The Lancre King by Hwel the Dwarf

Thanks to Northlight Theatre

Title: The Lancre King

Author: Hwel the Dwarf 

Publisher: Not known 

Source book: Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett 

When King Verence of Lancre is stabbed to death by Duke Felmet or was it his Duchess?, the local witches; Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and Magrat Garlick accidentally prevent the king’s infant son Tom, or was it Jon? perhaps Tomjon works, from being murdered too. They give the baby to a childless couple who run a travelling group of thespians: Vitoller’s Men. Although no-one seems to know where Thespia is. And that’s probably not a bad thing because nobody will know where to look for the child.

Thanks to magical gifts from his self-appointed godmothers (we’re looking at you Granny, Nanny and Magrat), Tomjon grows up to be a gifted actor with a real power over whoever hears his words. One of his father’s company is a dwarf called Hwel who is plagued with inspiration (think the Marx brothers, traditional pantomime, Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy, farce, Shakespeare and Waiting for Godot) and writes many plays for Vitoller’s Company.

Hwel ventured to the theatre only once. He saw The Dragon of the Plains and was immediately inspired to start writing plays himself. He has written plays called The King’s Brides; Mallo, the Tyrant of Klatch; A Wizard of Sorts, Or Please Yourself complete with Act II Scene IV: Comic Washing Up with Two Servants; King Under the Mountain (his first); The King of Ankh and also The Wizard of Ankh; Gretallina and Mellias; The Troll’s Tale; The Troll of Ankh and The Mage War. I also wrote down page 183 A Night of Kings but I can’t find it in the text.

Meanwhile in Lancre, Duke Felmet wanted power but grows to hate the kingdom he is ruling. And the kingdom hates him too. Even the trees seem to hate him. The Duke feels persecuted at every turn and gradually grows madder and madder in the style of Lady Macbeth. The Duchess is made of sterner stuff. She realises the power of words and sends the royal Fool to Ankh-Morpork to commission a play which will make fools of the witches and confirm her husband as the legitimate ruler of Lancre.

The Fool makes contact with Vitoller’s Men and pays Hwel to write a play for the Duke and Duchess: The Lancre King.

The trouble is Hwel can’t get his head around the plot because what he’s been employed to write isn’t true. And when the company tries to perform the play in Lancre Castle, their performance is sabotaged by the witches, and by the ghost of King Verence who is very keen to see justice done. 

The witches had planned to install Tomjon as the rightful king but he isn’t interested, so they approach his half-brother instead: the Fool. Who turns out to be called Verence. While we weren’t looking Verence and Magrat have fallen in love. So we aren’t at all bothered that while Tomjon and Verence may be brothers, their father was not the late king, but in fact the late king’s late fool.

Wyrd Sisters is a great book and well worth reading even if you don’t think you fancy fantasy.

Thanks to Folger Shakespeare Library