The Boy, George - Melbourne Fringe Festival review

The year is 2028 and it's been six days since the Queen died. King Charles is privately mourning her death, seemingly ignoring the fact that the monarchy's reign is about to be overthrown by the House of Commons. But 14-year-old Prince George has a few tricks up his sleeve to save the monarchy and ensure his rightful place as the future King.

Written and performed by Patrick Livesey, The Boy, George is a queer and satirical look at privilege, power, the struggle to hold on to it and what happens when the tables turn, and it's all fabulously seen through the eyes of the now 14-year-old Prince. The set and costume designs consist of a few select pieces that tell us all that we need to know about George; there is a chaise longue that he reclines on while wearing his pink pyjamas, pink robe and pink slippers. On the table next to him, incense burns with three framed photos of his 'Gods': The Queen, Princess Diana and his mother Kate.

While George adores these women, he has nothing but contempt for the men in his life. He sees them as weak minded and inept, so it's all fallen on his shoulders to save the monarchy. He attempts to record a video urging the citizens of England to retain the status quo, but for a number of reasons he is unable to complete this, partly because his thoughts turns to a fellow classmate at Eton College on whom he has a crush on.

The Boy, George - Melbourne Fringe Festival preview

On 22 July 2013, George Alexander Louis was born. Why is this important? Because George is the third in line of succession to the British throne. Looks like Prince George - as he is otherwise known - has his entire life planned out for him. But by 2028, with the Queen dead and George finally set for the throne, it appears that a revolution will begin which will threaten the rule and existence of the entire Royal Family. In his solo Melbourne Fringe Festival debut, writer and performer Patrick Livesey takes a futuristic look at the life of Prince George and his aspirations to be King in The Boy, George.

"The idea for the show began as a semi-autobiographical piece about graduating from the Victorian College of the Arts and taking on the world, but that became very boring very quickly," Livesey recalls. "One day at work, I was doing the dishes and I began to imagine a slightly older and gay Prince George losing it all, and thought that might be a bit more fun, and also be a nice homage to my mother's intense Princess Diana obsession. I grew up with a Royal-obsessed Mum and bookshelves full of biographies so they were never distant figures, but I would classify myself as more of a curious observer than a fan."