While this National Theatre Live production is well done, I need to open with the disclaimer that, like a staggering number of plays, musicals, movies, and TV shows, this production features a character with a disability (mental illness) played by an actor without one. Mark Gatiss is unfortunately in both numerous and acclaimed company on this, but as long as it continues to happen, I’m going to have to keep talking about it.
The court of King George III is upended when the king’s mental health starts to deteriorate. As George III loses control of himself, his eldest son smells blood in the water, the prime minister tries to hide the king’s true condition from Parliament, and a number of doctors with assorted courses of “treatment” hope to rise in prominence as they offer their services to the royal family.
There are a number of interesting themes on display here. There’s the ableism that has caused world leaders throughout history to try and conceal physical or mental struggles for fear of being seen as weak (for a U.S. example, think FDR.) Conversely, there’s the political avarice that’s caused politicians to bury evidence of disability or illness that’s severe enough to prevent leaders from fulfilling their duties, for the sake of holding onto power. There’s the way nearly everyone views George III’s illness in terms of what it means for them – a political bombshell to conceal, a weakness to exploit, a chance to make their mark. The king himself is often in danger of getting lost in the shuffle of everyone debating, fighting, and advantageously positioning themselves. I like the detail that George III’s personal staff are the ones who demonstrate the most genuine care for him, looking out for his well-being among everyone else who’s viewing him through their own agenda.
Obviously, most everything involving the doctors is horrible. People with disabilities have been wildly mistreated by healthcare providers throughout human history, and the barbaric “treatments” on display here demonstrate equal parts scientific ignorance and callous indifference. Now, I get that the medical views of people who lived more than 200 years ago are sure to be stunningly ill-informed to my 21st-century ears – goodness knows what I accept as sound science now that will be considered laughable 200 years from now. I get that, back then, people thought illnesses were caused by imbalances of the humors and whatnot. However, the Hippocratic Oath existed in those days, and there are doctors in this rogues’ gallery who don’t even seem to care how torturous their “treatment” methods are to the king. Dr. Willis, who eventually moves to the front of the pack, seems to believe that George III can be scolded and punished out of mental illness, browbeating him to “behave” rather than addressing the disease that’s causing his erratic actions. Super gross.
I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that Mark Gatiss is very good as George III. He does everything that a role like this calls for, and he makes me feel for the character most in terms of the indignity of how he’s being treated. That said, I’m mostly over these kinds of performances. Especially given the fact that numerous actors have been open about their personal struggles with mental health, this isn’t even an instance where casting someone with a disability would mean going with an “unknown” (just going off the top of my head with British actors, imagine Stephen Fry or David Harewood in this role!) It feels like progress is slowly being made in other areas of representation, but this is one where hardly anyone seems to recognize there’s even a problem.
For the rest of the cast, George III’s gaggle of doctors includes, not one, but two Who alum. Dr. Willis is played by Adrian Scarborough from series 7’s “A Town Called Mercy,” and Dr. Warren is played by none other than Louise Jameson herself (Leela!) On that note, the production on the whole is nicely diverse, with a number of roles cast across gender and/or race and one of George III’s staff played by an actress with a disability. Just too bad that representation couldn’t have extended to the top.
Warnings
Disturbing images, strong thematic elements, violence, sexual content, language (including ableist insults,) and drinking/smoking.
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