Portrait of a Queen
by William Francis

A remarkable play that has the aspect of readers' theatre, but transcends it by being fundamentally a play, with dramatic progression and impact.

The dialogue is composed of the actual words of the personages represented—a stunning integration of history and theatre.

And what personages!

The portrait is basically that of Queen Victoria, from the volatile young girl to the wise and crafty old lady who ruled one-fourth of the earth; but surrounding her are the greatest men of an entire century, particularly Gladstone and Disraeli, whose forensic encounters contributed so gloriously to the English language.

All is told, nothing withheld.

Here are the words that shaped the destinies of nations, enduring as poetry, with a magnificent second act climax.

("The great moment is utterly heartbreaking."

- New York Daily News ). Epic in concept, counterpointed by raffish ballads of the period ("delightfully witty"—WABC-TV), boundless with mirth, a staging conceived in simplicity, which returns the stage to the beauty of speech, of mind and of heart.