Review: ARCHDUKE - Royal Court Theatre (23/07/26)

Abundance of dark humour in this wickedly funny first world war comedy

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You would be hard pressed to find anyone who wasn't familiar with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand that triggered the start of world war one, but the events leading up to it may require a little extra reading, which is where new dark comedy "Archduke" comes in. It of the group of three poor, highly unwell young Serbian men, led by Gavrilo Princip, and how they became embroiled in the infamous plot to take out the titular member of the Austro-Hungarian royal family.

Written by Rajiv Joseph, this play had its off-broadway premiere just last year, and this new production at the Royal Court marks its European premiere. What is particularly striking about this work is that, rather than being action and plot driven, the primary focus instead remains on those involved in its conception, development, and ultimate execution, as well as how the lines between good and evil can often be blurred when certain circumstances align, and how those with the least to lose, in this case vulnerable, ill youths seeking purpose, can be the easiest to radicalise by those with dastardly machinations in mind.

(L-R) Stanley Morgan, Marc Wootton, Chris Walley (credit: Helen Murray)

Joseph's writing makes easy work of balancing the serious nature of the true to life events, and the dark humour injected that masterfully captures the humanity that is often absent when we discuss those who commit atrocities, in many ways grounding these individuals, almost making us relate to their hardships; after all, who in this world hasn't, at some point, experienced a crisis of confidence or lost their way in some way, shape or form. The comedic material is arguably the biggest draw as, although there is no doubt the graver side of events depicted are marvellously and proportionately grim, the comedy is never perceived as unwarranted, as it feels like we're laughing at rather than with those on stage.

What immediately grabs us is the brooding, gloomy aesthetic to Es Devlin’s set design, a dimly lit rail tunnel with a discernible curvature, initially set up with wooden crates, later transforming into a military style briefing, a domestic dining room, and also somehow managing to squeeze a full train carriage set piece through to the front of the stage. This is only accentuated by Neil Austin’s often ominous, multifunctional lighting design, and similarly Tingying Dong has created a sophisticated soundscape that has the environment and setting at heart, building layers of rumbles, echoes and industrial style clanks and screeches; director Lindsey Turner has knocked it out of the park, with a stunning presentation of this new piece.

But as refined and historically erudite as the text is, it still required a high standard of acting talent to bring it to life, which is exactly what casting director Julia Horan has brought us through a quintet of quite captivating performers to tell this story. Injecting life into infamous primary perpetrator Princip, Stanley Morgan gives a performance of grit, intrigue and genuine sincerity, developing layers into the character with real deftness, whilst Chris Walley as co-conspirator Nedeljko plays the fool quite brilliantly, leaning into his inherent naïvety and always making us believe he is a victim of circumstance, rather than a genuinely evil person.

The company of "Archduke" (credit: Helen Murray)

Completing our trifecta of terminally ill teens set on going out in a blaze of glory, Abraham Popoola brings boundless gumption and personality to the confident, physically imposing figure of Trifko, trying his best, often in vain, to keep his cohorts in check, in order to appease Captain Dragutin Dimitrijevic, the primary mastermind behind the plot. Originally brought to life by Patrick Page, this production sees Dimitrijevic portrayed by Marc Wootton, who gave arguably the most compelling, electric performance of the day. Showcasing a delightful mix of superb verbal dexterity, stage presence and comic timing, there was an endearing pomposity about Wootton's take on this master manipulator, and he is truly second to none at holding an audience; through the history lessons and the more sinister exchanges, he shows us a man to be both feared and admired.

Acting as the noble anchor of the story is Janice Connolly as Sladjana, counteracting the moral ambiguity and political extremism of the four men beautifully; traditionalist, superstitious, and surprisingly insurgent, Connolly completes a complex cocktail of character idiosyncrasies that hook us and never let go. "Archduke" is an imaginative, harrowing, yet highly humorous exploration of human nature, and how one's personal circumstances can affect how we see the world, morality, and global politics, Joseph has both his thematically sound style and wicked sense of humour on full display, in a deliciously disturbing new comedy play.

★★★★★ (5*)

"Archduke" runs at the Royal Court Theatre until the 25th of July (tickets)

{PR/Gifted Ticket}