Review of ‘By Royal Appointment’: “Anne Reid gives a majestic performance in a slightly common play”

The Richmond Theatre welcomes Daisy Goodwin’s playwriting debut, inspired by the real-life relationship between Queen Elizabeth II and her long-term dressmaker. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the show to let us know if this excursion into the royal apartments comes off as an un-peasant journey.

“Elegance is not standing out, but being remembered.” If there’s one thing both pro and anti-monarchists can agree on, that’s the relevance of a royal outfit — whether it deserves it or not is a different story. No matter where you stand on the legitimacy of a blue-blooded head of state, the legacy of our much-missed Queen Elizabeth’s attire collection is far from fabricated.

With her clothes replicated in hundreds of films and television series, and some occasional exhibitions featuring some of her most popular garments, it comes as no shock that the thirst for her Royal Highness’s wearings travels beyond the palaces’ ballrooms and dungeons. It was just a question of time before it ended up hitting the stage.

It is no tale of a tailor, but of a confidante and later friend. Or at least, that’s how it attempts to come across. It struggles in its effort, however. Though entertaining on the whole, the rendering of By Royal Appointment is still too low in the ranks to match the nobility of its intentions. Though able to establish an engaging premise, concocting a fictional recount that draws inspiration from the Queen’s real-life dressmaker, Angely Kelly, the piece sadly loses itself in the shallow allure of its glittering setting. Consequently, no character displays enough depth or growth, other than some banal and rather archetypical remarks regarding their private lives.

Going through Her Majesty’s regalia across the years (each costume related to a decisive moment within her reign), the script charms audiences to some extent through its suave depiction of Buckingham’s affairs, but it doesn’t captivate them. And if it does, I shall be excluded from the bunch, as despite my fascination with queenly entourages (something I take with great pride), Daisy Goodwin’s writing comes off a little too flat, empty, and predictable to wield the sceptre.

The plot’s basis offers every opportunity for a meaningful, thought-provoking, and emotionally striking journey about the person behind the persona and her influence in the lives of those who worked closely with her. That’s hardly what it gives us, unfortunately. Instead, the narrative vehemently sacrifices the story’s potential pathos in favour of its slightly artificial humour, leaving very little room for gravitas and truthfulness through a well-flowed but superfluous dialogue.

Some aspects of the script also feel a little dated. The author’s heart is obviously in the right place concerning queer advocacy, represented through the role of the Queen’s Milliner, a flamboyant fashion designer haunted by his father’s homophobic rejection. Yet, his appearances often come off as heavy-handed, employed as comic relief in a manner too close to an 80s sitcom, where queer characters traditionally served as no more than a recurring gag.

Beautifully staged through a simple yet accomplished use of curtains and high-class furniture, the production flaunts enough decency in its execution. Except for Anne Reid, whose endearing, nuanced rendition of the Queen can only solidify her status as a national treasure, the cast doesn’t give the most arresting performances, most of which struggle to flaunt sufficient layering. Yet, their ability to amuse is still gratifying, and though none of them are too strong to move us, their modest chemistry and adequate presence secure our stay in the palace all through the evening.

Delivering a royal treatment that holds court on the Queen’s lifelong servitude to the country, By Royal Appointment sets up a well-born germinal idea that could lead to a princely outcome. Yet, despite its fixation with the crown’s jewels, the piece is nowhere near becoming one on its own in the theatrical landscape, never seeming like a knight-mare but with several key elements needing to be peer-fected. I doubt Her Majesty would cry “off with their heads” to the creative, but I wouldn’t lose mine about this show either.

All pictures credit to Nobby Clark.

By Royal Appointment plays at London’s Richmond Theatre until 26 July. Tickets are available on the following link.

By Guillermo Nazara