Richard II Archives - North West End UK

24Aug

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

London

Richard II – The Libra Theatre Café

Shakespeare’s Richard II is the inspiration for The Whole Pack Theatre Company’s pared back version of the bard’s history play. In a brief summary of the play – the play covers the last two years of King Richard II’s life 1398-1400. The play begins with King Richard (Jessamy James) presiding over a dispute between nobles, in which Richard decides that the matter should be settled by ‘trial by combat.’ In a last-minute decision by King Richard, he instead, decides to banish both men from England. Bolingbroke (Lydia Shaw), is allowed to return to England early, but the suspicion that King Richard may have had a role in the death of the Duke of Gloucester, will not go away. Richard leaves England to join the war in Ireland but leaves himself exposed to treachery ...

Richard II – Bridge Theatre

London’s theatreland has welcomed its fair share of buzzy Shakespeare productions as of late, and now the Bridge Theatre has gotten in on the action with a production of Richard II starring Jonathan Bailey, whose rising stardom shot into the stratosphere after his leading role as Fiyero in the Wicked movie last year. But this is no stunt casting; with an Olivier award and two WhatsOnStage nominations in his back pocket, Bailey’s theatrical prowess is well renowned by this point, and it certainly never falters in Nicholas Hytner’s new production of the Shakespearean historical tragedy. Hytner’s production brings the action into a loosely modern context, but it doesn’t quite go down the Jamie Lloyd-ification route of black athleisure and barren sets. Instead, here we see traditiona...

Richard II – The Vaults

This inventive take on a Shakespearean classic finds itself in the grizzly, ambient Vaults. Quandry Collective presents a world in which a woman disguises herself as a man to hold onto the throne. The story follows Richard II’s demise starting from the moment he banishes Bolingbroke to his bitter end. The cast is all male with the exception of Coco Maertens who plays Richard. They convey a harsh, sterile environment full of dormant aggression and angst which often explodes into violence and you appreciate her precarious position as a woman. The set designed by Valentine Gigadet is cluttered with pieces of fence and other units amongst bric-a-brac that double up as percussive instruments used by the performers. This sets an ominous tone and with the pulsating electronic beats, they both ...