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Viewed in the hindsight of the seven decades that have elapsed since the play was written, the production which opened here at the Shaw Festival, on the stage of the Court House Theatre last night, certainly proves Shaw's skill as a social observer. Written as much as a social commentary as a piece of political science fiction, the play, set "sometime in the future," suggests that Shaw had his finger not just on Britain's pulse, but on its crystal ball as well.
Among other things that Shaw foresaw in this play are commercial globalization, European union, a growing contempt for politics and politicians and the survival of the British monarchy, although there is scant resemblance, save for a wandering eye, between the monarch of Apple Cart and the current heir to the throne of the Windsors.
Like Prince Charles, Apple Cart's King Magnus (played by David Schurmann) does have a bit of a social conscience, and as the play opens, he is in a confrontation with his prime minister (Peter Millard) and his cabinet over intemperate remarks the monarch has made over his historic power of veto.
As cabinet confronts king, it becomes increasingly obvious that in a war between politician and monarch, the general public would be far better served by its hereditary masters than those elected.
In order to bring the King into line, the politicians threaten to expose his philandering with the lovely Orinthia (Pamela Rabe), who lives in the royal palace in chaste glory, hungering to usurp the queen's crown, which currently sits quite comfortably on the head of Magnus' wife (Wendy Thatcher).
It is a play written to accomplish several things, not the least of which was to allow the playwright to vent his spleen on the nature of politics.
But in a stage world increasingly dominated by the younger Noel Coward and his peers, it was also meant to showcase Shaw's celebrated wit -- and it does, although in the process, it also establishes him as a wielder of cudgels rather than rapiers. There's little grace here and little affection for any of his characters.
Unfortunately, in a production inspired as much by The Jetsons and futuristic comic books as by 'more respectable' sci-fi, director Richard Greenblatt and designer Kelly Wolf obscure a lot of what there is in a production that seems to dwell more in two dimensions than three.
In the end, however, who can blame 'em? If Shaw had really wanted to warn us of the dangers of politicians and big business, he wouldn't have shown them as cartoons, but rather as they really are.
That would be spooky stuff, indeed.