Charles Elmé Francatelli

Francatelli arrives at Buckingham Palace as the Queen's new chef, all confidence and continental flair in a kitchen full of stiff English tradition. He's proud of his craft, quick with an opinion, and unbothered by rank when he thinks he's right — a man who expects his talent to open doors that birth never would.

Ferdinand Kingsley plays him with a charm that's almost too smooth, which is the point: Francatelli is forever selling himself, and the show lets us enjoy the performance while wondering what it costs him. He gives the servants' hall a current of ambition and wit that cuts nicely against the palace's starched formality upstairs.