For sixty years, Queen Elizabeth II has met with each of her twelve Prime Ministers in a private weekly meeting. This meeting is known as The Audience. No one knows what they discuss, not even their spouses. Academy Award winner Helen Mirren returns to Broadway, and the throne, in a riveting new play by Peter Morgan, the writer of the Academy Award-nominated film, The Queen. Directed by two-time Tony Award winner Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot, An Inspector Calls), THE AUDIENCE takes theatregoers behind the walls of Buckingham Palace and into the private chambers of Queen Elizabeth II as she meets with each of her Prime Ministers, from when she was a young mother to now as a Great Grandmother. From the old warrior Winston Churchill, to the Iron Lady Margaret Thatcher, through the charm offensive of Tony Blair right up to today's meetings with the current incumbent David Cameron, the Queen advises her Prime Ministers on all matters both public and personal. Through these private audiences, we see glimpses of the woman behind the crown and witness the moments that shaped a monarch. You cannot miss the performance that had London on its feet: Helen Mirren in THE AUDIENCE.
Morgan's take on the Queen in these fictionalized meetings is daubed in skewed sentiment, but Mirren sells it with impeccable finesse. The playwright finds poignancy in his protagonist's indebtedness to Major for guiding her through the public's growing distance from the monarchy, as well as in her understated but evident affection for Wilson, who starts their association on the defensive but forges a relaxed camaraderie as he shares his self-doubts. McCabe and Baker take full advantage of playing the most fully drawn of the PM characters, giving relatable performances that provide an entertaining counterpoint to Mirren's poise.
Exuding perfect regal frostiness while letting us glimpse the lonely person underneath, Mirren transforms brilliantly (helped by lightning-fast costume changes) from the grandmotherly 69-year-old comforting an insecure John Major (Dylan Baker) to the 25-year-old heir apparent nervously schooled by Winston Churchill (Dakin Matthews). Richard McCabe's sly-boots Labour PM Harold Wilson teases her with obvious affection, and she nimbly defends herself against the fire-breathing Margaret Thatcher (Judith Ivey).
2013 | West End |
West End |
2015 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2015 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Leading Actress in a Play | Helen Mirren |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Play | Helen Mirren |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Costume Design | Bob Crowley |
2015 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Richard McCabe |
2015 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Helen Mirren |
2015 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play | Peter Morgan |
2015 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Play | Helen Mirren |
2015 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Costume Design | Bob Crowley |
2015 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Director of a Play | Stephen Daldry |
2015 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | Richard McCabe |
2015 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Lighting Design | Rick Fisher |
2015 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Broadway Play | The Audience |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Costume Design of a Play | Bob Crowley |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play | Richard McCabe |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play | Helen Mirren |
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