REVIEW
Richard III
Presented by Southend Shakespeare Company
Dixon Studio, Palace Theatre
TUESDAY 26th – SATURDAY 30th NOVEMBER 2019
Richard III
Presented by Southend Shakespeare Company
Dixon Studio, Palace Theatre
TUESDAY 26th – SATURDAY 30th NOVEMBER 2019
SOUTHEND Shakespeare Company's productions tend to come up with more special goodies than a Christmas panto, and their production of Richard III is no exception. It offers double-bubble value plus. First bubble is Dave Lobley's direction. Mr Lobley's stagings are always resourceful, carefully thought through, and full of great touches (though without gimmicks). Here he excels himself in all those categories. I was particularly struck by the dramatic metaphors he has come up with to express the sustained bloody violence of the Wars of the Roses, the civil conflict which tore England apart in the 15th century. (Of course, there was one good thing to be said about the Wars of the Roses, since they gave Shakespeare the subject matter for his English history plays).
The evening is topped and tailed by a full-cast dance, very similar to the All Blacks haka, and if anything, given the eyeball-to-eyeball intimacy of the Dixon Studio, even more terrifying. Another coup-de-theatre is the use of riot shields and batons in the battle scenes. This allows the swirl of combat to be staged in a faster and more ferocious way than health and safety concerns normally allow, and also brings the production bang up to date, given recent TV pictures from Hong Kong.
For all the drama and conflict, the play is laced with comedy, and the production milks the humour with relish. Milk's the word, indeed in one particularly funny scene. This transports three of the muttering, gossiping citizens who abound in the history plays, to a modern Starbucks style coffee shop, complete with cafe lattes and a sulky barrista. The scene is typical, too, of a production that mixes eras to great effect. Medieval England keeps company with the 1930s Fascist period, and contemporary inner city Britain, while mad Queen Margaret seems to occupy some sort of hellishly overdressed era all her own. Shakespeare's portrait of King Richard III may well be a travesty of the facts, but the title character of the Bard epic is also one of the most compelling and, in his own warped way, mesmerising characters in theatreland. Whatever his vices – mass murder, tyranny, domestic abuse, to name but a few – Richard at least has the virtue of transparency. He shares every foul plan, every misdeed, with the audience, and we, like the victims of his seductive techniques, are sucked in, so that we become almost complicit.
Of course, it requires an actor of the calibre of Ian McKellen or Anthony Hopkins to bring off the role, but luckily Southend Shakespeare has one of those on hand. Nick Bright follows up his recent portrayal of Hotspur with another mesmerising tour de force. His Richard III is a devil incarnate alright, and the malevolent cunning and sliminess of this creature are brought across in a completely convincing way, making Laurence Olivier's famous portrayal of Richard look histrionic by comparison. Yet Mr Bright's Richard is also endlessly funny, compulsively charming, and, almost, at times, vulnerable. The actor's repertoire of facial responses is a treasury in itself, and he creates a repertoire of hunchback body language all his own. I can't wait for this versatile actor's stab at Hamlet.
In a mostly young cast, Katie Bysouth and Megan Terry stand out as the two queens caught up and destroyed by Richard's machinations, although everyone, even Richard, gets upstaged by the appearances of SSC icon Vanessa Osborn as mad queen Margaret, crazed by the murders of both her husband and son at Richard's hands. Tracey-Anne Bourne, as Richard's sidekick Buckingham, captures the essence of a self-serving politician. Zach Regan and Byron Lightfoot, as the boy Princes in the Tower, show great potential. Perhaps we'll all be watching their Richard IIIs and Hamlets in the future.
A word, too, for the highly effective staging, which draws on the full length of the Dixon studio, as well as its curtained recesses. There is no scenery as such, but the spotlit banners of the White Rose of York and the Red Rose of Lancaster – those terrible symbols that destroyed England for a generation – hang at each end of the acting space. They provide all that's needed in terms of background and setting. As you will gather, this Richard III evokes a whole series of gut reactions, but the most powerful only perhaps hits you at the end of the play.
Richard III was written towards the end of the 16th century. Yet every stage of the drama, every character, every powerful line of the play, reflects contemporary realities. At the end, as the cast delivered the second, aggression-packed haka of the night, I looked for a phrase to sum up the production. The answer consists of four numerals. 2019.
Review: TOM KING
Richard III Palace Theatre (Dixon Studio), Westcliff Nightly at 7.45pm, until Sat Nov 30, matinee Sat 3pm
Box office: 01702 351135 southendtheatres.org.uk
The evening is topped and tailed by a full-cast dance, very similar to the All Blacks haka, and if anything, given the eyeball-to-eyeball intimacy of the Dixon Studio, even more terrifying. Another coup-de-theatre is the use of riot shields and batons in the battle scenes. This allows the swirl of combat to be staged in a faster and more ferocious way than health and safety concerns normally allow, and also brings the production bang up to date, given recent TV pictures from Hong Kong.
