A spurned wife and a ruthless journalist cross swords when a marriage crumbles in the glare of public scrutiny.
One of the most enduring images of the 1990s was Princes William and Harry walking behind the coffin of their mother Diana, Princess of Wales. Two young boys crushed by duty and destined to grieve in public. It was the end game for Diana who died at the painfully young age of 36. Although more than a quarter of a century has passed it stills seems fresh in the mind. The great British public had recorded their very own ‘Kennedy moment’. The final years of Diana’s life were marked by a media circus as she coped with a failing marriage to Prince Charles. A battle quickly began to take control of the narrative. The couple had been separated for two years when Charles was interviewed by Jonathan Dimbleby in 1994. Rising BBC journalist Martin Bashir was now ready to give Diana the right to reply. This new play by Jonathan Maitland sheds light on the machinations surrounding that interview.
Act one concentrates on the build-up to the interview as Bashir (Tibu Fortes) inveigles his way into the confidence of Diana (Yolanda Kettle). Faithful butler Paul Burrell (Matthew Flynn) facilitates the liaison as Bashir devises a plan to secure the biggest TV interview of the decade. Every major broadcaster across the globe was bidding for Diana’s consent, but it was Bashir who sealed the deal with more than a hint of self-serving manipulation. Act two cleverly lands on the post interview editing process. Bashir and various execs later decamped to Eastbourne where a final cut was agreed under a cloak of secrecy.
There are no startling revelations as everything portrayed is already in the public domain. Certain conversations are imagined as the motivation of major players in the piece are examined. Act two is really where the play comes into its own, as key exchanges from the interview are replayed and analysed. Maitland wisely avoids repeating the interview but draws more on the showstopping moments and the inevitable fallout. The impact of the interview still reverberates as Bashir’s shameless methods were rightly exposed. One can only speculate the effect it had on Diana’s already fragile state of mind. Bashir’s zeal knew no bounds and bordered on gas lighting as a state of paranoia took hold. The cast deliver sound performances in their respective roles and Yolanda Kettle perfectly nails Diana’s mannerisms. An engrossing play that proves the cult of Princess Diana is stronger than ever.
Author: Jonathan Maitland
Director: Michael Fentiman
Review by: Brian Penn
Playhouse Pickings 