Rating: ★★★★★
Powerful. Spine-tingling energy. Raw and emotive.
Philippa Gregory’s Richard, My Richard is exceptionally well-written, wonderfully crafted for all characters, with outstanding performances delivered by all actors.
This play focuses on the Tudor usurpation of Richard III, who is described throughout history as an ambitious and cruel tyrant, stopping at nothing to inherit the throne.
We are initially introduced to Richard (Kyle Rowe) when his body is unearthed at the former site of Greyfriars Priory. He is aghast at his mere mortal resting place, which, in his opinion, is not befitting for a king, especially one who has contributed so much to history. The play’s narrator (Tom Kanji), aptly named History, adeptly explains to the audience that he is the assembler of facts and the historical record-keeper of the modern ages, however, he is unperturbed by their accuracy. The audience follows with dismay at how Richard has been inaccurately perceived. Richard’s anger and frustration become increasingly apparent as he is portrayed as a mean-spirited, cruel Machiavellian monarch, who poisoned his wife only to marry his niece and produce a male heir, and sets about readdressing the incorrectly recorded historical inaccuracies. Kanji keeps the play moving at pace and provides humour in comparison to the heady mix of the aggressive warrior antics and blood-thirsty ambitions of the York family. In combination with the skillful direction (Katie Posner) and movement (Annie-Lunnette Deakin-Foster), Richard is also portrayed as a passionate, tender, and forward-thinking man in his time.
In addition to the first-class performance by Rowe, the females of the play also do not fail to deliver. Queen (Jennifer Matter), Anne (Tori Burgess), Margaret (Laura Smithers), and Elizabeth (Mary Savage) surround Richard, influencing his path with their unapologetic confidence. It was a brave move by Philippa Gregory to go against the conventions and roles of women in that era and portray them as determined, grief-stricken, strong, resilient, occasionally revengeful, and unabashedly proud. The males listened to the females, acknowledged and accepted that some dabbled in witchcraft, yet they did not seem frightened by them or seek to kill them.
The set design and sound were simple yet highly effective and further contributed to this outstanding production.
Philippa Gregory is definitely a writer to watch for the future with this debut play. If you wish to have an evening of wonderful entertainment, then I implore you to buy tickets for this show. With ticket prices starting from £3, it is a show not to be missed!
Tickets can be purchased either via the box office in person, email, or their website. Alternatively, you can make a telephone reservation on 0151 433 7156.
Running time: 2 hours 10 minutes
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