THEATRE REVIEW: Richard III - The Playhouse, Liverpool.

The motivations and human qualities of Shakespeare’s characters are so timeless that reinterpretations and adaptations are now almost the norm rather than presentations of costume dramas with period sets. However, this production of Richard The Third went further than most in completely reinterpreting this tale of fifteenth century English history.

There was something of the look that was almost reminiscent of a science fiction movie with virtually every member of the large cast dressed in a white, Ninja-style outfit, the backdrop being a simple huge curved, sandstone wall. There was little to denote social status or profession other than a few stylised headdresses, reminiscent of China during the cultural revolution; all very juxtaposed to the world of medieval England where costume and status went hand in hand. A May Day parade combined with Morris dancing in a rural Cotswold setting was, however, in keeping with the original period setting.

The key element of this interpretation, both starring and directed by Adjoa Andoh, was the interpretation of one of Shakespeare’s notorious villains; here, portrayed no longer as a hunchback white male, but cast as a black female, suffering societal prejudice due to his colour rather than a deformity. The rest of the cast would have been all-white had not the assistant director stood in for an ill actor. There was not a problem in terms of the acting, which was powerful throughout, but it was questionable as to the extent of racial prejudice Richard received from her family. Andoh played Richard as an impish mischievous little devil with the mannerisms of a naughty schoolboy. She effectively brought over all the nuances and foibles of one of theatre’s greatest villains and with the support of many fine actors, effectively told the story, but her Richard was ultimately no more a sympathetic villain than that of the more usual interpretations of Richard as an evil, psychopathic child-killer.

There was a moment of dramatic irony when Richard gleefully wraps his arms around his nephew, Duke of York, beautifully played out by Joshua Day, shortly before being sent to the tower. There was a sense, however, that the sheer terror of the build up to this was not fully established with Richard coming over too convincingly benign.

Liz Kettle gave a strong performance in Queen Margaret, portraying the rage and pain of this formidable woman, reflecting the sheer torment of Richard’s evil. There were some comic elements in the production including the two murderers contracted to kill Clarence, who resembled a double-act with black hoods. It was questionable whether this came at the expense of diminishing the horror of the moment, given the vulnerability of the scene, played superbly by Oliver Ryan with his gut-wrenching reaction upon realising his impending murder.

With a minimalist setting of a rural Cotswold nature (accompanied by West Country accents), the direction did away with some of the famous locations of past productions such as the wooing of Lady Anne by the grave of Henry VI. The scenes were woven together seamlessly allowing for fast-paced action, relying on lighting and sound to depict location and time. The instrumental music, subtly and evocatively composed by Yeofi Andoh, created appropriate mood and atmosphere

This was an engaging production with some powerful performances and Adjoa Andoh had certainly given Richard an interesting new take. It is questionable whether the timelessness of this adaptation sufficiently depicted the universal theme of prejudice, although the story was told effectively and one found oneself reflecting on this diverse adaptation.

Reviewer - John Waterhouse
on - 11.4.23