Two Weeks With The Queen Play

What This Play Actually Is

Two Weeks With The Queen Play is a theatrical production that has been performed in various venues, primarily known for its satirical take on royal family dynamics. It was written by Terrence Rattigan and centers on a fictional story involving the British monarchy. The script has been adapted into different formats over the years, including stage productions and recorded performances you can find online. If you are looking to obtain the play for study or production purposes, there are legitimate sources. The script is published by various theatrical publishers and can be purchased through standard book retailers. Many university libraries carry copies in their drama collections. If you want to watch a recorded performance, some streaming platforms that focus on theater have licensed versions available. I would recommend checking the National Theatre Archive or similar institutions rather than seeking out unofficial sources, which tend to have poor quality and legal issues. The production involves a specific casting structure that some people find tricky. You need at least eight actors for a proper run, though it can be condensed for smaller venues. I ran into a problem once where our theater only had five performers available. What I did was combine two minor royal roles into one character and adjusted the dialogue accordingly. It took about two hours of rewriting, and the result was functional, though certain comedic timing got lost in the process. If you are dealing with a similar situation, combining the Footman and the Private Secretary roles works better than merging any of the main royal characters.

One thing beginners often get wrong is the pacing. The play moves fast, and actors who take their time with every line will drag the second act into something unbearably slow. The rhythm relies on quick exchanges, particularly during the dinner scene. I have seen productions stretch that sequence to twelve minutes when it should take around six. The script calls for overlapping dialogue in several spots, which means your director needs to rehearse those cues precisely. Without that, the comedy falls flat because the audience hears everything clearly instead of catching the intended chaos. Another counter-intuitive aspect is the tone. People tend to play it as pure farce from the opening scene. That is a mistake. The humor lands harder when certain moments are played straight, especially the more absurd lines. The actor playing the Queen benefits from treating the material with genuine seriousness. The contrast between the dignified delivery and the ridiculous content is where most of the comedy lives. Directors who go full broad comedy too early usually exhaust the audience within the first twenty minutes. There are also technical considerations with the set design. The script calls for a formal dining room setting with multiple doors and a staircase. If you are working on a budget, you can simplify this significantly. I once worked with a setup that used just three doorways and a raised platform instead of a full staircase. It worked fine for two years of regional touring. The original design is lovely but not essential to the story. What matters more is getting the acoustics right, since the play relies heavily on whispered conversations and overheard dialogue that needs to carry to the back of the room.

Costuming is another area where you can cut costs without ruining the production. The script does not require historically accurate royal regalia. Standard black tie for men and formal evening wear for women reads correctly on stage. The only exception is the Queen's crown and the Prince's military uniform, which are necessary for the visual shorthand the play depends on. Everything else can come from your local costume shop or even thrift stores with minor modifications. Rehearsal time for this play runs about four to five weeks for a competent amateur company. Professional companies typically plan six weeks. The first week should focus entirely on blocking and getting the text clear. Do not rush into performance notes during week one. Most of the work happens in weeks two and three when the pacing and comedy timing lock in. Weeks four and five are for polishing and adding the physical business that makes the staging feel alive. One limitation worth noting upfront: this play does not travel well to very small venues. If your space seats fewer than two hundred people, the comedic reach diminishes considerably. The jokes rely on a certain distance between the characters and the audience. In an intimate black box setting, the satire becomes awkward rather than funny. For those spaces, a shorter Rattigan piece might serve you better. But in a standard proscenium house with a decent orchestra section, the play works as intended.

Audio recordings of the script exist through several publishers. Samuel French and Concord Theatricals both carry licensed performance materials. If you need the score or any musical interludes, those are included in the conductor's score from the same publishers. Avoid pirated copies because the pagination gets messed up and you will waste time cross-referencing scenes against the official script. Marketing this play is straightforward but requires a specific angle. The royal theme draws audiences, but leaning too hard into the political satire side can alienate certain demographics. The best poster copy I have seen simply states it is a comedy about the royal family and lets the premise sell itself. Audience members show up expecting laughs and they generally leave satisfied. The few negative reviews I have read usually come from people who wanted a serious drama and were caught off guard by the farce elements. Runtime is approximately one hundred and ten minutes with a fifteen minute interval. Do not extend it. I have seen cuts that trim too aggressively and leave plot holes that confuse audiences who have not read the script. If you must cut, remove one or two of the visiting dignitary scenes rather than touching the main plot threads. The second act runs slightly longer than the first, so trimming there is safer than cutting anywhere else in the script.