The late Queen’s view on almost all topics is famously unknown. She rarely made public statements or gave interviews, and all her speeches were carefully drafted. On the other hand, she was also the most photographed woman in the world. So, exploring the use of her outfits as a way expressing her views upon the world and its events is an interesting idea, which lies behind Daisy Goodwin’s new play at the Richmond theatre, part of a UK tour.
The play starts and ends immediately after the Queen’s funeral and in between is a series of vignettes of periods in her life, starting in 1969 and proceeding chronologically until her death 53 years later. The setting is the sumptuous interior of a royal residence, we are never quite sure which, with long drapes in glorious colours, a few well-chosen pieces of stage scenery to indicate doorways etc, and some very fine period furniture. This remains unchanged throughout the play.
There is a small cast of four. Anne Reid, herself now 90 years old and hence approaching the age of the Queen when she died, gives a sympathetic performance as Her Majesty. Much of the play is about the relationship between her and her long-term dresser, superbly played by Caroline Quentin. There is a great deal of comedy in the play, much of which is provided by the designer (James Wilby) and his milliner associate (James Dreyfus) who make a good double act. Little attempt is made to age the characters as they move through the events of the late Queen’s life, which is understandable and was dramatically quite acceptable. With a cast of this quality the acting was of a high order, and with the assistance of Dominic Dromgoole’s assured direction produces an evening of high-quality theatre.
The couture clothing was, of course, one of the stars of play and great attention had been given to recreate the dresses and hats worn by the Queen. The designs were also projected at the back of the stage. The hats produced by Dreyfus’ milliner, literally out of boxes, were a source of continual amusement and did accurately represent some of the extraordinary headwear which the Queen wore. There were a couple of anomalies in the costuming: Wilby’s double-breasted suit was ill fitting, which was odd for one whose life was haute couture, and neither he nor his milliner colleague were dressed in black after attending the funeral.
The numerous short scenes were introduced by Grainne Dromgoole in the role of curator, giving examples of what was going on at the time in politics, world affairs and popular culture, which was much appreciated by the audience. Most of the scenes did little to enlighten us as to the Queen’s thinking on current events, but the scene where she heard about the death of Lord Mountbatten was very moving, and her reaction and reflection on how a life in the public eye was a continual security threat was very telling.
This is a very pleasant evening at the theatre and a tribute to a great lady but as a drama it lacked substance.
By Royal Appointment is playing at the Richmond Theatre until 26th July 2025. Tickets are available from https://www.atgtickets.com/venues/richmond-theatre/
Reviewer: Paul Ackroyd
Reviewed: 22nd July 2025
North West End UK Rating: