National Theatre Live: The Madness of George III

Have for a long time loved viewing the live cinema streamings of the National Theatre Live series. So many gems in the series and very few misses, and what strikes me about watching these productions are how they are made available so accessibly while making one feel like they are there. Am always up for seeing something different to Shakespeare and other theatre standards, and 'The Madness of George III' couldn't be more different and was not sure as to whether a play revolving around politics would interest me.

Seeing it finally, this production of Alan Bennett's insightful, hard hitting play is one that shouldn't be missed. The production is not an easy watch with its pull no punches portrayal of George's madness and porphyria, but it is a truly powerful experience, intelligent and superbly acted. It also shows that a staging touch that this reviewer doesn't always like and hasn't always worked can work and not be detrimental to the drama. 'The Madness of George III' is not quite one of my favourite National Theatre Live productions, but it sure does have a lot of staying power.

The best aspect is the acting, headed by the tour de force lead performance of Mark Gatiss, was really shocked that he could give a performance with this much unsettlement and depth. Not just emotionally but physically, one actually sees how much porphyria affects the sufferer and it is uncompromising without being heavy handed. Also fantastic is Adrian Scarborough, he here is the embodiment of tough talking and honest, and his chemistry with Gatiss is electrifying. Debra Gillett is a likeable presence and Sara Powell does sympathetic movingly.

Not everybody is going to like the production values, to me they were fine. Loved all the right-angles and decorated panes, that represents the rigidity of life in court (again not heavy handedly), and this is a case of revolving sets working well. At no point do they bog down any momentum and never do they swamp the drama. The costumes are elegant and never drab or garish. Bennett's prose is very insightful to George's mind, while also being unyielding.

It is beautifully directed throughout, particularly magnificent in the scenes between Gatiss and Scarborough. The intimate scenes are nightmarishly harrowing and also moving, especially when the suffering increases, and the husband and wife chemistry is suitably loving. It moves quickly and never comes over as too confined or stagy. Filming is intimate in all the right places while also being expansive when necessary.

Overall, absolutely wonderful. 10/10.

A drab and witless approach, and some poor acting/casting overshadowed what could have otherwise been a smoothly produced revival. In regard to the writing, there was an oddly anticlimactic conclusion. This was not necessarily a flaw, however, as it fits with the themes. The script is a relative example of period naturalism, with some classic British humor mixed in to keep the audience's attention. The producers could have either kept this specific style intact, or they could have adapted a more expressionistic piece out of the original script. Somewhere along the way they stopped in the middle, and it lacked sense and reason. The over-the-top acting and eccentricities of certain performers, as well as the contextually nonsensical gender swapping, distracted from the grey set and grounded performances from the rest of the cast. None of these things were particularly bad on their own accord, hence why my rating is more centered. However, every member of the cast and crew have to be on the same page, or none of them are. This ensemble was not a concise unit, and the show suffered as a result.