Review: KING GEORGE at the Baxter Theatre Centre Is a Tense Game of Strategy and Power

KING GEORGE, a new play set in the heart of Cape Town, is a battle for domination between development mogul Shane Wyntock (played by Clyde Berning) and long-time, local strip club owner, George Megalos, ‘the Godfather of Lower Woodstock’ (played by Brent Palmer). The production, which takes place in real time, follows a fateful evening wherein George slips, unannounced, into Shane’s office, while the latter is in the middle of closing a lucrative deal via Zoom, to contest the eviction notice Shane’s company has served upon him. For the next hour and a bit, we observe the clash of these two masculinities: who will emerge victorious, and who will be bulldozed?

The play, written by Brent Palmer and directed by Adrian Collins, has excellent pace, and does a fine job of building, sustaining and flipping the power dynamics, just as Shane hopes to do to neighbourhoods in Woodstock. Palmer, who I last saw in the superb DINNER WITH THE 42S is a versatile actor. It is rewarding to see that his talents extend to writing as well: his script is impressive and helps to craft the overall menacing tone that permeates the show. Collins, whose BUCKET BOY I very recently had the joy of reviewing, shows himself to be adept at directing. The production is tight and tense – a game of chess, or perhaps Risk – while simultaneously being hilarious. Collins, as I found in Bucket Boy, is great at building suspense while ensuring that the humour in the script is perfectly timed, to allow the audience well-delivered and much needed relief as the show climbs to its multi-storeyed climax.

Both actors are superb. Berning’s Shane is everything that he should be. From the way that he leans back in his once-was-daddy’s (metaphorical) chair to the meticulous way in which he puts on his socks, Berning’s characterisation is thorough, natural and layered. Shane is every bit the inscrutable, reasonable but potentially lethal man of privilege, working the position that is his birthright – when he isn’t practising his golf or doing the Downward Dog. I believed wholeheartedly in Berning’s portrayal.

The choice to have Shane change onstage, in front of the threatening Megalos, was unusual to me: to strip down to his underwear makes the character vulnerable and I wasn’t entirely convinced of the believability of this decision at first. Ultimately, though, I have changed my mind. This might be the ultimate bluff: the spectacle of disrobing in front of your opponent before donning the power suit in an attempt to take what is (or isn’t) yours.

Palmer’s George, as the character’s surname denotes, is a big personality. Palmer’s performance is layered and complex. While George is unapologetically sleazy, flashy and garish, Palmer finds the humanity in him as well: he is not just a seedy strip club owner. He is a character who seeks belonging, who is no stranger to exclusion. I really enjoyed Palmer’s nuanced portrayal of this three-dimensional character in a way that made him real and not like a caricature, which George runs the risk of becoming. The actors play well off each other, and their showdown makes for riveting watching.

Besides for the action in front of us, this production touches on topical issues in Cape Town and beyond: things like gentrification and the erasure of communities, corruption, and the moral decay that can creep in with unfettered power.

Ultimately, KING GEORGE is a fight to the death – and one certainly worth watching.

KING GEORGE runs at the Masambe Theatre at the Baxter Theatre Centre from 21 November to 2 December. Tickets cost R150 each and are available via Webtickets.

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