Jane Asher as The Queen and Laura Main as The Dresser in Daisy Goodwin’s play The Dresser, on tour at York Theatre Royal next week. Picture: Robert Day
DAISY Goodwin wrote ITV’s historical drama series Victoria. Now, her debut play, 2025’s By Royal Appointment, is to tour to York Theatre Royal next week in a co-production presented by Daniel Schumann, Lee Dean and The Arts Theatre, Cambridge.
Directed by Anthony Banks and designed by Jonathan Fensom, the play stars Jane Asher as The Queen and Laura Main as The Dresser, replacing the originally announced Samantha Womack.
By Royal Appointment explores their relationship and how the pair created the public image of the world’s longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who was famous for her discretion, never saying anything in public that could ruffle the lightest of feathers. However, Her Majesty had one way of expressing what she really thought – through her wardrobe.
Goodwin’s humorous, poignant and celebratory play considers the kind of power that only a Queen can wield, charming the world through coats and admonishing her family through a carefully chosen hat.
Yet Goodwin depicts The Queen as uninterested in fashion, her look being managed by her Designer (played by David Robb), her Milliner (Matthew Cottle’s role) and most powerful of all, her Dresser (Main).
In By Royal Appointment, the Dresser is a working-class girl who goes from advising The Queen on the colour of her lipsticks to the real power behind the throne. However, the Dresser, like all royal favourites, is living on borrowed time.
Taking the regal role in Goodwin’s behind-the-scenes peek into the world of our most popular monarch and the image she presented to the world is “acting royalty” Jane Asher, the queen of cake bakers to boot.
“I was asked if I would like to do the role,” says Jane, now 80. “I was sent the play – I didn’t know it existed. It’s pretty much new but was first done in a different version last year. I read it and thought it was a somewhat terrifying prospect, but I knew the producer, Lee Dean, who asked me to do it before there was a director attached.
“By chance, a few weeks previously, Anthony had sent me a lovely message via my agent after seeing me in a rehearsed reading at the Orange Tree [Richmond, London]. I knew of him and his work, and when Lee suggested him to me I jumped at it.”
By Royal Appointment is based loosely on the books by The Queen’s senior dresser, Angela Kelly: Dressing The Queen (2012) and The Other Side Of The Coin: The Queen, The Dresser And The Wardrobe, (2019)].
“She more or less became her carer towards the end and had been given permission by The Queen to write the books,” says Jane.
“So the role was irresistible for me: challenging, terrifying but wonderful too. People do really seem to be enjoying it: people of my age group and younger too, really love it, remembering some of The Queen’s clothes that got into your psyche. To see those clothes being brought to life again is remarkable, but of course it’s about much more than that.”
By Royal Appointment is being well received on tour. “I’ve done a great many new plays and I always enjoy it, partly because the writer is usually still alive – and so ‘straight from the horse’s mouth’ is still available,” says Jane.
Jane Asher as The Queen, surrounded by regal clothing in By Royal Appointment. Picture: Robert Day
“You never know how the audience will take it, whether they will laugh or go quiet, but they’re enjoying this play, where with some jokes you get the most from them if you know the history. Overall it’s one of those plays that’s both funny and sad.”
By Royal Appointment is a slice of theatre vérité. “All the characters are taken from reality, so what you have – almost a first – is the chance to go behind the scenes, getting an insight backstage,” says Jane, who drew mostly on the script for her characterisation.
“I didn’t do specific research beyond checking certain dramatic moments in The Queen’s life, such as Lord Mountbatten’s boat being blown up by IRA bombers, happier times too, and her children’s marriages.
“I’ve gone mainly with Daisy’s view because she’s such a good writer about the Royals. It’s terrifying that so many other actors have played The Queen, and I’ve not ignored them, because they’re deeply ingrained, but I can only do Jane Asher’s version, which will never be The Queen, but audiences will accept this version.”
Did Jane ever encounter The Queen? “Yes, like many actors, I’ve been lucky enough to meet her a few times, like at a do at Buckingham Palace, and when my husband [illustrator and political cartoonist Gerald Scarfe] received the CBE [in October 2008], The Queen did the ceremony and I was there that day.”
Here is a statistic to ponder: “People dream about The Queen more than any other figurehead, which is relatively common,” says Jane. “It may be rather banal to say, but she did reign for an incredibly long time.
“She was so incredibly good at her job, fantastic in that way of being tactful and resolute that no-one should know her political views, and she did such wonderful things in speaking through her ‘clothes’.
