An engrossing, entertaining and truly epic Royal Family drama.

The Queen is dead. Long live the King.

There it is. The simple premise, and somewhat controversial starting point, for Mike Bartlett’s latest play King Charles III, directed by Rupert Goold, originally produced by London’s Almeida Theatre and currently playing at Sydney Theatre Company. It’s a concept that feels a little cruel (poor old Lizzy) but it addresses a highly pertinent question for our times. After all, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth is nearly 90 years old, so there’s every possibility nature might take its course at any moment.

So, when the day eventually comes about (most likely sooner rather than later) and it’s time for her to shuffle on – what next? Bartlett tries his hand at answering this question and, truth be told, his vision of an Elizabeth-less future is a little grim: Prince Charles becomes King Charles, and it doesn’t take long for the cracks in the monarchy to show.

© Richard Hubert-Smith

Bartlett uses a privacy bill designed to limit freedom of the press, in response to the News of the World phone-hacking scandal – the first...