The Windsors: Endgame - ON IN LONDON

The Windsors: Endgame has opened on the West End. This comic satire is a continuation of the BAFTA nominated Channel 4 television series The Windsors. Both series and play were written by George Jeffrie and Bert Tyler-Moore, with Jeffrie passing away in 2020 after the first draft was completed.

The play starts with the Queen abdicating in favour of Charles which creates instability, particularly as Camilla wants to return England to a feudal society. The Fab Four are fighting, but will they band together to help England? Meanwhile, will Eugenie and Beatrice ever clear their father Prince Andrew’s name?

Featuring jaunty but forgettable songs, sword fights and snogging competitions, it’s a barrel of laughs from start to finish. Audience participation is very much encouraged- from booing at Camilla to bowing to the actors at the end because, you know, they are the Windsors after all. Some jokes do land a bit flat or run fraction too long, and when it deviates from reality to service the plot or has clunky scene changes, it’s less strong. Fans of the series will enjoy the Easter eggs scattered throughout, whilst newcomers will have no difficulties with the surreal plot, political references and exaggerated characters. Like the series, be prepared for crude humour.

Harry Enfield resumes his role as the bumbling-idiotic Prince (now King) Charles. Tom Durant-Pritchard returns as the naive but loveable Harry, Tim Wallers as the cringe-worthy Prince Andrew, and Matthew Cottle as Prince Edward, though he also undertakes a number of other roles in the production.

Tracy-Ann Oberman steals the show as the over-the-top villain Camilla. She doesn’t shy away from her solo about hating the People’s Princess Diana, and looks fabulous in Tudor costume designed by Hillary Lewis. Jenny Rainsford and Eliza Butterworth deserve special mention for the over exaggerated accents of Beatrice and Eugenie.