Ron Cook's crooked spine, crookeder morals — Shakespeare's nastiest villain in 4 hours of delicious treachery.
Richard Duke of Gloucester, youngest brother of King Edward IV, will stop at nothing to get the crown. He first convinces the ailing King that the Duke of Clarence, his elder brother, is a threat to the lives of Edward's two young sons. Edward has him imprisoned in the Tower of London; killers in Richard's pay then drown Clarence in a barrel of wine. When news of Clarence's death reaches the King, the subsequent grief and remorse bring about his death. Richard is made Lord Protector, with power to rule England while his nephew (now King Edward V) is still a minor. Before the young king's coronation he has his two nephews conveyed to the Tower, ostensibly for their safekeeping. Richard's accomplice, the Duke of Buckingham, then declares the two boys illegitimate and offers Richard the crown, which after a show of reticence he accepts. After Richard's coronation, he and Buckingham have a falling-out over whether or not to assassinate the two children.
Acting
Ron Cook's Richard: charismatic, pathetic, terrifying — a masterclass in seductive villainy.
Direction
Jane Howell's boxy sets trap characters like chess pieces in Richard's game.
Production
Bare stone walls, modern coats over doublets — stripped-down Shakespeare that hits harder.
Director
Jane Howell
Ron Cook
Richard III
Peter Benson
King Henry VI
Michael Byrne
Duke of Buckingham
Julia Foster
Queen Margaret
Bernard Hill
First Murderer
Zoë Wanamaker
Lady Anne
Mark Wing-Davey
First Citizen / Sir James Tyrrel
Brian Protheroe
King Edward IV
David Burke
Sir William Catesby
Anne Carroll
Jane Shore
Paul Chapman
Earl Rivers
Rowena Cooper
Queen Elizabeth
Arthur Cox
Lord Grey / Lord Mayor of London
Annette Crosbie
Duchess of York
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
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