1970 and 1974-1976) who championed social reforms. We can’t help but smile when he dunks his cookies in his tea, looking very uncomfortable in the palace surroundings, while demanding his additional four minutes of his 20-minute audience when Elizabeth indicates they are done.

Adding to the ambiance are appearances by the queen’s corgis (trained by Connecticut’s own William Berloni), a couple of footmen (Graydon Long and Jason Loughlin) who stand vigil on the stage during intermission when ushers unfortunately sell snacks instead of wheeling tea carts up the aisle…. ); the queen's Scottish nanny Bobo (Tracy Sallows) and the Queen’s Equerry (Geoffrey Beevers), who gives us some context for the audiences.

The scene leading into intermission has Elizabeth dressed in all her finery at her coronation with shouts of “Long Live the Queen!” from the audience. We have a feeling Mirren will also hear shouts of “Best Actress” coming as Drama Desk, Outer Critics and Tony Awards nominations are announced.

The Audience is in session through June 28 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, 236 West 45th St., NYC. Performances are Tuesday and Thursday at 7 pm; Friday and Saturday at 8 pm; Wednesday and Saturday at 2 pm; Sunday at 3 pm.  Tickets $75 - $145: (800) 432-7250; theaudiencebroadway.com.

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