It was such stuff as dreams are made on. Or it certainly was for the actors and audience members after King Charles III unexpectedly turned up at a sold-out performance of Shakespeare's The Tempest in the bard's hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon last night.
As they heard the words of magician Prospero, indicative of the fleeting nature of human life and experience - 'We are such stuff that dreams are made on' - the irony of the monarch's sudden apparition into (and later departure from) the theatre was surely not lost.
The King had earlier been met with cheers from crowds when he arrived at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Warwickshire as a surprise guest at the production starring Sir Kenneth Branagh. Sir Kenneth is playing the role of the exiled Duke of Milan, Prospero, for the first time in his career, which has included 35 Shakespeare productions.
Charles was greeted by the Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire, Tim Cox, as well as the Royal Shakespeare Company's (RSC) co-artistic directors Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey. Ms Harvey said the King was 'laughing away' next to her during the performance. She added: 'I think he genuinely enjoyed it.'
The King's Enthusiasm for Theatre
Mr Evans said: 'When Guy Henry came on, who plays Stephano, he reached over to me and said "Is that Guy Henry?" I was just astonished at his knowledge of actors.' He added: 'You get the impression he's a true enthusiast of the theatre.' The King also gave a standing ovation at the end of the performance.
Stunned audience members peered down from their seats in the dress circle to catch a glimpse of the King, while others in the stalls got their phones out to take pictures when Charles took his seat near the back between Mr Evans and Ms Harvey. He also sat near Sir Richard Eyre, who directed the performance for the RSC.
Interval Highlights
During the interval, the King was handed a drink before he met the RSC's in-house costume department and admired a crown used in the company's production of Edward II last year. He also touched the fabric of a dress worn by Dame Judi Dench in All's Well That Ends Well in 2003, while he marvelled at David Tennant's robe and gown from his role in Richard II in 2013 and a costume worn by Sir Antony Sher in a 1984 production of Richard III. The King described the costumes as 'brilliant'.
Royal Patronage and Shakespearean Love
Charles has been the patron of the RSC since 2024, following in the footsteps of the late Queen Elizabeth II – who held the patronage since the company's creation in 1961. He has always had a love of the bard, and famously read the playwright's 'to be or not to be' speech for the BBC's Shakespeare Live programme in 2016. The King's keen ear for his literature began at school, playing the Duke of Exeter in Henry V and Macbeth.
Before becoming Patron of the RSC, he served as its president for more than a quarter of a century. When star of The Tempest Sir Kenneth was playing Henry V himself, he even approached the King for advice on playing a royal. Charles is said to have been 'very open' and discussed the burden of expectations and isolating elements of being a member of the royal family.
The Tempest, which was one of the last plays written by Shakespeare, is running at the theatre until June 20. Mr Evans and Ms Harvey said in a statement: 'It was a tremendous honour to welcome His Majesty the King back to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre for this landmark production of The Tempest, which marks both Sir Kenneth Branagh's historic return to Stratford-upon-Avon for the first time in over 30 years and Sir Richard Eyre's debut with the company after a long and distinguished career directing for the British stage.'
