A Fun-Filled Romp Through History
Monarchs Anonymous invites audiences to take part in a group therapy session with a twist, every participant is a monarch, plucked from history and dropped into a modern-day support group.
Created by writers Nadia Devereux, Joshua Poole and Lyon Devereux, it’s a brilliantly original premise. The play throws some of history’s most notorious rulers into therapy as they attempt to unpack centuries of baggage and become better monarchs. The individual performances and characters are fantastic, Joshua Poole shines as a flamboyant roguish Charles II, while Helena Devereux’s haughty Marie Antoinette plays perfectly against William Harry Mitchell’s gloriously pompous, egotistical Henry VIII. Kathy Brazier’s costumes are fittingly regal, adding colour, character and plenty of royal grandeur to the production.
Beneath the laughs, the play also examines deeper themes, particularly the way history decides whose stories are remembered. Musa I (George Eggay), the 13th-century Malian king widely regarded as the richest man who ever lived, laments that history has largely forgotten him, arguing that had he been European, everyone in the room would know his name.
Set in an intimate studio space (mercifully air-conditioned), the audience are invited to join in the fun, donning the gold crowns left on their seats and presented with name badges of illustrious historical figures. Thankfully, audience participation is light. My guest, crowned Catherine the Great, spent most of the evening convinced she was about to be hauled onstage and forced into an impromptu therapy session. Instead, audiences are encouraged to cheer and applaud each monarch as they make their entrance, even if being asked to bleat like sheep feels more like a school assembly than immersive theatre.
The production loses some momentum in the second half as the group searches for the “traitor” who leaked the existence of Monarchs Anonymous to the modern-day press. Despite plenty of funny gags, the script feels laboured and the Monarchs’ never really confront any of the personal issues hinted at during the first half. Instead of the psychoanalysis promised, the focus increasingly falls on the motivations of Dr Thompson (Kat Marchant), whose stern approach often feels closer to a teacher managing an unruly classroom than a therapist.
Monarchs Anonymous is packed with clever ideas, strong performances and plenty of laughs. While the script doesn’t always make the most of its inspired premise, it’s an entertaining evening that history buffs and comedy fans alike will enjoy.
Monarchs Anonymous runs until June 29 2026 at The Other Palace, London.