The Madness Of George III Starring Mark Gatiss At Nottingham Playhouse REVIEW

Opening with a beautiful and visually arresting scene with the entire cast pausing in full regalia in the manner of a richly dramatic Baroque painting, this Nottingham Playhouse Theatre Company production of The Madness of George III is a local production for local people and also a worldwide audience - with tickets still currently available for a special 20 November performance to be broadcast live to 700 UK cinemas and an incredible 2500 venues in 65 countries 

Mesmerising in the titular role, Mark Gatiss' prolific acting spectrum and range royally lords over the entire play, masterfully portraying the humour, the horror, the gut-wrenching grotesque and gentlemanly gravitas combined with a heart-breaking vulnerability during his brutal and harrowing medical treatments which forces you to mentally strap yourself down to your seat to avoid leaping on stage to give him a comforting hug.

But the distressing scenes of suffering and maltreatment are skilfully balanced with humour by the expert pen of Alan Bennett and never has such a profuse run of poo jokes been such a welcome relief. Mark Gatiss' performance is ably accompanied by Nicholas Bishop as a pensive William Pitt, a magnificent Adrian Scarborough as the didactic Doctor Willis, Debra Gillet fiercely charming as the love-matched Queen Charlotte and Sara Powell as a dignified Lady Pembroke.

Set in ingenious concertina-kaleidoscopic scenery which expands outwards and back into itself to a fold-as-you-go Georgian-Ikea effect and with women cast in several of the male roles with varying degrees of success, confidentially, The Madness of George III is a sumptuous and illustrious event for the city, and with majestic authority and with regal pomp, poop and circumstance, Mark Gatiss Rules OK.


The Madness of George III is at Nottingham Playhouse until Saturday 24 November 2018. Full details and ticket prices can be found on the Nottingham Playhouse website