Mourners of the late Queen Elizabeth II have flocked from all over to pay their respects as her body is lying in state within the high timbered vaulted roof of London's historic Westminster Hall.
The line of mourners has stretched up to five miles and for over 10 hours–which media from around the world have extensively covered in live broadcasts.
In deference to her passing, non-binary British actor Rob Madge injected some levity in a time of grief with a musical video parodying the mania surrounding the dedicated crowd of people queued up to bid farewell to the longest-ruling British monarch.
In The Queue–The Musical, Madge portrays a variety of characters from all walks of life singing an original prologue.
You can watch their clip here.
\u201cThe Queue - The Musical\u201d— Rob Madge (@Rob Madge) 1663257293
The reviews were in and they were mostly glowing.
\u201c@Rob_Madge_02 The more insane this got, the more committed you became and the more I loved you.\u201d— Rob Madge (@Rob Madge) 1663257293
\u201c@Rob_Madge_02 This made me absolutely honk with laughter, and my favourite bit was \u201clook there\u2019s a rainbow in the sky, it\u2019s a sign, not the basic rules of rain\u201d\u201d— Rob Madge (@Rob Madge) 1663257293
\u201c@Rob_Madge_02 Truly representative! We\u2019re nearly there. We\u2019ve seen nuns, a newly wed couple in there wedding outfits, new graduates and Tyson Fury!\u201d— Rob Madge (@Rob Madge) 1663257293
People shared their favorite moments.
\u201c@mmdotcox @Rob_Madge_02 Same. I was gone at, \n\nCommunity \ud83d\udd01\nCommunity \ud83d\udd01\nCommunity \ud83d\udd01\ud83d\udd01\ud83d\udd01\nCommunity \ud83d\udd01\n\nThen the respectful callipo polished me right off.\u201d— Rob Madge (@Rob Madge) 1663257293
\u201c@Rob_Madge_02 absolutely lost it at "thanks dad I shan't out of respect"\u201d— Rob Madge (@Rob Madge) 1663257293
\u201c@Rob_Madge_02 I felt so depressed this morning with the state of the country but this has made me laugh so much - thanks! A Callipo! Genius.\u201d— Rob Madge (@Rob Madge) 1663257293
Even the choreography caught on with fans.
\u201c@Rob_Madge_02 Possibly the most inspired choreography yet!\u201d— Rob Madge (@Rob Madge) 1663257293
Even though it received mostly favorable reviews, there were some minor notes.
\u201c@Rob_Madge_02 Missed opportunity not calling this The Queuesical\u201d— Rob Madge (@Rob Madge) 1663257293
\u201c@Rob_Madge_02 Just needs the protagonist to lose their wrist band and for every one in the queue to 'band' together to get them in to see the queen some other way.\u201d— Rob Madge (@Rob Madge) 1663257293
The Queen's funeral on Monday will be considered a public holiday and many businesses in the UK are expected to close.
The decision was met with backlash, with many complaining the enforced period of mourning was being taken too far.
Examples that led to the public's frustration included the 24-hour closing of Center Parcs–a popular chain of British vacation resorts which was forced to reverse their decision after much backlash; hospitals canceling medical appointments so staff can watch live coverage of the funeral; and the canceling or rescheduling of dozens of flights at Heathrow Airport to ensure near silence over London on the day of the funeral.
Madge attended Sylvia Young Theatre School from 2007–2012, studied Drama at Ashbourne College from 2012–2014, and performed in various theatrical shows in London's West End.
They made their West End debut at the age of 9 as Michael Banks in the original London production of George Stiles and Anthony Drewe's Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward Theatre from 2005 to 2007.
They went on to perform other high-profile child roles, including the revival of Oliver as the Artful Dodger, Gavroche in Les Misérables, and Reginald in Matilda.
Their biggest success to date was when they premiered their autobiographical show, My Son's a Queer But What Can You Do? a coming of age story in which a young Madge attempts to stage a one-person Disney show at home and explores their inspiring discovery of identifying as non-binary.
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