The Audience at Drury Lane- Oakbrook

Chicago Tribune - Recommended

"...“The Audience” is the prototype for the Netflix series “The Crown.” If you like “The Crown,” Morgan’s epic TV dramatization of the British monarchy in the 20th century, you’ll likely enjoy this piece. The downsides are the same: the characters often speak in epigrammatic fashion, as if they know the bigger themes the writer wishes to probe and the intimate, voyeuristic, style is such that the boundaries between fact and fiction blur. But this is entertainment, not actual history. Morgan is a great populist writer, adept at allowing you to feel like you have been allowed entry into secret rooms and behind hidden curtains. He dispenses some big truths along the way and, as fans of “The Crown” well know, is a somewhat reluctant empathizer with Elizabeth."

Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended

"...More than half a century of history gets up-close and personal in "The Audience," and Fisch's mighty ensemble makes it lucid and compelling as a series of flawed, striving humans struggle to lead the British populace through everything from the Suez Canal Crisis of the 1950s to massive domestic labor strikes of the 1980s to Britain's increasingly rocky relationship with the European Union in the 2010s."

Daily Herald - Highly Recommended

"...Janet Ulrich Brooks, an actor of uncommon depth and authenticity, plays the sovereign over the course of 60 years — as a newly crowned 25-year-old, a middle-aged matriarch and an octogenarian perplexed by an iPhone. Aided in her lightning-quick wig and costume changes by onstage dressers Sarah Chalcroft and Rebekah Ward, Brooks is a subtle conjurer. She channels the queen at various ages with lowered eyes, a flounce of her skirt, a change in vocal timbre. She is as impressive now as she was seven years ago when she played the role in TimeLine Theatre’s revival. More so, even."

Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended

"...The show is not a straight-up love letter to royalty, though it’s clear that Morgan admires the way that Elizabeth, who was not born with the expectation that she’d ever assume the throne, dedicated her life to her duties at the expense of her own desires. A younger version of the queen (Omi Lichtenstein) pops up from time to time as a reminder of more carefree days. But the beauty of Brooks’s performance here, as it has been in so many others I’ve enjoyed from her over the years, is in how she twists together regret and resolve, vulnerability and vigor."

Chicago Stage and Screen - Recommended

"...Overall this was an enjoyable and well executed production and I encourage you to spend an evening in good company, pondering different ways to run a country and the toll that public service takes."

Let's Play Theatrical Reviews - Recommended

"...I found The Audience to be a captivating production. However, when it comes to the choice of venue, staging it at Drury Lane Theatre was a wise decision as this play may be more appealing to a seasoned audience due to its themes and content. If you're a fan of regal drama and political intrigue, like TV shows such as "The Royals," "Her Majesty's Prime Minister: Tony Blair," "The Queen's Speech," and any TV series featuring Queen The AudienceElizabeth; The Audience is for you."

Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...Every season, Drury Lane Oakbrook, known for its wonderful musical productions, offers one non-musical production. It seems they feel that since Drury Lane started with plays, and then added musicals, they should give their audiences a little of what they were known. While it may seem an ironic touch, the play they selected for this year’s non-musical is “The Audience” , Peter Morgan’s peek behind closed doors of Buckingham Palace as we see Queen Elizabeth II( Janet Ulrich Brooks, recreates a role that she was “born to play”) as she meets with her assortment of Prime Ministers."

Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended

"...The figurehead of Great Britain, who was and continues to be much-loved by all, comes across as a realistic and warm, flesh-and-blood human being. Portrayed as a mixture of the ordinary and the extraordinary by one of Chicago’s most remarkable actors, Elizabeth is seen as more than simply the British Monarch. She is, thanks to a wonderfully measured performance by the luminous Janet Ulrich Brooks, a thoughtful and caring woman, as well. This play and Drury Lane’s superb production is a touching tribute to a great leader."

Chicago On Stage - Highly Recommended

"...Royal watchers, Anglophiles and fans of the Netflix show The Crown will immediately recognize the audience room of Buckingham Palace, expertly designed by Andrew Boyce, upon entering Drury Lane Theatre for the current run of The Audience, written by Peter Morgan; the large light blue walls with golden gild, the two yellow chairs looking purposefully uncomfortable, the red box on the desk in the corner. At once, we know where we are and that for the next 2 hours we will be listening in on some of the most important (and imagined) conversations between Queen Elizabeth II and 8 of the Prime Ministers who led England during her reign."

PicksInSix - Recommended

"...The entire play is owned by Queen Elizabeth II and taken into charge by the redoubtable Janet Ulrich Brooks, one of Chicago’s truly talented, fascinating actors. She plays Elizabeth from the beginnings of her reign in 1952 by meeting her first Prime Minister, Winston Churchill (an irascible, almost knightly Matt DeCaro), who detests and resists any turn from tradition in the meetings and, indeed, reinforces the Queen’s grandfather, George V, in his insistence on maintaining such structure. The Queen stands up to the great man with questions and methods of her own; they reach a shaky truce of sorts by meeting’s end, and one tips a hat to her resolve."

Splash Magazine - Highly Recommended

"...If you’re a fan of the Royal Family or of The Crown, The Audience, currently on stage at Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook, is a theatrical triumph, offering a rare and intimate glimpse into the private meetings between Queen Elizabeth II and her various Prime Ministers over the span of her reign. Through its masterful structure, the play is not a linear historical narrative but a rich tapestry of pivotal moments, seamlessly jumping between decades while highlighting the subtle evolution of both the Queen and her relationships with her ever-changing Prime Ministers."

NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...A central theme is Queen Elizabeth's struggle with the dichotomy between wanting the best for her people and the world while being born above them. She expresses concern about a violent altercation between Israel and Egypt, misgivings about the war in Iraq and opinions on England's then-changing income tax; however, she is constantly told to stay out of matters of state and be content with her status. The Queen's frustration is palpable as one of the most powerful people in the world is often powerless to affect the change they wish to see."