MONARCHS ANONYMOUS Will Come to The Other Palace
Joshua Poole and Helena Devereux lead the cast as Charles II and Marie Antoinette.
Ceridwen Theatre Company's Monarchs Anonymous will run Tuesday 23rd June – Sunday 28th June at The Other Palace. This is a riotous comedy that dares to put history's most powerful rulers firmly in their place. This play throws pompous Kings, flamboyant Queens and sassy socialites into a hectic group therapy session at The Other Palace, delivering moments of heart and pathos alongside the laughs. In Monarchs Anonymous, infamous rulers face uncomfortable truths as viral historian Dr Kat Marchant from YouTube channel Reading the Past plays therapist Dr Thompson – a historical breakdown like no other.
Leading this eclectic ensemble, Marchant, who has amassed over 180,000 followers across social media in reality, takes on the role of therapist while attempting to keep the chaos in check.
The cast includes William Harry Mitchell (The Big Audition, ITV; Wilde in New York, ADC Theatre; The Ballad of Maximus and Audencia, Bush Theatre) as Henry VIII; Harriet Sharmini Smithers (A Well-Bread Woman, 2024) as Suffragette and Princess of India Sophia Duleep Singh; George Eggay (Christmas Carol, Reading Reps Production) as Mansa Musa, ruler of the Mali Empire and history's richest man; Joshua Poole (Call the Midwife, BBC; A Tudor Christmas, BBC; Did It Hurt, King's Head Theatre) as Charles II; and the role of Marie Antoinette is shared by sisters Helena Devereux (The Case of Steel Chocolate and Gold, Hampton Court Palace; The Snow Queen, The Albany Theatre Coventry) and Nadia Devereux (The Case of Steel Chocolate and Gold, Hampton Court Palace; The Snow Queen, The Albany Theatre, Coventry).
It is co-written by partners Nadia Devereux, Joshua Poole and Nadia's sibling Lyon Devereux (Mametz Wood, Edinburgh Festival Fringe; Snow Queen and Peter Pan, The Albany Theatre, Coventry). Packed with audience participation and moments of quick wit, this Welsh production keeps history's biggest egos firmly in check.
Co-writer Joshua Poole comments, Monarchs Anonymous started as a lockdown project on YouTube and has grown to a fully-fledged stage show thanks to Ceridwen Theatre Company. We have tried to bring these famous and important historical figures into a new light through the medium of modern therapy. It is often said that you can't judge the past with today's standards - well we can and we have! With a few surprises, beautiful costumes and incredible pace the show does just this. Bringing history kicking and screaming into our world. Enjoy!
First created as an online sketch during the pandemic, Monarchs Anonymous is now a fully-fledged production with many of the cast returning, bringing historical accuracy and sharp jests to their regal roles.
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