National Theatre Live: The Madness of George III

The year is 1786 and George III is held to be the most powerful man in the world. His behaviour, though, is becoming more and more erratic. The King is seized by fits in which his mind gives way. As the fits multiply, the balance at court comes apart. His mind is unravelling at speed. The people around him begin to calculate on top of that unravelling. Ambitious politicians look for a way to fill the gap. The Prince of Wales is scheming as well. The power of the Crown is put under threat. The play exposes the fine line between being a King and being a man. The illness becomes a matter for an institution as much as for a man. The text was written by Alan Bennett. This was filmed from the staging at Nottingham Playhouse. The performance was broadcast live to cinemas in 2018. After it went on stage in 1991 the play was adapted for the screen as well. Mark Gatiss and Debra Gillett appear in the hundred and thirty two minute performance, a British production Adam Penford finished in 2018.