Shakespeare Review – Richard III

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Spoiler alerts - as if this needs them. The Duke Of Gloucester, later crowned Richard III is Shakespeare’s greatest villain. He makes Darth Vader look like an amateur. His twisted body reflects and feeds his inner bitter, malevolent fury as he stops at nothing to secure and hold power before his over-stretched plans inevitably destroy him. The play is virtually a study of a serial killer in action, rising to office by wiping out the opposition, drowning Clarence in a barrel of Malmsey Wine (my own choice of execution if assassins have designs on me please), suffocating the junior Princes in the Tower Of London, etc. All of this is done with delicious fourth wall defying nods to the audience but his downfall comes from the grieving wives and mothers and competition for his throne leading to battle at Bosworth, drawing the Wars Of The Roses to a bloody conclusion. Richard, maddened by ghostly visions of those he slew, and unable to secure a horse despite promising his very kingdom for a means to escape, dies a lonely death on the field as his crown is taken by the Tudor succession. A tremendous play, presenting one of the Bard’s most demanding roles – a recent TV version starring Sherlock actor Benedict Cumberbatch was magnificent. Arthur Chappell