British Empire, Goodbye. UK, RIP.

John Osborne's play the Entertainer symbolized the ignominious exit from the world stage of the British Empire. Laurence Olivier as Archie Rice captures the sense brilliantly here. Olivier was very proud of this performance, rightly so. The role of the music hall comedian has been assumed on a smaller stage by the United Kingdom. Like the Empire before it, and Archie Rice here, it is dying a slow, embarrassing and unlamented death. No amount of tinsel around the Golden Jubilee will paper over the gaping cracks.