Edinburgh 2013: The Three Lions - Prince William meets Davids Cameron and Beckham in this old-fashioned farce

 

Alice Jones
Monday 05 August 2013 11:24 BST
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Sean Browne (David Beckham), Tom Davey (Prince William) and Dugald Bruce-Lockhart (David Cameron) in Three Lions
Sean Browne (David Beckham), Tom Davey (Prince William) and Dugald Bruce-Lockhart (David Cameron) in Three Lions

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When David Beckham turned up at the Royal Wedding, many were baffled by the friendship between the footballer and the future King. What on earth could they have to talk about? Grammar and hair products, for a start. At least that's how William Gaminara imagines it in his witty new comedy, The Three Lions.

The third lion here is David Cameron and the scene is a Zurich hotel room on the night before England's failed bid to host the 2018 World Cup. As Cameron tries to get Beckham and Prince William to focus on Fifa strategy and speeches, it becomes clear that this is less a dream team than "Tweedledumb and Tweedledumber", led by a captain who has always thought football rather "chavvy". What could possibly go wrong?

Plenty. Gaminara's neat script combines light satire with good, old-fashioned farce - dropped trousers, wrong bedrooms, twins - and it's good fun, in a Radio 4 afternoon play sort of way. What elevates it into the premier league is its classy cast whose knockabout is as perfectly timed as a Beckham free kick. Dugald Bruce-Lockhart builds up a fine head of steam as the over-emphatic PM while Tom Davey's posh-but-dim Prince needs only open his plummy mouth to get laughs. It is Sean Browne's squeaky, relentlessly literal Beckham who steals the best lines, though, and with a shy smile emerges as man of the match.

To 26 August, not 13, 20 (0131 556 6550)

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