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Overview

Synopsis

The Audience takes place between 1952 and the present day. It focuses on Queen Elizabeth II’s private weekly meetings between her and each of her Prime Minister’s throughout her reign. These meetings have never been recorded and their content is unknown. In this innovative, modern play, Peter Morgan breaks through the silence and imagines a series of conversations held behind closed doors. Weaving through time, the Queen meets with each of her Prime Ministers (bar three: Harold Macmillan, Sir Alec Douglas Home, and Edward Heath) and her relationship with each of them is revealed. While she remains constant, the politicians come and go, revealing intimate and, occasionally, astounding details. The older Queen uses her time also to converse with her younger self, revealing her childhood dislike of the palace and her fears for the future. With frequently changing playing ages and near-constant stage time, the role of Queen Elizabeth II is a tour de force for any actress.

Show Information

Category
Play
Age Guidance
Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
Number of Acts
2
First Produced
2013
Genres
Drama, Comedy, Historical/Biographical
Settings
Contemporary, Unit/Single Set
Time & Place
buckingham palace, england, twentieth century
Cast Size
medium
Ideal For
Mostly Male Cast, Star Vehicle Female, Includes Mature Adult, Elderly, Adult, Late Teen, Young Adult Characters, Medium Cast

Context

Plot

Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Queen Elizabeth II

Lead

Female

Spoken

James Callaghan

Supporting

Male

Spoken

Sir Anthony Eden

Supporting

Male

Spoken

Margaret Thatcher

Supporting

Female

Spoken

Winston Churchill

Supporting

Male

Spoken

Gordon Brown

Supporting

Male

Spoken

The Equerry

Supporting

Male

Spoken

Young Elizabeth

Supporting

Female

Spoken

Harold Wilson

Supporting

Male

Spoken

John Major

Supporting

Male

Spoken

David Cameron

Supporting

Male

Spoken

Ensemble

Ensemble

Either Gender

Songs

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A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.

Monologues

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Scenes

All scenes are the property and copyright of their owners. Scenes are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this scene, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

Key Terms

    A form of government in which the head of state stays in power for life

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Guide Written By:

Alexandra Appleton

Alexandra Appleton

Writer, editor and theatre researcher