THE MAD GAY KING
A Play by Christopher Adams-CoheN
CAST: 4 // 70 minutes
A queer retelling of the life and love of King Ludwig II of Bavaria, a decadent 19th century monarch deposed by his conservative government on the grounds of homosexual insanity. A year after the forcible deposition and mysterious death of his lover the King, equerry Richard Hornig revisits scenes from their romance, tracing the intimate obsessions that drove them together and the societal forces that tore them apart.
“Adams-Cohen’s writing is intricate, laced with moments of humour and pathos ... [it] doesn’t shy away from the thorny intersections of desire, power, and madness – and it does so with fantastic, raw energy.”
“A brilliant script ... Impressively emotional, and incredibly impactful.”
“Exceptionally bold ... Engagingly dramatic.”
“A tour de force ... poetic, moving and at times very funny.”
“A heart-on-sleeve dive into the life and death of a bohemian king.”
Development History
3-Week Production: King’s Head Theatre, London, UK 2024 (dir. Scott Le Crass)
Workshop: Omnibus Theatre ‘Engine Room’, London, UK 2023 (dir. Ken Nakajima)
Staged Reading: Soho Theatre, London, UK 2023 (dir. Tony Graham)
Staged Reading: Garvanza Gardens, LA, US 2023 (dir. Christopher Adams-Cohen)
