The Royal Shakespeare Company has restaged its critically acclaimed repertory run of Twelfth Night and Richard III on Broadway. Each show features the same unit set--oak walls and hallways, two sets of boxed seating onstage, six massive candelabras hung over the stage as the main lighting--and many of the same actors.
Richard III is only being performed twice a week (compared to Twelfth Night's six performances a week), which is a genuine shame. The Mark Rylance-led cast of Shakespeare's wildest History play is doing phenomenal work with a radically new interpretation of the text. Richard III is played not as a ghoulish tragedy but an almost-slapstick sitcom about the rise and fall of one of the most conniving rulers England ever had.
From the moment Mark Rylance limped onstage as Richard, Duke of Gloucester, I knew I was in for something complete different. "Now is the winter of our discontent/made glorious summer by this son of York," was shouted, as a drunk, continuing the celebration of a military victory outside of the party in another hall. Richard offered a beautiful flower to a young woman before ripping it away. By the end of the monologue, all Rylance has to do is wink at the audience to send them into hysterics.
I have immense respect for director Tim Carroll's interpretation of the text. The quality of stagecraft in Richard III is mind-blowing. The cast is perfectly in sync and the decision to show every actor attended to by dressers onstage before the show is brilliant. This production is all about authenticity to Shakespeare, down to an all male cast covering multiple roles and a rousing dance in place of a traditional curtain call.
I respect Carroll's interpretation and completely disagree with his treatment of Acts I and II. There is room for levity in Richard III. The text calls for it. A straight-faced Richard III compels sleep, not intrigue, and should be avoided at all costs. This production, though, turns the most disturbing History into the silliest Comedy Shakespeare ever devised. The Duke of Gloucester is supposed to be able to charm his way into and out of any situation despite his outwardly grotesque appearance. Richard can be the comedic relief, but encouraging Mark Rylance to play him as a buffoon like Falstaff is a disservice to the dramatic tension.
Richard III bounces between History and Tragedy in the Shakespeare canon. The audience is meant to be repulsed, then saddened, by Richard. Here is a man who is constantly in an uphill battle. He's not handsome. His arm is disfigured. He's nowhere near a direct line of power that would allow him to ascend to the Kingship despite being smarter and stronger than any other member of the court.
He's also a gaslighting monster who will tell a grieving widow over her husband's casket that he only murdered the father of her children because she was too beautiful to ignore. Throughout the play, he betrays every single ally he has until his coronation, sending him into a dizzying spiral of depression and hallucinations. Without the crown to reach for, he has no reason to live. His life's work is manipulation and even Richard III realizes the king has no need for deceit when everyone is compelled by law to bow to his whims.
The Broadway mounting's cartoonish approach to the opening makes that tragic turn in Acts IV and V almost too shocking. Carroll's keen eye for staging and mastery of Shakespeare becomes clear in some clever decisions to amp up the madness of King Richard III. For all the madness of ghosts and dreams going on, the descending action of executions and battles is played disturbingly straight. Carroll also, mercifully, makes it clear that there are more than a few men and women left standing who can take over the throne after Richard's cursed reign ends. That's not particularly clear in the text and most productions neglect the need for that catharsis--the "everything will be okay" rumblings--that only create more depth to Richard III's reign. All of his maneuvering cannot stop him from the inevitability of death and the rise of a genuinely noble ruler in his wake.
I need to make one thing abundantly clear: this is an excellent production of Richard III. My big complaint is that I don't agree with the interpretation of the text; I actually quite enjoyed the production. The sheer amount of talent onstage is overwhelming in the best way possible. These are passionate performers doing everything they can to sell this version of the story. The period authentic set and costume designs by Jenny Tiramani are unmatched in craftsmanship by anything else running on Broadway right now. This is a meticulously planned, beautifully executed, and wildly entertaining production of Richard III well worth the cost of admission. Just be aware that this cast will be taking you on a wildly different journey than you might expect.
The wonderful photograph of the cast comes from the production's official website. It's worth browsing to take in the glory of the stagecraft.