The Madness of King George

The Madness of King George - 1994 | 107 mins | Drama | Colour

The Production Team

Director: Nicholas Hytner.
Asst Director: Mary Sloan.
Producer: Mark Cooper, Stephen Evans and David Parfitt.
Script: Alan Bennett.
Cinematography: Andrew Dunn.
Editing: Tariq Anwar.
Art Director: John Fenner.
Production Design: Ken Adam.
Costume Design: Mark Thompson.
Make-up Dept: Lisa Westcott.
Sound: David Crozier.
Original Music: George Fenton.

The Cast

Nigel Hawthorne - George III
Helen Mirren - Queen Charlotte
Ian Holm - Dr. Willis
Rupert Everett - Prince of Wales
Rupert Graves - Greville
Amanda Donohoe - Lady Pembroke
Julian Rhind-Tutt - Duke of York
Jim Carter - Fox
Jeremy Child - Black Rod
Geoffrey Palmer - Warren

Plot Synopsis

Alan Bennett's accomplished reworking of his stage play is both handsome historical drama about skulduggery at court – epitomised by Rupert Everett's foppish, scheming Prince of Wales impatiently waiting in the wings - and a moving study of the man inside the ermine. Nigel Hawthorne's George, haunted by the pain of mental illness porphyria, lurching from nobility to wild-eyed tantrums, under the regime of progressive doctor Ian Holm, to utter wretchedness in a soiled nappy. And counter-pointing the affectations of courtly manners is his moving relationship with Queen Charlotte, Helen Mirren.