Richard III @ Nottingham Playhouse

Richard III follows William Shakespeare’s story of Richard III and his bloody rise to the throne, a play that is not often played unabridged, due to Shakespeare referencing many of his other works. This is something that would go over the heads of some if they were not too familiar with Shakespeare or have a fair knowledge of English history. This version decided to boldly keep many of them in, making the production a somewhat ‘uncensored’ edition.

The discovery of Richard III’s body under a car park in Leicester brings the Playhouse’s latest production much closer to home. Shakespeare’s depiction of Richard III, complete with a humped back, has been brilliantly brought to life in the first major production since the car park discovery.

The skeleton of Richard III 

As with many of the recent productions at the Playhouse, projections were again excellently utilised allowing several set changes without actual change as well as visually depicting the dreams and fates of the characters.

The cast were of the highest order with not a weak link amongst them. There were a number of standout performances from Ian Bartholomew and Sam Oatley.

Ian Bartholomew is no stranger to the role of a tyrant, having played the part of Arturo Ui in The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui a few years back. After his masterful performance in that, there was no doubt that his portrayal of Richard III would be equally as good. He pulled off the devious and manipulative king expertly keeping his supporters and the audience on his side during his rise to the top, despite the pools of blood he left behind on his way up. His outfit also bared similarities to the late dictator Colonel Ghaddafi, and it would be surprising if this was not intentional since both rulers, although of very different periods, appear similar when it comes to their ruling. Whatever Bartholomew did oozed brilliance, whether it was through monologue, interaction with fellow characters or merely facial expressions.

The multiple roles of Sam Oatley as Lord Grey, Mayor of London and a murderer were also well played. His best role however was as Richard’s gullible and manipulated or, dependent upon your interpretation, loyal lap dog also known as the Mayor of London. He does not bat an eyelid when Richard arranges the deaths of those in his way, and shows no sign of guilt when they are finally dispatched. His role as one of the murderers provides a nice link to his responsibility in the deaths of the unfortunate characters, since the timid Mayor is as much to blame as the very man who drove the blade into his victims.

Credit is also due to the three females of the play, Natalie Burt, Siobhan McCarthy and Joan Moon who all worked well together and provided wonderfully diverse performances that spanned a plethora of emotions.

Richard III has been brilliantly adapted for the stage. 

The play is a perfect example of how good the works of Shakespeare were and still are and includes his humorous and tragic elements he was so well known for. Even with the fairly slow build-up to the coronation of Richard that spans the entirety of the first act holds your attention not just due to the compelling story but also due to the strength of the cast. Not many would be able to keep an audience captivated with such a long winded build up. The second act acts as a reward for the audience however, with its quicker pace evident from the start.

Richard III is definitely one to see and a wonderfully complimentary to the other shows that have made up the autumn theatre season. A play that will not only be enjoyed by fans of Shakespeare and history but those interested in the modern world and its politics of today. The play is as relevant today as it would have been in its own era.

Richard III is on until November 16 with tickets ranging from £9.50 all the way up to £27.50. Tickets can be bought online here or from the Playhouse Box Office. There will also be a workshop on November 8 exploring how it was adapted from page to stage. More information can be found on the Playhouse website.

Charlie Peace @ Nottingham Playhouse Review

Charles Peace was a notorious 19^th Century criminal from Sheffield, famous for his burglaries and ability to avoid the police due to constantly changing his appearance and identity. The show was a bit of a surprise as it is rather pantomime in style, not something you would expect in a story filled with murder, adultery and other criminal activity. The audience participation and scenes that took place in the crowd only emphasised this.

 There was also a musical type element in the production and coupled with the theme, it gave it an almost Sweeney Todd feel. This Sweeney Todd feel was multiplied in the second half as it became less pantomime-ish and much darker as character relationships break down and Peace comes closer to capture.

The projections were brilliant and allowed numerous set changes without actually changing the set.

The production starred an all-star cast including Blue Peter old timer Peter Duncan who played the devious Charlie Pace and one half of comedy duo Hale and Pace, Norman Pace who played the showman.

Pace was brilliant as the showman and narrator as he both entertained and amazed the audience throughout with humbly done magic tricks and stories of Charlie Peace.

Star of the show however was Peter Duncan as the many faced villain Peace who excelled in everything he did, whether it was clambering up ropes and ladders to break into houses, playing the innocent reformed criminal or singing, which he was surprisingly good at.

The rest of the cast also deserve and honourable mention, especially the disastrous police duo and Bridie Higson who recently starred in Of Mice and Men, as both Katherine and Susan.

The play is a brilliant way to learn about this lesser heard of Midlands’s bandit and is a story that will leave in you in awe and shock at some of the parts, which are all in fact true. It has something for all the family to enjoy, from the pantomime feel of the show for the kids to the dark story for the adults.

Charlie Peace is on at the Nottingham Playhouse until Saturday the 19^th October with tickets starting at £7.50. There is also a special exhibition at the Galleries of Justice about this devious outlaw which runs until November 3^rd.