Al Murray as King Charles II (Picture: Hugo Glendinning)
When making ready for the position of King Charles II in his new West Finish comedy The Crown Jewels, comic and actor Al Murray knew the proper individual to go to for recommendation – King Charles III.
Murray, 55, reveals: “I’ve written to the King for suggestions.
“I adopted the right protocol as a result of I needed a reply.
“I wrote, ‘Sir, I’m shortly to seem taking part in His Majesty King Charles II on the Garrick Theatre. Any suggestions? I stay your obedient and humble servant, Al Murray’.”
Sadly, Al by no means obtained a response. But absolutely his regal efficiency will quickly see him despatched to the Home of Lords? “Or the Tower of London,” he laughs.
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King Charles II (Picture: Getty)
The Tower performs a key position on this surprisingly topical present, which opens on Wednesday.
A contemporary transforming of a Restoration comedy, the play by Simon Nye (Males Behaving Badly, The Durrells) takes us again to a time when England was basking within the afterglow of the coronation of a brand new king referred to as Charles.
Cheekily promoting itself as “The Royal Occasion of the 12 months,” The Crown Jewels recounts the astonishing true story of how in 1671 the unstable Irish officer Colonel Thomas Blood (performed by Aidan McArdle) plotted essentially the most audacious theft in historical past – stealing the Crown Jewels in plain sight from essentially the most impregnable fortress within the land.
Blood tricked his approach into the Tower of London by disguising himself as an individual. Having clonked the newly appointed Grasp of the Jewel Home on the pinnacle with a mallet, Blood used the identical hammer to beat St Edward’s Crown right into a disc, so he might conceal it in his clerical robes.
The Sceptre with the Cross was too giant for a swag bag, so a fellow conspirator sawed it in half. In the meantime, a 3rd legal hid the Sovereign’s Orb down his breeches.
Murray marvels on the unimaginable story: “The Protectorate, which is when England was a Commonwealth with no monarchy, is that this nice lengthy, churning course of that exhibits how fragile monarchy is. Then Blood proves the identical factor in a single morning – with a hacksaw.”
Murray is finest identified for his comedian alter ego The Pub Landlord, a persona he describes as, “A know-all know-nothing blowhard who is aware of the reply to each query although he hasn’t been requested any of them”. Subsequent yr he takes the character on a significant tour, entitled Guv Island.
The Crown Jewels, which additionally stars such thespian royalty as Mel Giedroyc, Neil Morrissey and Joe Thomas, marks Al’s West Finish appearing debut.
The comic was initially meaning to take the summer time off, however was persuaded to sort out the position of Charles II by the energy of Simon’s script and by his accomplice.
The Crown Jewels is on the Garrick Theatre in London (Picture: )
The comic recollects: “She mentioned to me, ‘You’ll be on the Tube and also you’ll see that ‘insert identify of comic right here’ has taken the
job, and also you’ll go, ‘Why do I by no means get to do these items?’
“She was completely proper. If there may be one approach to get me to do one thing, it’s to enchantment to my innate jealousy!”
Was Al anxious that some folks would possibly come alongside to The Crown Jewels anticipating him to play Charles II as a 17th-century model of The Pub Landlord?
Apparently not. “King Charles II is 1,000,000 miles away from The Pub Landlord. So I hope people who find themselves used to seeing my common factor are going to say, ‘Oh goodness, he can do one other voice!’”
Murray jokes he could also be taking the position too severely.
“Through the technical rehearsal, I used to be asking the stage supervisor to name me ‘Your Majesty’. So it has form of gone to my head.”
Has the actor gone full Technique, then?
“Not fairly. However I do like swanning round within the King’s package, whereas the opposite actors are at my beck and name!”
Murray, who has additionally co-written one other West Finish present, Idiots Assemble: Spitting Picture the Musical, outlines the opposite qualities the Monarch possesses.
“He must be merrie and lusty. However he’s additionally a tiny bit bored. Individuals do no matter he desires and nobody dares inform him the reality.”
However one factor this Charles II won’t ever be bored by are his costumes. “He’s spectacularly attired,” Al agrees. “The third out of his 5 costumes is my favorite. It’s splendiferous.
“It includes of crimson taffeta breeches, a gold waistcoat, and a crimson go well with jacket. The embroidery is so spectacular you would possibly confuse me for a chair.”
Al as The Pub Landlord (Picture: )
But one merchandise Murray has struggled with is the crown.
“It’s disgustingly heavy. I’m not going to go as far as to precise sympathy for a topped king, however it’s awkward to put on.”
Charles II definitely had an astonishing life. Al, who has a level in historical past from Oxford, displays: “He grows up together with his father’s kingdom unravelling.
“He lives by means of Cromwell’s revolution during which kings are truthful sport. He bounces round Europe attempting to get assist. Then after the Battle of Worcester, he’s actually hiding in bushes whereas troopers seek for him within the woods. He has all these mad encounters with individuals who say, ‘You look similar to the King’, and he replies, ‘No, he’s taller’.
“Later, when Charles goes round Europe, nobody actually is aware of whether or not they need to sponsor him or not as a result of they need to preserve Cromwell’s authorities candy. So he has this very precarious existence.
“After which issues change in England and he’s again in energy.
“It’s extraordinary. He’s actually the Comeback King. He’s the Elvis of the monarchy. Understanding all of that, how might you not have an interest on this man?”
Within the wake of the current coronation of King Charles III and all of the deal with the splendour of the Crown Jewels, the play is freighted with trendy resonance.
Al explains: “Inevitably, when somebody’s attempting to steal the Crown Jewels, you’ve bought to ask, ‘What are they? What do they symbolise? What’s the King with out his crown?’
“There’s no kingship with out the Crown Jewels. In them in some way resides the thriller of kingship.”
The play presents additional echoes between then and now.
For instance, it highlights the potential weak spot of the State.
Al says: “A part of this loopy story is the truth that the Crown Jewels most likely weren’t being protected by the best safety. That means a slapdash strategy on the coronary heart of Restoration England. Perhaps nothing’s modified.”
The comic continues: “Charles II is available in, and the thought is that the monarchy is restored.
“However he’s as much as his eyeballs in debt. He’s borrowing cash from the French authorities and there’s appreciable stress together with his European companions.”
By the 1660s, “You’ve bought The Nice Plague, The Nice Fireplace, and the Dutch crusing up the Thames to destroy the Royal Navy at Chatham. You’ve bought an terrible lot of calamity and disaster, and the federal government is attempting to hold on as if nothing’s occurring.”
Might we probably draw any comparisons with immediately? “It’s not for me to say,” Al smiles.
“I’m throwing this on the market. You draw your personal conclusions.”