Review: THE WINDSORS: ENDGAME, Prince Of Wales Theatre

If you think it's too soon for jokes surrounding Prince Andrew's sex abuse allegations or the Meghan and Kate wedding feud, it's probably best you don't see this show. Because this story, inspired by the hugely popular Channel 4 favourite of the same name, holds nothing back. There are jokes from minute one to minute end, all of which tread the line of being hilarious and too much. All of them poke fun at the royals, so if you're one of them who hold them up to a high esteem, avoid yourself the discomfort. However, if like me you do love humour that makes a large spoof of things, and does it successfully, then this is a fantastic night out.

Bumbling through the curtains when the evening starts, Matthew Cottle reprises his TV role as the blithering Prince Edward. He's our narrator and tells us he's going to do some "acting", appearing frequently throughout in many different characters. A royal guard, a butler, and the leader of the Druid society are just some of the many roles played to help move the story along. The story is quite simple: the young members of the royals put differences aside to fight against the evil Charles and Camilla - now leading the country after the Queen has abdicated. Camilla plots for total domination, manipulating Charles to seize total control of everything.

Harry Enfield reprises his famous TV character, and does so brilliantly. He is every bit a blundering fool, controlled by Tracy-Ann Oberman's Camilla - who is equally fantastic. Both are fantastic comic villains; the audience boos, hiss and shout taunts in order to deter them from their evil plan. Michael Fentiman's production lands every joke, and even though the story is quite basic, the narrative is clear and every story beat is hit. George Jeffrie and Bert Tyler-Moore and the co-writers of this piece; sadly Jeffrie passed away in September 2020, after completing a first draft, leaving Tyler-Moore to finish the job. He has achieved something that retains the TV show's hilarity, whilst honing in on the contemporary moment.

What's most impressive about this show is that it feels refreshingly up to date. On the day Prince Andrew was served with a lawsuit from America, jokes about that were written in. Even though it is ultimately messy in its form, that's part of its charm. Some moments are clunky - the ensemble moments in particular - but when the leading roles are allowed to freely roam about Madeleine Girling's highly detailed set - they really fly. The Windsors: Endgame is disgusting, vulgar, and rude. And the audience love every minute of it.

The Windsors: Endgame at Prince of Wales Theatre until 9 October

Photo: Marc Brenner

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