A Royal flop?

That’s the funny thing about the performance arts – theatre, opera, television, film, concerts and similar – one man’s (or woman’s meat) can be another’s poison.

With mounting excitement since last weekend, when I first learned that it was in Channel Four’s schedules, I had been besides myself with anticipation in advance of the Royal Wedding Special Edition of Channel Four’s satirical spoof comedy hit The Windsors which was broadcast last night at 9.00am.

Here’s a link to the review of it by Sam Wollaston which appears today upon the website of – THE GUARDIAN

In contrast to Mr Wollaston, I found it deeply disappointing.

All the usual ingredients were there in reassuring detail, not least the cast: Harry Enfield at Prince Charles, Hadyn Gwynne as Camilla, Hugh Skinner as Prince William, Louise Ford as Kate Middleton, Morgana Robinson as Pippa, Richard Goulding as Prince Harry, Kathryn Drysdale as Meghan, Ellen White as Beatrice, Celeste Dring as Eugenie, Katy Wix as Fergie and Vicky Pepperdine as Princess Anne.

Just to look at them and immerse oneself in the characteristics that the writers George Jeffrie and Bert Tyler-Moore have given each of them – i.e. wildly exaggerated versions of how we the British public perceive them – having (for both good and ill) been indoctrinated over decades via media coverage ranging from fawning sycophancy to innumerable ‘Shock! Horror!” exposes – is the equivalent of sinking, surrounded by scented candles and music by Enya, into a perfect temperature herbal-rinsed bubble bath with a bottle of chilled champagne to hand.

The bottom line is that – although there were indeed some classic gags (Mr Wollaston highlights some of them) – overall it just wasn’t funny enough. I know this because, well before the first half of the hour-long programme was over, I was wondering whether I wouldn’t be making better use of my time by retiring to my bedroom and into the embrace of exhausted sleep.