Richard III

For my beloved's birthday, we travelled to Stratford-upon-Avon to see Richard III by Royal Shakespeare Company.  My favourite part about going to Stratford with her is that when we arrive she is the adult version of what I imagine she was like when she arrived at Disney World as a child:  brimming with excitement and wanting to go to all the attractions at once.   

I don't see the RSC as frequently as she does.  But whenever I do it is always an amazing experience.  Often when I see a play by other companies, there is an actor that captures my attention.  But when I see the RSC, they are all so fantastic, they all do.  

The performance was in the Swan Theatre which is a small theatre with undersized bench seating.  Despite sitting as far to the right as I possibly could, the large man to my left had no choice but to occupy half my seat.  He was in a party of four who were all large, so it was a cumulative effect.  And when I say large, they were not American large…certainly near the border with obese, but definitely not morbidly so.  I thought several times that I should probably introduce myself as it seems wrong to cuddle with someone for three hours and not at least know his name.  I was lamenting the uniqueness of my dilemma until I spied the rest of the audience, well, the audience to my right anyway.  But in every row, there were several people who looked exactly how I felt.  

The three-quarter seats were otherwise awesome: third row front.  The visual effect of the rising balconies on such an intimate space was stunning.  The scenery was sparse so the the acting was at the fore.  And as usual, RSC made sure the language took centre stage.  Only one character is developed in this play, that of the lead role: Richard, Duke of Gloucester who during the course of the play becomes king and is killed at Bosworth field.  The killing of Richard III marks the rise of the House of Tudor to the throne, which still held the monarchy when Shakespeare wrote it. So it was very PC to heap dispersions onto the preceding House of York.  

Jonjo O'Neill's portrayal of Richard delightfully relishes his role as a caricature.  The rest of the cast are cohorts in the hyperbole and really draw the audience into Richard's ambition.  So complete is the cast resigned to the momentum of Richard's ascension, when Henry VII is finally crowned on Bosworth field, it is he that seems monstrous when he speaks of pardon, prosperous days, and peace in his short speech after watching three hours of the opposite.  The play is a great success on every count save one: three hours is a long time to be seated in even a comfortable seat.  I challenge Roxana Silbert to occupy the audience space for the run time of her play under the same conditions that the audience does.  In the Swan, such an experience approaches painful… even with the cuddle.

Photo Credits:
Jonjo O'Niell, Express & Star
Pippa Nixon, The Guardian
Paola Dionisotti, Royal Shakespeare Company