By Royal Appointment UK Tour Review

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Those missing the late Queen Elizabeth II will lap up this new theatre production By Royal Appointment that's on its first UK tour. Delving behind the scenes at the Royal household, it's as much about fashion and British history as it recounts facts about years gone by.

Retelling key moments from HRH's life through outfit fittings with her dresser, clothes designer and hat maker, it's been written by Daisy Goodwin, who was behind the popular ITV series about another queen, Victoria. More incredible is that 90-year-old actress Anne Reid, pictured above, of Last Tango In Halifax is still going strong on stage playing the late Queen with panache.

I caught By Royal Appointment at Malvern Theatres , where it stays until Saturday July 5, before moving on to London, Salford, Southampton and Guildford, dates all listed below. This is the closest it comes to Birmingham on its world premiere tour.



It's an elegant homage to the late Queen, albeit a very gentle drama and pretty slow-moving. Its big draw is the cast featuring some of the best of British acting talent.

Based on real-life characters, Caroline Quentin, shown above, is the lynchpin as the monarch's fiesty, Northern and overprotective, working class dresser. She's a delight on stage, especially seeing her coo over The Queen one moment and snarl at James Wilby's Designer and James Dreyfus' Milliner the next.

Quentin gives the dresser an edge that's not always likeable, often somewhere between surly and cut-throat. And it's the competitive relationship between her majesty's team that's one of the highlights of the plot, although it could have been delved into a little more.



The play opens with the dresser grieving the Queen's death. Returning from the funeral to Buckingham Palace, she's persona non grata to everyone except a young aide trying to put together an immersive exhibition on the Queen's history of clothes.

From here, we are transported back through important years and events like Lord Mountbatten killed by an IRA bomb and soaring levels of inflation and unemployment and even a lettuce lasting longer than Liz Truss. While the set doesn't change, it's glossy and sumptuous with a backdrop that shows artistic impressions of the outfit and year.

There's high-calibre acting all round and Reid looks just like Queen Elizabeth II in her mannerisms and style. Although she doesn't sound as posh, and undoubtedly is more open and understanding of her servants' troubles than the late monarch would ever have been.

Wilby is another famous face of TV and film and has a meaty role as the former soldier turned designer, who is not as openly gay as Dreyfus' flamboyant Australian milliner. Wilby is battling a fractious relationship with his father over his sexuality, while Dreyfus uses his comic talents seen in TV roles like Gimme Gimme Gimme and The Thin Blue Line to add humour. It makes his woes over his partner more hard-hitting.

It's interesting what is and isn't covered by Goodwin and the views aired. While the Queen couldn't comment on most things - using her clothes to do the talking - she's seen in these private conversations making subtle digs at Prince Harry about service and the role of a 'spare' and trying to outdo Wallis Simpson when making a visit to her sick uncle in Paris.



There's also back-handed comments made about Diana's fashion choices, although in general it doesn't focus too much on her.

While the script makes this a slow affair that ambles along in nostalgia, Royal family fans will relish reminiscing and feeling once again in the presence of her majesty. What's royally good is the top-notch acting.

RATING: 3 and a half stars out of 5 stars

Running time: 2 hours 20 minutes including an interval.

By Royal Appointment UK Tour Dates 2025

Malvern Theatres
1 - 5 July

Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
9 – 12 July

Richmond Theatre, London
22 - 26 July

Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford
29 July – 2 August

Lowry, Salford
6 - 9 August

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