Review: By Royal Appointment (Touring)

Tuesday 24th June 2025 at Leeds Grand Theatre

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A good few years ago, I saw a production of Moira Buffini’s Handbagged and thought it was pretty inspired. A two hander, allowing us to watch Queen Elizabeth II and Margaret Thatcher behind the scenes? Fascinating. Now, this new work from Daisy Goodwin takes us behind closed doors to see the inner workings of those who designed for and dressed the late Queen Elizabeth II. With sights set on similar comic power plays, By Royal Appointment has its shining moments, but doesn’t quite reach the heights expected.

Under Dominic Dromgoole’s direction, we have Gráinne Dromgoole guiding us through the years with snappy narrated segues (nicely accompanied by Nina Dunn’s projections), and we see the Queen’s sartorial journey over the decades in a swathe of fleeting snapshots: the conversations, negotiations, tensions and reactions behind the outfits which were subsequently scrutinised by public and press so keenly.

Jonathan Fensom’s designs transport us to a relatively humble space in what is assumed to be the Queen’s inner sanctum, and Anne Reid is predictably great – as the Queen, she is dignified and professional but also very warm and human when events demand it. Goodwin’s writing is keen to humanise the gilded figurehead and Reid certainly succeeds in showing us varied layers of Crown, friend, boss, human being and woman – particularly in the relationship between Queen and personal dresser.

Caroline Quentin is also a top bit of casting as the dresser – with dutiful eyes as sharp as her judgemental tongue, she misses nothing and expects everything on behalf of the one she serves. In more static scenes and when this play feels most like it’s losing its comic footing, it’s Quentin’s silent reactions on the periphery that save the day. And its her monologue at the close of the play that lands the most laughs, as Gigi lets rip: all the frustration and grief and defiance come pouring out in a delicious tirade of self-appreciation, and it is a double-edged glory; inspiring laughs for Quentin, yes, but also raising a question about the lack of that comic calibre for the bulk of the show…

As the bickering creatives vying for attention, validation and that all-important royal warrant, we have James Dreyfus and James Wilby as the milliner and the designer respectively. While their sparring does hold some titters and sharp one-liners (and Dreyfus delivers on a sound moment of poignancy), it at times feels lacking in spark and laboured in pace which is surprising considering the casting.

All in all, By Royal Appointment has a cracking cast, but doesn’t always make the most of them… there are laughs to be had though, and there’s no denying that the show definitely entertains and engages for the duration.

By Royal Appointment is at Leeds Grand Theatre until June 28th 2025 – more information and tickets can be found here.