Joe Hill-Gibbins’ of The Tragedy of King Richard the Second is inherently divisive, and the critics have obliged but, only three days into the year, it is very hard to imagine a more exciting or compelling Shakespeare coming along in 2019.
‘Shows us what Shakespeare can be’: THE TRAGEDY OF KING RICHARD THE SECOND – Almeida Theatre
Simon Russell Beale and Leo Bill shine in Joe Hill-Gibbins’ perfectly reimagined The Tragedy of King Richard the Second at the Almeida Theatre.
‘Felt that I was trapped in a theatrical microwave oven’: THE TRAGEDY OF KING RICHARD THE SECOND – Almeida Theatre
Borrowing a technique from American long-form TV drama, The Tragedy of King Richard The Second begins in medias res. The wonderful Simon Russell Beale steps forward, ashen-faced, to deliver the “I have been studying how I may compare/This prison where I live unto the world” speech from Act 5.
‘The raucous setting reveals something new’: THE TRAGEDY OF KING RICHARD THE SECOND – Almeida Theatre ★★★★
The Tragedy of King Richard The Second is not stately, sacred, shockingly regicidal Shakespeareana. This is a brawl, a nasty coup against a hopeless king, a howl of rage at what fools, in power politics, these mortals be.
‘A distinct, innovative & raw telling’: THE TRAGEDY OF KING RICHARD THE SECOND – Almeida Theatre
Currently my favourite partnership of Simon Russell Beale and Shakespeare is at work in The Tragedy of King Richard the Second (or Richard II if you prefer, and as the person typing this I very much do) at the Almeida.
NEWS: Almeida Theatre’s new season will feature the return of Simon Russell Beale, Patsy Ferran & Anne Washburn
Artistic director Rupert Goold has announced the Almeida Theatre’s new season.