Review: THE CROWN JEWELS at The Garrick Theatre, London

 

(c) Hugo Glendinning


Tickets: Gifted

Date: 28th July 2023

Seat: J15 (Stalls)

Rating: 4 Stars

Trailer: https://youtu.be/k8bWWsoSXYg


There’s a lot to be said for theatre that entertains. Really entertains. And The Crown Jewels, written by Simon Nye, is exactly that kind of theatre. It’s silly, funny, a little bit rude, there’s audience participation, there are jokes, there’s standup, there’s singing (thank you, Carrie Hope Fletcher – always a treat), there’s (attempted) murder and mayhem, and it’s all based on a true story. What more could you ask for? 

The story of The Crown Jewels concerns the attempted theft of said baubles by Colonel Thomas Blood in 1671. Along with his son and another accomplice, Captain Perrot, they bluffed their way into viewing the crown jewels, attacked the guard, and tried to make off with them. It did not go well. But Blood’s ‘punishment’ might not be quite as deadly as you imagine… I won’t spoil the story, but it’s not something most kings would have agreed to. Then again, most kings weren’t nicknamed the Merry Monarch either. 

Al Murray as Charles II was a delight. Complete with a long curly wig and a plummy accent, he strutted about the stage in his element, happy to engage with the audience and cast members alike – and for the most part, he was able to keep a straight face while he did. The fact that he did briefly corpse (and he wasn’t the only one) just shows how much fun everyone was having, and that joy radiated out in the audience; the whole auditorium just felt happy, and that’s not something to be sniffed at. Murray also played the poor guard, Talbot Edwards, who was just as entertaining a character with his long stories and ‘death’ scene. 

(c) Hugo Glendinning


Mel Giedroyc was another standout, playing Mrs Edwards and a French noblewoman; again, two completely opposite characters but each one hugely hilarious, complete with more audience interaction. The baked goods in the ‘gift shoppe’ were a lovely touch, and the bag for life joke got one of the biggest laughs of the evening. Perhaps not as much as the ‘usefull mappe of the Tower of London’, though, which still makes me chuckle now; you have to see it to believe it. 

(c) Hugo Glendinning


Carrie Hope Fletcher starts and ends the show with a song, and that’s worth the ticket price alone (don’t worry, there are other songs too). She absolutely belts out the numbers, proving once again why she is West End royalty, and they’re funny songs, too, sung with gusto and a sly wink, naughty but very nice with it. She plays Lady of the Bedchamber and Elizabeth Edwards (a sulky teenager who throws a strop every time she’s asked to do anything – many audience members will relate) and manages to be as funny as she is charming; if you’re a fan, don’t miss out on this performance as it’s wonderful. 

(c) Hugo Glendinning


This is not a show that goes deep into history (although Al Murray playing Charles II had certainly done his homework, which he proved when ad-libbing his way through a laugh-out-loud segment where he chatted to the audience and gently teased a few specific spectators, casually throwing out historical facts aplenty), but that’s not the point. The point is that The Crown Jewels is gleefully ridiculous in all the best ways. If you want entertainment, this is it.

Buy tickets here:  https://crownjewelsplay.com/

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