BBC Radio 3, 24 February 2013
King David was a classic study in hubris. Dave
King (Lee Ross) had it all - a successful business, kids at private school, a happy marriage. However he believed that
he was somehow untouchable, conducting an affair with Alice (Lizzy Watts) and cutting financial corners in his business.
Inevıtably he got his comeuppance, as Alice became pregnant, her husband died as a result of a fall at Dave's building-site,
Health and Safety started to investigate Dave's business practices, and his daughter Lola (Madeleine Power) was faced with
a life-threatening illness.
Dave was, so to speak, at the bottom, both mentally and physically, when he entered
a church one day and discovered religion; or more precisely, discovered parallels between his life and that of King David
in the Bible. Dave vowed to change his life - despite objections from family and close friends - and to an extent meets
with success, even though we perhaps might think his behaviour somewhat extreme.
Mary Peate's production piled indignity after indignity on the unfortunate Dave:
some might say he deserved everything he got, but perhaps he should have been given more redeeming qualities, even though
he tried to absolve himself of responsibility for every mishap that occurred. It's a credit to Lee Ross's performance that Dave
remained steadfast throughout; hence his willingness to embrace an alternative lifestyle.
The play was compelling in a macabre kind of way, even though I'd hate to associate
with someone like its central character.
