Artistic director Michael Grandage ends his critically acclaimed reign at the Donmar with Shakespeare’s history play about a king who relinquishes his crown. Both their successors may be worthy, but there the similarity ends. After almost a decade, Grandage leaves with a deservedly enhanced reputation and a string of high profile successes, whilst Richard II is a once powerful monarch who is ultimately left with no choice but to hand over the symbols of his royal office.
Initially seated contemplatively on his throne, framed by the tarnished gilded arches of Richard Kent’s Gothic, incense filled set, Eddie Redmayne’s slight but apparently assured Richard is soon revealed as too twitchy, too fragile and insecure a sovereign to rest easy on the throne. From his position of absolute power, a series of misjudged decision render him vulnerable to the growing strength of his cousin – and future King Henry IV – (Andrew Buchan’s contrastingly solid, misleadingly straightforward Bolingbroke).
Pippa Bennett-Warner is both touching and dignified as his devoted Queen, and, in Grandage’s swift, atmospheric production, there’s strong support from Ron Cook’s Duke of York, putting duty to his country before filial affection, and Michael Hadley’s dying Gaunt delivering the famous ‘sceptred isle’ speech with an intensity which pleads for England.
Donmar
Initially seated contemplatively on his throne, framed by the tarnished gilded arches of Richard Kent’s Gothic, incense filled set, Eddie Redmayne’s slight but apparently assured Richard is soon revealed as too twitchy, too fragile and insecure a sovereign to rest easy on the throne. From his position of absolute power, a series of misjudged decision render him vulnerable to the growing strength of his cousin – and future King Henry IV – (Andrew Buchan’s contrastingly solid, misleadingly straightforward Bolingbroke).
Pippa Bennett-Warner is both touching and dignified as his devoted Queen, and, in Grandage’s swift, atmospheric production, there’s strong support from Ron Cook’s Duke of York, putting duty to his country before filial affection, and Michael Hadley’s dying Gaunt delivering the famous ‘sceptred isle’ speech with an intensity which pleads for England.
Donmar
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