This Is London - 31 January 2020

18
Gavin Spokes, who currently plays the
role of King George III in the hit West
End musical, Hamilton, stands with The
Royal Mint’s new £5 commemorative
coin which has been launched to mark
200 years since the end of Britain’s
longest serving king’s reign. The 200th
anniversary of the end of George III’s
reign takes place on 29 January.
HAMILTON’S GEORGE III
CELEBRATES WITH THE ROYAL MINT
The Royal Mint is celebrating the life
and legacy of Britain’s longest-reigning
King, George III, with a commemorative
£5 coin to mark 200 years since his death.
To mark the anniversary, The Royal
Mint has worked with the cast of the
West End musical, Hamilton, to capture
photography of Gavin Spokes, who plays
the monarch in the show. The Olivier,
Tony and Grammy award-winning
production, with Book, Music and Lyrics
by Lin-Manuel Miranda, opened at the
newly re-built and restored Victoria
Palace Theatre in December 2017 where
it continues to play to packed houses.
The third king from the House of
Hanover but the first to be born in
Britain and speak English as a first
language, George III reigned for nearly
six-decades making him Britain’s
longest-reigning King. During his reign,
George III witnessed wars with France
and American colonists, territorial
expansion across the world, and
industrial and agricultural revolutions.
He also had an interest in astronomy
and commissioned the construction of
the King’s Observatory near his
residence in Richmond. It was at the
Observatory that George III viewed the
Transit of Venus with his royal
astronomer, Stephen Demainbray. In
1769 scientists travelling with Captain
Cook on his first voyage of discovery
also observed the same event in Tahiti.
Clare Maclennan, Divisional Director
of Commemorative Coin at The Royal
Mint said, ‘During the 59 years that
George III was on the throne, he
witnessed wars across continents and
lived through industrial and agricultural
revolutions. George III is Britain’s
longest-reigning King, and we are
delighted to celebrate his life and legacy
with a commemorative coin.’
Dominique Evans, Royal Mint Coin
Designer said: ‘I have placed George III
at the centre of the coin design in a pose
depicting the iconic portrait by
Benedetto Pistrucci, that I, like many,
greatly admire. Surrounding George III’s
head are the symbols of his kingdom,
framed by his crown. I felt it important to
add symbolism reflecting the life of a
king and mind of a man who was
dedicated to discovery and progress.
From science to agriculture and industry
George III left a remarkable legacy.’
As well as the portrait, the coin also
features George III’s Royal Cypher, which
combines George III’s first initial ‘G’ with
‘R’, an abbreviation of ‘Rex’ the Latin word
for king. The edge lettering features the
words of George III at his accession:
I GLORY IN THE NAME OF BRITON.
TEENAGE DICK
Donmar until 1 February
The wall to wall banners adorning the
gym of designer Chloe Lamford’s
Roseland High School, immediately
evoke the unpleasant suspicion that
there’s going to be a gun-toting
bloodbath before the evening is over. But
although some blood is shed – and not
all the characters make it through to the
end – there are no bullets (or swords)
and the damage is more psychological
than physical in American playwright
Mike Lew’s reimagining of Shakespeare’s
Richard III, a crafty mix of tragedy, high
school comedy and witty misquotes
from the original.
The monarch here becomes Richard
Gloucester, a clever hemiplegic student
who is bullied by his classmates but
encouraged by well-meaning teacher
Elizabeth York (Susan Wokoma) to stand
for election as Senior Class President
against Callum Adams’ good-looking
(but not very bright) football-playing
jock, Eddie. You’d think Dick hasn’t got a
chance, but he’s read (and learnt from)
Machiavelli and by sheer cunning and
persistent determination (plus a little
help) the guy who’s still a virgin and
can’t drive a car even manages to steal
Eddie’s ex (Siena Kelly’s touching Anne
Margaret) whose supple dancer’s body
is, she hopes, destined for fame.
Shakespeare’s Duke of Buckingham is
now Ruth Madeley’s wheelchair-using
‘Buck’, the Duke of Clarence a twittermad,
campaigning Clarissa who will do
anything to get the credits she needs for
a place at Stanford.
The transposition takes liberties with
the plot but works surprisingly well, with
disabled Australian actor Daniel Monks’
first-rate Dick powering through Michael
Longhurst’s fast-paced, interval-free
production, sometimes relying on a
crutch, angry, manipulative, longing to
be loved and fully aware,
that for him and for Buck ‘This isn’t our
awkward phase this is the rest of our
lives.’
Louise Kingsley
T H I S I S L O N D O N M A G A Z I N E • T H I S I S L O N D O N O N L I N E