ABSOLUTELY STUNNING – setting, writing, acting and production – Richard My Richard Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds
We were lucky to be invited to the Theatre Royal – Bury St Edmunds to see the new play written by the acclaimed international best-selling author Philippa Gregory. The play Richard My Richard is about Richard III who was killed at the Battle of Bosworth 500 years ago but is now almost more famous after his skeleton was unearthed in a car park in Leicester which, as history will show, magically led to the Premier League being won by Leicester City in 2016 but that is another story.
The play is a co-production between the Theatre Royal and Shakespeare North Playhouse, Directed by Katie Posner in association with Daniel Schuman.
Firstly, and incredibly with spectacular effect the Georgian Theatre is turned into typically Shakespearian Elizabethan theatre with the stage in the centre of the pit and a seating bank on the existing stage, the first time this has been done for 15 years. It really was something special.
The story telling starts with narration throughout from actor Tom Kanji playing the delightful role of History and the emergence of Richard (Kyle Rowe) from under the Greyfriars Car Park minus his hump-back.
The essence of the tale is to way up the way history has depicted Richard III as evil and to explore another side to the King that might have more truth and a softer more generous vision.
This is not Shakespeare’s Richard but ours!
Did he really murder the Princes in the Tower or was he set up by scheming courtiers?
The acting was outstanding with an experienced cast and tremendous amount of content that held our attention and provoked many questions throughout.
A wonderfully thought provoking night out. Richard My Richard runs in Bury St Edmunds until Saturday 27th April 2024
These fantastic images of the play are supplied with thanks by Tom Soper Photography