After the recent discovery of Richard III’s remains, theatre director Rupert Goold breathes new life into the Shakespearean character with his own darker take
In 2012 a pile of bones was discovered under a Leicester car park by a group of researchers. DNA tests revealed these were the remains of Richard III, a king who ruled over England for a little over two years, more than 500 years ago. The media storm that ensued, and the respectful stately reburial he was given in the city’s cathedral, revealed just how fervent our obsession with royalty continues to be centuries later.
Richard has a tarnished reputation that has gone unchanged over the centuries, mainly due to Shakespeare’s play, but also as a result of Thomas More’s 16th-century biography of him. Shakespeare based his play on this factually inaccurate biography, which was essentially a character assassination to further legitimise the royal ascension of Richard’s slayers and successors, the Tudors.
Shakespeare’s Richard III has returned to the London stage at the Almeida Theatre with Ralph Fiennes in the lead role of the villainous king. The play opens with a moving tableau of the modern day unearthing of Richard’s grave. The stage, resembling an episode of CSI, is cordoned off as curious onlookers circulate the scene while salacious news reports describing the historical find plays in the background.
This production attempts to create an even nastier Richard than has ever been seen before, which Fiennes is perfect to play. This is apparent by the fact that, apart from the war scene at the end of the play, the recipients of Richard’s violent attacks are all women. First is Lady Anne, played by Joanna Vanderham, on whom Richard inflicts a heinous sexual assault when her venomous retorts prove a match for him. Then comes the turning point in the play, occurring in the second half, when we witness Richard carry out another sexual assault, but this time of a more violent nature against Queen Elizabeth, played by Aislin McGuckin, when she does not agree to marry her daughter (also his niece) to him.
These barbaric scenes are not in the original text but included by the director, Rupert Goold, in order to root the melodrama in something darker and more sinister. It certainly works as the violence towards female characters leaves audiences sitting uncomfortably in their seats for the duration of the play. There is a feeling that we, the audience, who laughed and chuckled at the gullibility of characters, especially women, are then taken in by Richard’s asides and have also been duped by him. Evil has caught us unaware, too, and leaves us unsettled. The audible laughter from the audience during the first half of the play becomes decidedly more nervous and hesitant, as we witness the sobering display of Richard’s army on the stage in the second half. Vanessa Redgrave reunites with her Coriolanus co-star, playing the role of the withered, deranged prophetess, Margaret. She is beguiling in her performance as the only character who truly manages to stand up to Richard.
However, there was a sense that something was missing when watching this play. Despite Goold’s attempts to root the production in darker matters through violence and the presence of armed soldiers, the mood of frivolous melodrama does not leave it. The brutal scenes towards women, apart from their sensationalist, shock factor quality fails to serve any other purpose. If you are primarily looking for escapism from theatre, then this will be a treat. But if you want something more – theatre that challenges and explores our political and social reality – which this play marginally attempts, then it won’t suffice. I left the theatre not fully convinced of the play’s merits, but the mighty acting skills of Fiennes and the brave performances of McGuckin and Redgrave make it worth a watch.
Richard III is showing at the Almeida Theatre until 6th August and there will be a live screening of the play in cinemas across the UK on Thursday 21st July. Tickets can be purchased through the Almeida Theatre website.
Photo Credit: Marc Brenner