This wasn’t planned to be my first review of 2024, but this daft romp through the bit of Tudor history you never knew about has that honour, courtesy of Pesky Players, The Space, and my sofa.
You may think you knew everything there was to know about Elizabeth I, “The Virgin Queen,” (Tandazani Sigauke), but you’d be wrong.
Here, in Toby France’s The Fruity Prince, we meet her son, the ninth Henry. As the Queen is notably unmarried, she must make changes for him to be added to the line of succession.
Henry IX (France) might not be the prince you think he is, and he certainly isn’t searching for his perfect princess.
Once Shakespeare arrives, along with Henry’s beau Jonty (John Posnett), this becomes a riotous romp with bump ‘n’ grind dance interludes.
Revised from last summer’s run at Edinburgh Festival, this now lasts 70 minutes with an interval, which doesn’t feel needed (act 1 is only just over half an hour).
So, what’s the story? Henry isn’t interested in succeeding to the throne, legitimately or not, but instead wants to cavort on the stage.
It’s an actors life for him, you see. Queenie, though, despises Shakespeare and seeks to find her prodigal son a wife (both bard and prospect are played by Katie Driver).
This queer anti-history piece is nicely paced, and, yes, it does indeed have that Kat Slater reference from EastEnders. Liz isn’t half the lady she pretends to be.
Sigauke’s costume design captures the Tudor period while subverting it wonderfully, while Shakespeare’s off-stage shenanigans clearly wrap up Henry in more ways than one.
If you saw & Juliet, you will recognise this teasing against historical facts, especially through a queer lens. But The Fruity Prince stands by itself and is wickedly funny from the off.
The Fruity Prince is at The Space until 13 Jan with tickets here.
***.5