The Madness of King George

In this country, he's a villain, the monarch whose abuse inspired a revolution, the ruler from whom we fled to found a democracy. But in Alan Bennett's historical drama, George III becomes the hero, and his story is rendered in such a way that even former colonists may find themselves rooting for the old king. That's because playwright Bennett has given us a George mellowed with a little touch of Lear. Like Shakespeare's king, this one struggles with madness, and while its fire burns him, he emerges from it somewhat purified, somewhat wiser. The story is based on a real episode: In 1788, George endured the first of what were to be several bouts with “madness.” Modern medicine suggests that the king may have suffered from a metabolic imbalance that produces symptoms of insanity. Whatever the cause, the effect was political turmoil, a fight to replace the seemingly mad king with the eager-to-rule Prince of Wales (Everett, good and creepily foppish). Bennett dishes up court intrigue as if serving a sinfully rich entree; the dark maneuvers and double-dealings are done with a style and wit that says, “It's awful, yes, but don't you love it?” But this satire masks a more serious look at power and the role of royalty, issues of grave concern to Bennett's countrymen today. That musing on kingliness may not be as resonant on this side of the Atlantic, but it ought not be totally lost: We might not want them to be royal, but we still want our leaders to be regal, to be models for the rest of us. Within the political tale is a powerful personal one. Bennett's king is a man in a fight for his life, and we come to see his war to retain control of himself as valiant. Hytner keeps the camera close to George, so every detail of his fits and recovery is available to us, so the cost of his struggle is inescapable. For his part, Hawthorne rushes pell-mell into the thorny valley of dementia and crawls out with every puncture registering on his worn face. The performance is rich and rewarding, no more so than when George appears at last in the light after months in shadow. It is such a touching triumph of the will that it may make even an American cry, “Long live the king!”