The new Princess Diana musical has been roundly slammed by critics and viewers over its 'hysterically awful' lyrics and 'absurdly over the top' production.
Diana: The Musical, which centres around the love triangle between the princess, Charles, and Camilla, was due to premiere on Broadway in 2020 but was delayed due to Covid. Last week a filmed version of the production premiered on Netflix, ahead of the stage show finally opening in New York next month.
But any hope the televised version would drum up interest - and ticket sales - for the stage show has been dealt a serious blow by scathing reviews and social media verdicts published on both sides of the Atlantic.
The Evening Standard, The Times and the Chicago Tribune gave Diana: The Musical damning one-star reviews, while viewers have mocked the ridiculous songs - including a number where paparazzi sing 'better than a Guinness, better than a w**k/snap a few pics, it’s money in the bank' - on social media.
Meanwhile MailOnline's Dan Wooton this week lambasted the show's 'degrading' take on the Royal Family and called on Prince Harry, who has a deal with Netflix, to 'speak out against such a horrendous depiction of his mother'.
Diana: The Musical was due to premiere on Broadway in 2020 but was delayed due to Covid. Last week a filmed version of the production premiered on Netflix, ahead of the show finally opening in New York later this year. Pictured, Jeanna de Waal as Diana
The show stars Jeanna de Waal, 30, as Princess Diana, Roe Hartrampf as Prince Charles, Judy Kaye as the Queen, and Erin Davie who 'turns Camilla Parker Bowles into the Wicked Witch of the West'.
At one point Diana sings how she 'wishes Charles was Elton John' before adding: 'Alright, I'm no intellect/but maybe there's a discotheque/where the prince could hear Prince and we'd all get Funkadellic'.
Later, she sings to her infant son: 'Harry my ginger-haired son / You’ll always be second to none.'
One of the most heavily quoted lyrics comes from a scene in which Diana crashes one of Camilla's parties and scandalised guests sing about a 'Thrilla in Manilla with Diana and Camilla'.
As Vanity Fair's Richard Lawson notes, the lyrics are not 'meant to be silly and campy', despite how they might read on paper. 'They are just the stilted, embarrassingly serious ramblings of a show that has no interest in real humanity.'
de Waal, who has said it is a 'huge privilege' to play the princess, was criticised for the 'lack of nuance' within her performance, with several comparing it to Kristen Stewart's powerhouse take on the princess in upcoming film, Spencer.
Star Jeanna de Waal, 30, was criticised for her performance, with Variety's Peter Debruge remarking on its lack of nuance. Pictured, with Roe Hartrampf as Prince Charles
Star Jeanna de Waal, 30, was criticised for her performance, with Variety's Peter Debruge remarking on its lack of nuance, while others, including MailOnline's Dan Wootton, blasted the lack of accuracy. Pictured, Jeanna as Diana with Judy Kaye as the Queen
Others have questioned the accuracy and tone of the musical, with Wootton writing: 'Diana: The Musical is the most offensive and degrading portrayal of the late Princess of Wales in fiction since her death in 1997 – and in terms of accuracy it makes that other historically-derided Netflix series The Crown look like a royal encyclopaedia of truth.
'The lies about Di's life are egregious – from suggesting she used HIV patients for publicity to attacking Margaret Thatcher for her politics.'
The criticism has been echoed by viewers, who have taken to Twitter to mock the production.
One tweeted: 'I just watched the first 20 minutes of Diana the musical to wind down after preview 2 and I am so tired I think I am hallucinating. Can people please confirm this is actually a thing because it is like a fever dream.'
Viewers have taken to Twitter to mock and criticise the musical, with several blasting the lyrics
Another posted: 'All you need to know about the Diana musical on Netflix is that it has a song that contains the lyrics “it’s a thrilla in Manila with Diana and Camilla”.'
A third added simply: 'Whoever decided to create “Diana the Musical” on Netflix made a HORRIBLE mistake Grimacing face #DianaTheMusical.'
Here, FEMAIL offers a snapshot of what the critics