For all the drama and conflict, the play is laced with comedy, and the production milks the humour with relish. Milk's the word, indeed in one particularly funny scene. This transports three of the muttering, gossiping citizens who abound in the history plays, to a modern Starbucks style coffee shop, complete with cafe lattes and a sulky barrista. The scene is typical, too, of a production that mixes eras to great effect. Medieval England keeps company with the 1930s Fascist period, and contemporary inner city Britain, while mad Queen Margaret seems to occupy some sort of hellishly overdressed era all her own. Shakespeare's portrait of King Richard III may well be a travesty of the facts, but the title character of the Bard epic is also one of the most compelling and, in his own warped way, mesmerising characters in theatreland. Whatever his vices – mass murder, tyranny, domestic abuse, to name but a few – Richard at least has the virtue of transparency. He shares every foul plan, every misdeed, with the audience, and we, like the victims of his seductive techniques, are sucked in, so that we become almost complicit.
Of course, it requires an actor of the calibre of Ian McKellen or Anthony Hopkins to bring off the role, but luckily Southend Shakespeare has one of those on hand. Nick Bright follows up his recent portrayal of Hotspur with another mesmerising tour de force. His Richard III is a devil incarnate alright, and the malevolent cunning and sliminess of this creature are brought across in a completely convincing way, making Laurence Olivier's famous portrayal of Richard look histrionic by comparison. Yet Mr Bright's Richard is also endlessly funny, compulsively charming, and, almost, at times, vulnerable. The actor's repertoire of facial responses is a treasury in itself, and he creates a repertoire of hunchback body language all his own. I can't wait for this versatile actor's stab at Hamlet.
In a mostly young cast, Katie Bysouth and Megan Terry stand out as the two queens caught up and destroyed by Richard's machinations, although everyone, even Richard, gets upstaged by the appearances of SSC icon Vanessa Osborn as mad queen Margaret, crazed by the murders of both her husband and son at Richard's hands. Tracey-Anne Bourne, as Richard's sidekick Buckingham, captures the essence of a self-serving politician. Zach Regan and Byron Lightfoot, as the boy Princes in the Tower, show great potential. Perhaps we'll all be watching their Richard IIIs and Hamlets in the future.
A word, too, for the highly effective staging, which draws on the full length of the Dixon studio, as well as its curtained recesses. There is no scenery as such, but the spotlit banners of the White Rose of York and the Red Rose of Lancaster – those terrible symbols that destroyed England for a generation – hang at each end of the acting space. They provide all that's needed in terms of background and setting. As you will gather, this Richard III evokes a whole series of gut reactions, but the most powerful only perhaps hits you at the end of the play.
Richard III was written towards the end of the 16th century. Yet every stage of the drama, every character, every powerful line of the play, reflects contemporary realities. At the end, as the cast delivered the second, aggression-packed haka of the night, I looked for a phrase to sum up the production. The answer consists of four numerals. 2019.
Review: TOM KING
Richard III Palace Theatre (Dixon Studio), Westcliff Nightly at 7.45pm, until Sat Nov 30, matinee Sat 3pm
Box office: 01702 351135 southendtheatres.org.uk
War is over, England is at peace. But in the heart of government one man’s heart burns with desire to take the crown. One man who will stop for no one. One man determined to seize power whatever the cost may be.
Join the SSC’s fast paced, action packed and deadly political thriller, William Shakespeare’s Richard III.
Join the SSC’s fast paced, action packed and deadly political thriller, William Shakespeare’s Richard III.
Nick Bright (below) plays the titular role of Richard - here's what he has to tell us about life, playing sex scenes and his favourite roles!
When and under what circumstances did you start taking part in amateur dramatics?
It was about the time I left school and went to college. The SODS were looking for male guest performers for their production of West Side Story. I was shark number 4 and needless to say I never looked back from then.
Are or were any members of your immediate family involved in drama?
No – just me
Have you done any formal theatre or musical training?
Yes I went to drama school. I studied at the Birmingham School of Acting on the Acting course – now known as the Birmingham Conservatoire
Do you have any special skills, from juggling to costume design, that have proved useful on stage?
I have completed a course in stage combat involving a rapier, dagger and hand combat. This comes in very useful for this show.
Do you do any accents or impressions?
I can do a few accents but they seem to change region from time to time
Which experience/role do you regard as the highlight of your theatre career?
The best experiences I have had have been abroad. I performed with the National Theatre of Croatia in their first ever English performance of Shakespeare and I have been very fortunate enough to tour the whole of Italy performing in a play for 5 months.
My favourite roles though have to be Leo Bloom (The Producers) and Stacee Jaxx (Rock of Ages) from my musical roles but I have to say Richard III is definitely my biggest and most challenging role yet.
Who is the most inspirational person you have worked with/been taught by, in your stage career?
I have had so many people who have helped me along the way but I suppose a big shout out would have to go to my first ever drama teacher Mr Davies, that is where it all began.
It was about the time I left school and went to college. The SODS were looking for male guest performers for their production of West Side Story. I was shark number 4 and needless to say I never looked back from then.
