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.