My mum and dad saw this at the Theatre Royal in Bath before it opened on London’s West End and told me if I ever got the chance to see it, to go. Luckily for me one such opportunity came up and, yesterday, my brother and I rendez-voused at the Apollo Theatre to see David Haig of Four Weddings and a Funeral fame take on the role of King George.
The play, which is written by Alan Bennett, is set in 1788 and recounts the King’s first severe mental breakdown (something which has now been attributed to porphyria, a rare metabolic disorder), and the consequent threat to his reign. Watching Haig take King George from an overactive and enthusiast ruler to a frenzied and confused maniac is harrowing, not only because the treatment he receives is misunderstood and extreme (blistering and straight-jacketing) but also because Haig’s performance is thoroughly convincing. He takes you on every step of his journey into a pit of despair with a passion and attention to detail that must be exhausting – especially when you think he’s doing this day in, day out. You wouldn’t tell it though and the standing ovation he received at the end was well deserved.
Take heed of my mum’s advice and, if you get the chance to see this, go – you won’t be disappointed.
Runs to 31 March, nimaxtheatres.com
Little Miss Married 
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