Mike Bartlett’s King Charles III has opened on Broadway to enthusiastic praise from critics, with the New York Times calling it “a work that takes all manner of audacious license, poetic and otherwise… Mr. Bartlett sails with bravado over every high hurdle he sets up.”

Directed by Rupert Goold, the show enjoyed huge success in London last year, with critically acclaimed sell-out runs at the Almeida Theatre and in the West End. The production is currently on  UK tour and will be transferring to Sydney in the coming months.

Variety praised its star saying: “Pigott-Smith is phenomenal…portraying a sense of human goodness and character nobility that can either elevate a monarch or damn him to oblivion.”

The play explores the people beneath the crowns, the unwritten rules of democracy and the conscious of Britain’s most famous family.

Reporting for The Hollywood Reporter, David Rooney said: “Bartlett offers a fiendishly clever and yet serious questioning of the role of royalty in the 21st century.”

Tim Pigott-Smith leads the cast on Broadway, reprising his celebrated role as King Charles III, with Anthony Calf as Mr. Stevens,Oliver Chris as William, Richard Goulding as Harry, Nyasha Hatendi as Spencer and other roles, Adam James as Mr. Evans, Margot Leicester as Camilla, Miles Richardson as James Reiss, Tom Robertson as Cootsey and other roles, Sally Scott as Sarah and other roles,Tafline Steen as Jess and Lydia Wilson as Kate.

Peter Marks at The Washington Post comments that “Bartlett scores one remarkable dramatic coup after another.”

Mark Kennedy, Associated Press, calls King Charles III “…ingenuous, intelligent and intriguing. Forget the king: Long live the playwright!”

King Charles III features designs by Tom Scutt, with music composed by Jocelyn Pook, lighting by Jon Clark and sound by Paul Arditti.

The production continues on its UK tour as well as being performed at the Music Box Theatre on Broadway until the 31st January 2016.