Well, I know I keep saying how amazing the shows are that we're seeing here in London, but I really do think that this one was the best. I can certainly say that I witnessed the best individual performance I've ever seen tonight, and what a treat that was!
Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II, in "The Audience".
Really, she was beyond fantastic, and so mesmerizing to watch!
Here's the summary of the premise:
For sixty years Elizabeth II has met each of her twelve Prime Ministers in a weekly audience at Buckingham Palace - a meeting like no other in British public life: it is private. Both parties have an unspoken agreement never to repeat what is said. Not even to their spouses.
"The Audience" breaks this contract of silence and imagines a select series of pivotal meetings between the Downing Street incumbents and their Queen.
Politicians come and go through the revolving door of electoral politics, while she remains constant, waiting to welcome her next Prime Minister.
The show was just spectacular - it jumped from different time periods, and Helen Mirren, as the Queen, did incredibly quick changes in between (and sometimes right on stage) of both costume as well as performing as the Queen at different ages and stages of her life.
Obviously, seeing Helen Mirren on stage as the Queen once an incredible experience. I simply can't imagine anyone else transforming themselves as completely as she did. It really did feel like a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity and experience.
Towards the end of tonight's performance, there were some technical difficulties which delayed the show. Once she realized what had happened, Helen Mirren addressed the audience to let us know that something had happened, and to please be patient. It only lasted a couple of minutes, but during that time, we were treated to seeing her as a professional dealing with the situation. She seemed to go with the flow, and was rather good natured about it. She even went so far as to tell us a funny story about what had happened during intermission:
During a part of the first half of the performance, the playing of drums was slightly audible from the audience. I expect that I assumed, as most of the audience did, that it was intentional - perhaps suggesting that the royal guard was marching outside of Buckingham during one of the sessions.
Well, it turns out that it was a group of drummers that had decided to play right outside the stage door of the theater. Helen Mirren explained that she went out the stage door, during intermission, dressed as the Queen (to which she giggled a little) and asked them to stop playing.
Pretty hilarious story, and it certainly entertained the audience.
The show was down for just a few minutes, then Helen Mirren and the other actor on stage with her picked it right up again, literally starting it off by saying, "As I was saying...." before jumping back into the dialogue.
I know it's probably a Stage Manager's nightmare to have a technical glitch happen during a show like this (I could just imagine my Sister's reaction!) but from the audience point of view, it was incredibly well handled, and even added to our evening.
We feel so fortunate to have been able to see the three GREAT shows that we've seen here in London this week. I'm so grateful that we were able to see each of them.
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