Are or were any members of your immediate family involved in drama?
No – just me
Have you done any formal theatre or musical training?
Yes I went to drama school. I studied at the Birmingham School of Acting on the Acting course – now known as the Birmingham Conservatoire
Do you have any special skills, from juggling to costume design, that have proved useful on stage?
I have completed a course in stage combat involving a rapier, dagger and hand combat. This comes in very useful for this show.
Do you do any accents or impressions?
I can do a few accents but they seem to change region from time to time
Which experience/role do you regard as the highlight of your theatre career?
The best experiences I have had have been abroad. I performed with the National Theatre of Croatia in their first ever English performance of Shakespeare and I have been very fortunate enough to tour the whole of Italy performing in a play for 5 months.
My favourite roles though have to be Leo Bloom (The Producers) and Stacee Jaxx (Rock of Ages) from my musical roles but I have to say Richard III is definitely my biggest and most challenging role yet.
Who is the most inspirational person you have worked with/been taught by, in your stage career?
I have had so many people who have helped me along the way but I suppose a big shout out would have to go to my first ever drama teacher Mr Davies, that is where it all began.
Nick in rehearsal with Katie Bysouth
When was your most embarrassing theatrical moment on or off stage?
I think having to perform scenes of a sexual nature in front of my Nan who was in the audience – that is definitely up there.
Another funny moment was having someone walk out of the theatre during a performance of “The Producers” – sometimes Mel Brooks’ humour is just a bit too much for some audience members to take.
What do you do for a living?
I am a HR Business Partner and Payroll Specialist. I have other jobs on the side where I am a DJ/Karaoke host and an Acting Teacher at the weekends for Donovans Theatre School in Dagenham.
Has your theatre career ever been useful in your day job, and/or have you ever drawn on your day job for any of your stage roles?
Yes 100% - being in HR you deal with all kinds of different scenarios which acting definitely helps and when it comes to Karaoke, acting skills are always handy when the singer is not very good
Tell us about your current production of RICHARD III.
It is a fast paced, energetic rollercoaster and it is so much fun. The character Richard is a dream part for any actor to play so I am so grateful to have the opportunity to play him. The cast and crew are all super talented and super supportive – the play really brings a classic tale to life in a modern way and I cannot wait to see the audience’s reaction when they come to see this.
I think having to perform scenes of a sexual nature in front of my Nan who was in the audience – that is definitely up there.
Another funny moment was having someone walk out of the theatre during a performance of “The Producers” – sometimes Mel Brooks’ humour is just a bit too much for some audience members to take.
What do you do for a living?
I am a HR Business Partner and Payroll Specialist. I have other jobs on the side where I am a DJ/Karaoke host and an Acting Teacher at the weekends for Donovans Theatre School in Dagenham.
Has your theatre career ever been useful in your day job, and/or have you ever drawn on your day job for any of your stage roles?
Yes 100% - being in HR you deal with all kinds of different scenarios which acting definitely helps and when it comes to Karaoke, acting skills are always handy when the singer is not very good
Tell us about your current production of RICHARD III.
It is a fast paced, energetic rollercoaster and it is so much fun. The character Richard is a dream part for any actor to play so I am so grateful to have the opportunity to play him. The cast and crew are all super talented and super supportive – the play really brings a classic tale to life in a modern way and I cannot wait to see the audience’s reaction when they come to see this.
The cast in rehearsal
Which actor do you most admire and why?
This is a hard one as I have so many but I have to say the actor that has blown me away when watching him is Mark Rylance. He controls the stage superbly that even when he isn’t saying anything you are watching him rather than anyone else.
What role would you most like to play and why?
Richard apart, I would have to say Henry V if we are talking Shakespeare. If we are talking dream part in a movie then I would have to say the cliche – Bond, James Bond or maybe the new Iron man I hear there may be an opening.
Any tips to pass on for learning your lines?
The shower is always a good place – but be careful of the water bill
Any other tricks of the trade to pass on?
Just give it your everything but most importantly enjoy yourself.
This is a hard one as I have so many but I have to say the actor that has blown me away when watching him is Mark Rylance. He controls the stage superbly that even when he isn’t saying anything you are watching him rather than anyone else.
What role would you most like to play and why?
Richard apart, I would have to say Henry V if we are talking Shakespeare. If we are talking dream part in a movie then I would have to say the cliche – Bond, James Bond or maybe the new Iron man I hear there may be an opening.
Any tips to pass on for learning your lines?
The shower is always a good place – but be careful of the water bill
Any other tricks of the trade to pass on?
Just give it your everything but most importantly enjoy yourself.
Tickets are £15.00 / Concs. £1.50 off
www.southendtheatres.org.uk
Prices shown are inclusive of any applicable booking fees. Groups of 10+ please call 01702 351135 to buy fee-free.
www.southendtheatres.org.uk
Prices shown are inclusive of any applicable booking fees. Groups of 10+ please call 01702 351135 to buy fee-free.