EDINBURGH 2023: Review: THE BRIEF LIFE AND MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF BORIS III, KING OF BULGARIA, Pleasance Dome, QueenDome

Did you know that Boris III, King of Bulgaria, wasn’t even Bulgarian? It’s true, along with many other strange things that happened during his lifetime that are explored in The Brief Life and Mysterious Death of Boris III, King of Bulgaria. The show takes place during the reign of Boris III and tells the story of how the King managed to save nearly 50,000 Jewish lives during the time in which Bulgaria was allied with Germany. 

The show is performed by a cast of five, with four of them (Sasha Wilson, Laurence Boothman, Clare Fraenkel, and David Leopold) playing multiple roles (and instruments!) and Joseph Cullen playing the titular role. Cullen portrays Boris as someone who struggles to find his place in the world as a ruler of people who do not share his blood, but also as a ruler who is willing to do whatever it takes to help those same people. 

Wilson creates brilliant tension in the role of Theodore Dannecker, the German SS Captain who worked under Hitler to deport thousands of Jewish people from countries including France and Bulgaria. Boothman is terrifying as Alexander Belev, the Bulgarian commissar of Jewish Affairs. He also shines as Bogdan Filov, the Prime Minister of Bulgaria, who sees an opportunity with the Nazis to gain power and goes against his king. Even though his character is often played for laughs at the beginning of the show, he takes on a more menacing role in the latter half. Clare Fraenkel does a wonderful job of portraying Anka Lazarov, the Jewish woman who forces the king to make a stand against the Nazis in Bulgaria.

Along with a sharp script and incredible cast, the music in the show is incredible, using acoustic folk music to create the Bulgarian world, including some Jewish songs throughout. But even with all of the noise made with jokes and music throughout, some of the most powerful moments of them all come when there is silence, forcing the audience to reflect on what they are witnessing. 

Ultimately, The Brief Life and Mysterious Death of Boris III, King of Bulgaria is a beautiful and powerful show that sheds light on a moment and place in history that isn’t usually touched upon. It uses music, words, and moments of silence to have an impact on its audience and tells the story of Boris III and Bulgaria.

The Brief Life and Mysterious Death of Boris III, King of Bulgaria runs at Pleasance Dome, QueenDome at 17:20 until 28 August.

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