Three Kings

by Stephen Beresford

seen by live streaming from the Old Vic on 5 September 2020

Matthew Warchus directed Andrew Scott in this new play by Stephen Beresford, an hour long monologue filmed live in four separate performances available by subscription - that is, by buying a 'ticket' to gain access to the live transmission of a selected performance.

In line with government requirements in response to the coronavirus most theatres in London are still closed. The Old Vic has devised a means of bringing performances to a wider public by choosing short plays with minimal casts and selling 'tickets' for the right to watch a performance at home. The performance is filmed on the Old Vic's stage, with no audience in the auditorium and a skeleton film crew which maintains social distancing.

This is the second such production that I have seen. (I regret to admit that I failed to post a notice of the first, but I shall rectify the omission).

In Three Kings Andrew Scott as Patrick tells of his encounters with his estranged father when he was eight, sixteen, and as a grown man as his father is dying, and with some other people after his father's death. His portrayal of Patrick was intensely interesting, by turns rueful, sardonic, angry and hurt, while his evocation of others (not least the father) was skilfully managed given the constraints of the medium. He conveyed a wide range of emotion with subtle adjustments to the tone of his voice, and his visual cues were expertly calibrated for close camera work, all of which made this a performance well worth seeing. (Of course Scott has wide experience in film and television work as well as on the stage, and this stood him in good stead here.)

Even in such a short piece, delivered by just one actor, the outlines of three flawed lives, and hints of the effects these have had on other people, are brought to life by a brilliant actor.