“She just loved being in her head scarf and knitted skirt in the Highlands, because I can imagine that if you have to dress up in grand, uncomfortable clothes, you would long to get back into casual wear!”
Central to Jane’s role in By Royal Appointment is the clothing. “I love clothes, so of course it’s a lovely part of the job of acting to wear completely different clothes, but in a play like this, with eight or nine changes, it can get a bit tiring. I’d love to go back to playing a cavewoman!”
Jane wrote about clothing in Jane Asher’s Costume Book: Over 100 Costumes for Children and Adults and How to Make Them. “I thoroughly approve of things like Vinted,” she says. “I’ve always appreciated beautiful clothes that have been kept. I like being dressed in period clothes or ‘vintage’ clothes as they’re now called – but second-hand as I called them.”
Daniel Schumann, Lee Dean and The Arts Theatre, Cambridge, present By Royal Appointment, York Theatre Royal, November 10 to 14, 7.30pm plus 2pm Wednesday & Thursday and 2.30pm Saturday matinees; post-show discussion with cast members after Thursday’s 7.30pm show. Age guidance: 14 plus. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
One last question for Jane Asher, cookery book writer
What do you consider to be the Queen of cakes?
“That’s so tricky: as with most food, so much depends on one’s mood! I don’t have a particularly sweet tooth so although I love making beautiful iced cakes for special occasions, if I was making one for myself to have a slice with a cup of tea I’d choose something like the old-fashioned Madeira – simple but delicious…”
Jane Asher: Actress, businesswoman and author
Jane Asher: back story
Stage credits include: Twelfth Night, The Circle (Orange Tree Theatre); A Song At Twilight, Moon Tiger (Theatre Royal Bath); An American In Paris (Dominion Theatre); Great Expectations (West Yorkshire Playhouse); The Gathered Leaves (Park Theatre); Pride And Prejudice (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre); Charley’s Aunt (Menier Chocolate Factory); The Importance Of Being Earnest, Farewell To The Theatre, Bedroom Farce (Rose Theatre Kingston), The Reluctant Debutant (Yvonne Arnaud Theatre).
Before The Party (Queen’s Theatre); Blythe Spirit, Henceforward, House/Garden (Vaudeville Theatre); Festen (Almeida Theatre), Look Back In Anger (Royal Court Theatre, Criterion Theatre); Making It Better (Hampstead Theatre, Criterion Theatre); Measure For Measure, Romeo and Juliet, The Happiest Days Of Your Life… (Bristol Old Vic, US tour); Old Flames (Bristol Old Vic).
Peter Pan (Shaftesbury Theatre); Strawberry Fields, The School For Scandal, To Those Born Later (National Theatre); The Philanthropist (Royal Court Theatre, Mayfair Theatre, Broadway); The Shallow End, The Worlds Biggest Diamond, Treats (Royal Court Theatre) and Things We Do For Love (Gielgud Theatre).
Her film credits include: A Family Affair; Splinter; Burn Burn Burn; I Give It A Year; Alfie; Closing Numbers; Death At A Funeral; Deep End; Dream Child; Henry VIII And His Six Wives; Paris By Night and Runners.
For television: Crossing Lines; Pompidou; Eve, Stella; The Old Guys; Poirot: 3 Act Tragedy; The Palace; A For Andromeda; Crossroads; Miss Marple; The Mistress; Brideshead Revisited and The Mill On The Floss.
Books: Three novels,The Longing, The Question, and Losing It.
Lifestyle, costuming and cake-decorating books: Jane Asher’s Fancy Dress; Jane Asher’s Quicky Party Cakes; Jane Asher’s Tricks Of The Trade; Jane Asher’s Costume Book; Jane Asher’s Children’s Parties; Jane Asher’s Eat For Treats; The Complete Christmas Book; Jane Asher’s Calendar Of Cakes; Jane Asher’s Complete Book Of Cake Decorating Ideas; The Best Of Good Living With Jane Asher; Good Living At Christmas With Jane Asher; Cakes For Fun; Beautiful Baking and Jane Asher’s Easy Celebration Cakes.
Children’s books: Moppy Is Angry; Moppy Is Calm; Moppy Is Happy; Moppy Is Sad and Rhymes For All Seasons.
Businesswoman:Owns a company that makes party cakes and sugar crafts for special occasions.
Did you know? Jane is a shareholder in the satirical magazine Private Eye.
Did you know too? Jane has served as the president of the National Autistic Society since 1997.