The Royal Court Theatre presents the UK premiere of Rajiv Joseph's dark comedy Archduke, a surreal and acerbic parable about the radicalisation of Franz Ferdinand's assassins. Directed by Lyndsey Turner, the play runs from July 3 to July 25, 2026, at Sloane Square.
A Surreal Take on Historical Events
Joseph's play does not aim for historical accuracy. Instead, it offers an absurdist account of the recruitment and radicalisation of the young men who assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914, an event that triggered World War I. The playwright takes liberties with facts, presenting the assassins as gormless, ideology-free naifs—Gavrilo (Stanley Morgan), Trifko (Abraham Popoola), and Nedeljko (Chris Walley)—who are groomed by the bonkers nationalist Dragutin Dimitrijević (Marc Wootton).
According to the review, the play has a spine of fact, particularly in its depiction of Dragutin, the Serb nationalist paramilitary who led the 1903 massacre of the Serbian royal family and is widely believed to have orchestrated the assassination. However, the real purpose of Joseph's liberties is to create a broader allegory about how downtrodden innocents can be manipulated into terrorist violence by older, cynical political actors.
A Comedy About Terrorism and Misogyny
The play is described as a dark comedy reminiscent of Four Lions, pushing absurdity further. It explores how actual 'martyrs'—whether suicide bombers, incels, J6ers, or Serb nationalists—are invariably stooges in the grand scheme. The play also highlights misogyny as an undercurrent in terrorism. The only female character, Sladjana (Janice Connelly), is an overbearing cook whose maternal interest is rebuffed. In a soliloquy, Dragutin reveals that rank, sexist loathing of the Serb queen motivated his killing of her over rational politics.
Production Details and Critical Reception
The production runs two hours including an interval. While the review notes that the play feels slightly overlong—Joseph makes his point within an hour—it praises Turner's direction and Es Devlin's set, which starts in the sewers and ends in a gilded train carriage. The play is described as a 'delicious cackle in the dark' on a subject that remains relevant.
Tickets range from £15 to £74.50. Performances are at the Royal Court Theatre, 50-51 Sloane Square, London SW1W 8AS (Tube: Sloane Sq).
