The buzziest show in London right now is “Lungs,” starring Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. Or, as they’re known in real life, Claire Foy and Matt Smith, the royal couple of Netflix’s “The Crown,” Seasons 1 and 2.
Reviewing the Duncan Macmillan drama at the Old Vic, critics say the chemistry between the two is even more palpable onstage than it was in “The Crown.” Credit their director, Matthew Warchus, who orchestrated four great actors — Marcia Gay Harden, Hope Davis, Jeff Daniels and James Gandolfini — in 2009’s “God of Carnage.”
Broadway producers and theater owners read the reviews and are vying to get the play for New York either this spring, if a theater’s available, or in the fall. Warchus, who arrived here Thursday, says there’s nothing to report yet. “Lots of enthusiasm, but lots of schedules to align,” he emailed me.
The success of “The Crown,” whose third season will give us an older set of royals, has led to all sorts of things for Foy and Smith. It was a shrewd move to do a play at the Old Vic, even though they could have made much more money doing movies or television. They’d be a sellout on Broadway in a limited run, and with deals that should give them a nice percentage of the box office gross, could go home with a ton of British pounds.
First staged in 2011, “Lungs” is about a young, politically engaged couple so worried about the environment, they debate the morality of eating imported avocados — let alone having a baby that would increase mankind’s carbon footprint. They are insufferably progressive and hypocritical. Macmillan mocks them, but doesn’t eviscerate them. They’re trying to live up to ideals that, in the real world, cannot be met.
“Lungs,” as the critic for the Guardian wrote, “is simply a picture of flawed love, set on a flawed planet.”
Warchus’ production is spare, keeping the focus on the acting. That seems to be the style in British theater right now, as you can see from director Jamie Lloyd’s production of “Betrayal,” at the Jacobs through Dec. 8, starring the superb trio of Zawe Ashton, Charlie Cox and Tom Hiddleston.
Spare is fine, although we’re going to get bored if every British production that comes here consists of gray walls, one table, two chairs and a couple of glasses of wine. I loved Jonathan Kent’s production of “The Height of the Storm” at the Manhattan Theatre Club. The set, by Anthony Ward, is the living room and kitchen of a French country manor house. There are bookcases, knickknacks, worn furniture, Le Creuset cooking ware and herbs — you can practically smell the mushroom, onion and chive omelet. But none of it upstages Eileen Atkins and Jonathan Pryce.
So, British directors, let’s not get too carried away with “spare.” Let’s have a “Waiting for Godot” with a barricade, a chandelier and a helicopter.
I’m delighted to hear that Whoopi Goldberg and Jennifer Saunders are doing a revival of “Sister Act” in London. They’re two of my favorite performers, and “Sister Act” is a vastly underrated musical. I went to the Broadway production in 2011 dreading it, and had a great time. Alan Menken and Glenn Slater’s score is smart and catchy. Douglas Carter Beane’s did a fine, and witty, job of adapting the movie to the stage. If this revival works in London, “Sister Act” should get another shot in New York.
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