King Charles delighted theatregoers when he made a surprise trip to a theatre and took his seat near members of the public. Charles was met with cheers from crowds of people when he arrived at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. He was a surprise guest at a sold-out production of Shakespeare's The Tempest starring Sir Kenneth Branagh.
Charles was greeted by the Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire Tim Cox, as well as the Royal Shakespeare Company’s (RSC) co-artistic directors Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey. Audience members peered down from seats in the dress circle inside the auditorium during his visit on Friday, May 22. Others in the stalls got their phones out to take pictures when the king took his seat near the back between Mr Evans and Ms Harvey. He also sat near Sir Richard Eyre, who directed the performance for the RSC.
Ms Harvey said Charles was 'laughing away' next to her during the performance. She added: 'I think he genuinely enjoyed it.' Mr Evans said: 'When Guy Henry came on, who plays Stephano, he reached over to me and said "Is that Guy Henry?" I was just astonished at his knowledge of actors. You get the impression he’s a true enthusiast of the theatre.'
During the interval, King Charles was handed a drink before he met the RSC’s in-house costume department. He also admired a crown used in the company’s production of Edward II last year. Charles touched the fabric of a dress worn by Dame Judi Dench in All’s Well That Ends Well in 2003 and marvelled at David Tennant’s robe and gown from his role in Richard II in 2013. He also viewed a costume worn by Sir Antony Sher in a 1984 production of Richard III. The King described the costumes as 'brilliant' and also gave a standing ovation at the end of the performance.
Charles has been the patron of the RSC since 2024, following in the footsteps of the late Queen Elizabeth II – who held the patronage since the company’s creation in 1961. Sir Kenneth is playing the role of the exiled Duke of Milan, Prospero, for the first time in his career, which has included 35 Shakespeare productions. The Tempest, which was one of the last plays written by Shakespeare, is running at the theatre until June 20.
Mr Evans and Ms Harvey said in a statement: 'It was a tremendous honour to welcome His Majesty the King back to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre for this landmark production of The Tempest, which marks both Sir Kenneth Branagh’s historic return to Stratford-upon-Avon for the first time in over 30 years and Sir Richard Eyre’s debut with the company after a long and distinguished career directing for the British stage.'
