Shakespeare North Playhouse - Richard, My Richard
Ange Seddon visited Shakespeare North Playhouse in Prescott to see Richard, My Richard. By Philippa Gregory
We were invited to view the debut production of novelist and historian Philippa Gregory’s play, Richard, my Richard. The playhouse itself never fails to delight, still smells of the beautiful oak used in its construction. Its small, simple stage can evoke so many different places and times with cleverly crafted sounds and lighting, deftly changing each scene and mood.
We start to learn about Richard, the last Plantagenet king, through the narrative from History himself, wonderfully portrayed byTom Kanji. Richard is confused and questions this version and calls for us to question it too.
My knowledge of Richard the third is based largely on Shakespeare’s play; ‘hunch-back’s like a toad’, a tyrannical king, murderer of anyone who crossed him or stood in his path. That and as the holder of the British hide and seek championship title 1485-2012.
Having said that, I really enjoyed exploring another perspective. Without doubt, these were bloody times, people changing allegiances to suit their own agenda. Betrayal, murder and executions were commonplace. The medieval mind and view of life was so different from our own. But who killed whom? Richard vehemently denied being responsible for the murder of his nephews. He was charged, as Lord Protector, to take care of them by his brother, and took that seriously. With so many characters potentially benefiting from the boys’ death, there was no definitive proof of Richard’s guilt, yet plenty to suggest others could be culpable.
Richard repeatedly tries to correct History’s version of events, claiming to be a fiercely loyal, honest man, devoted to his brother the king, wondering why things were recorded otherwise.
‘Well, Shakespeare said it, and it rather caught on..’ was Shakespeare right? Or was the Tudor propaganda machine determined to see the last Plantagenet king vilified at all costs?
Philippa Gregory does a wonderful job of portraying the women in Richard’s life. History’s misogyny dismisses their role and importance time and again (and still does), but these women held a lot more power and influence. They planned strategically, acted courageously, sometimes deviously and were resilient even in defeat. Laura Smithers was excellent as the scheming Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry Tudor. ‘Someone might write a play about it...’ she quipped.
Richard’s final scenes, passionately played by Kyle Rowe, show a courageous warrior and a loyal, empathetic man. ‘A man can ask for nothing more than his fears die before he does.’
History has Richard as a tyrant who had his opponents and nephews murdered, poisoned his wife and slept with his niece. But History himself admits that ‘History is no more true for being written’ and ‘Once it’s recorded, it’s repeated, one lazy historian after another.’
We are invited to look at this notorious villain and asked to reassess what we know, or think we know, about him.
‘Richard’s secrets may have died with him, but here he rises up and tells us the story, his story, HISTORY’ and to Philippa Gregory, this version is Richard, her Richard.
I found it a wonderfully compelling and often humorous retelling of an intriguing story. I’d highly recommend you pop over to Prescot asap and enjoy it as much as I did before the run ends on 30th March.
Images: Patch Dolan Photography
Shakespeare North Playhouse Prospero Place, Prescot, L34 3AB
t: 0151 433 7156
e: hello@shakespearenorthplayhouse.co.uk
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