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A CurtainUp 
London Review
London ReviewRichard II
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O that I were a mockery king of snow,
Standing before the sun of Bolingbroke, To melt myself away in water-drops! Good king, great king, and yet not greatly good — Richard II |
Eddie Redmayne as Richard II (Photo: Johan Persson) |
The usual terminal play is King Lear but Grandage tackled that last year with his magnificent production starring Derek Jacobi. So instead we have Shakespeare’s most poignant tragedy of Richard II which sees a king, brought down, deposed and assassinated, played by Eddie Redmayne, an accomplished actor who is not yet 30 years of age.
Redmayne’s youth and lack of readiness to rule is the theme of the first act when the king is called upon to judge the dispute between his cousin Henry Bolingbroke (Andrew Buchan) and Thomas Mowbray the Duke of Norfolk (Ben Turner). Grandage makes much of Redmayne’s youth and ineptitude as king in the role. Redmayne plays his Richard as a very self conscious monarch, awkward, as if he is having to act how he thinks a king would behave. Richard is nervous, indecisive, changeable, surrounded by gilded and peeling gothic arches with overpowering incense, candlelight and Andrew Cork’s chanting music, he clutches at the sceptre.
Remember that Richard came to the throne aged just ten years old, a year after his father the Black Prince died and on the death of his grandfather Edward III. Redmayne creates a very sympathetic figure, even though he gathers round him friends who are shallow and from whom he wins cheap popularity. Running through Richard II is the theme of the divine right of kings, the prediction for the civil war of the Wars of the Roses as Richard dethroned causes instability in the realm.
On Richard’s return to England from Ireland, Redmayne enthuses and is excitable, looking more like a startled rabbit rather than a king. Soon he is red with rage at the news of the deaths of his favourites Bushy, Bagot and Green. Like lords in waiting, while Richard talks to Northumberland (Daniel Flynn), Richard’s opponents stand at the rear of the stage in partial darkness, shadows on Richard’s horizon.
Although Eddie Redmayne’s performance is outstanding and unusual, somehow the Donmar stage seemed too small for this courtly royal play. To drum up atmosphere we hear the crowd noises from the lists but I found it hard to suspend disbelief. Ron Cook is an incongruous, loyalties divided Duke of York uncle to both king and deposer, but Sian Thomas gives two fine performances as the Duchess of Gloucester and the Duchess of York. I liked Andrew Buchan’s solid Bolingbroke. When he takes the crown from Richard, Richard petulantly snatches it back. Pippa Bennett-Warner impresses as Queen Isabel, gentle and sympathetic.
We wish Michael Grandage well with his new venture and look forward to seeing his new productions.
| Richard II
Written by William Shakespeare Directed by Michael Grandage Starring: Pippa Bennett-Warner, Ron Cook, Eddie Redmayne, Sian Thomas, Michael Hadley, Andrew Buchan With: Harry Attwell, Stefano Braschi, Daniel Easton, Daniel Flynn, Sean Jackson, Phillip Joseph, Michael Marcus, Joseph Timms, Ben Turner, Ashley Zhangazha Designed by Richard Kent Lighting: David Plater Composition and Sound: Adam Cork Running time: Two hours 50 minutes with an interval Box Office: 0844 871 7624 Booking to 4th February 2012 Reviewed by Lizzie Loveridge based on 10th December 2011 matinee performance at The Donmar Warehouse, Earlham Street, London WC2H 9LX (Tube: Covent Garden) |
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