The Audience

Act One

Out of the dark, the Equerry appears to introduce the concept of the Queen’s private audiences with her Prime Ministers. These happen every Tuesday at 6:30pm. He describes the room in which they take place and, as he exits, the room itself is revealed. The Queen is holding one of her audiences with John Major, her ninth Prime Minister. He is fretting about the turbulent political atmosphere under his direction. He never wanted the notoriety and pressure that comes with the job and is moaning, looking to the Queen for guidance. She reminds him that all Prime Ministers have been hated at some point in their political career and that he should stand up to those who criticize him. The Queen believes that Major was lucky enough to have got to his position due to his formal education; a privilege she never received. Instead she and her sister were home educated, because they were female, As the pair exchange childhood education memories, Major admits that he only got 3 O-levels.