Alexandra Palace Theatre, which hosts Richard III from 13 to 31 March 2019, entertained audiences of thousands during its Victorian heyday, but has been closed to the public for 80 years. Thankfully it is open once more and co-producing the Shakespearean classic. Take a look at the fascinating restoration process, then book your tickets!
In addition to Richard III‘s London run, John Haidar‘s new version of Shakespeare’s play, staged as a co-production with Headlong, runs at Bristol Old Vic (1 to 9 March & 2 to 13 April), HOME Manchester (30 April to 4 May), Oxford Playhouse (7 to 11 May) and Royal & Derngate Northampton (14-25 May).
After decades of civil war, the nation hangs in the balance. Enter Richard, Duke of Gloucester, to change the course of history. Richard was not born to be a king, but he’s set his sights on the crown. So begins his campaign of deceit, manipulation and violence – and he’s killing it. Yet, behind his ambition lies a murderous desire to be loved.
Haidar’s production promises to take at innovative look at Shakespeare’s classic text, exploring what drives Richard, what caused him to become the power hungry monarch we recognise, and his desire to be loved.
Tom Mothersdale leads the cast as the eponymous king, returning to Headlong,for whom he has previously starred in The Glass Menagerie, Boys and Romeo and Juliet. He is joined in the Richard III cast by Stefan Adegbola, Derbhle Crotty, Heledd Gwynn, Tom Kanji, Michael Matus, Leila Mimmack, Eileen Nicholas, Caleb Roberts and John Sackville.
Alexandra Palace Theatre first opened in 1875. A marvel of Victorian engineering, it was a home for spectacle and wonder. At it’s peak, it hosted pantomime, opera, drama and ballet for audiences of up to 3,000. For 80 years it has been closed to the public, frozen in time and now preserved in a beautiful state of arrested decay. But an ambitious and complex restoration project has breathed new life into one of London’s best kept secrets and before Christmas it reopened to audiences.
Richard III is followed at London’s oldest new theatre by a season of comedy and music, featuring Tommy Tiernan, Reginald D Hunter, Ardal O’Hanlon and English National Opera.
Restoration gallery:
