Richard II to be staged in the House of Commons
Preview by Lizzie Guilfoyle
RICHARD II, reimagined as a Westminster power struggle, will be staged in the House of Commons on April 23, 2016, exactly 400 years to the day of Shakespeare’s death.
Only 100 tickets are available for this one-off performance and owing to high demand, they will be distributed through a ballot, open now until April 6 at www.shakespeareinparliament.com/.
Richard II will then transfer from Westminster to the East End for a week-long run at Arcola Theatre (May 3 to May 7).
This new production, created by young directors Jack Gamble and Quentin Beroud, gives refreshing new life to Shakespeare’s 420-year-old verse. Scenes span from Whitehall to London City Airport, while Lady Eleanor De Bohun, Duchess of Gloucester, becomes Political Editor of the BBC.
Tim Delap will play Richard, the charismatic leader who faces a challenge from Harri Bolingbroke (Hermione Gulliford), reimagined in this new version as a female Leader of the Opposition.
Jack Gamble and Quentin Beroud said: “We want to demonstrate the ongoing power of Shakespeare’s writing to speak to new generations and modern concerns.
“Staging this early masterpiece in Parliament will show how much Shakespeare still has to say about leadership and representation. Reworking Bolingbroke as a powerful female lead will give the play a renewed significance at a time where certain privileges still count for more than they should.
“We are thrilled to be presenting the first full Shakespearian production in the country’s seat of power, and on such a special night. It will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for everyone taking part and watching.”
Tim Delap starred in Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Casanova, and opposite Benedict Cumberbatch in the BBC’s To The Ends Of The Earth. His stage work includes The Woman in Black in the West End, UK tours of The History Boys and Regeneration, and All’s Well That Ends Well at the RSC.
Hermione Gulliford’s recent stage work includes 3 Winters and Hotel at the National Theatre. Previously she played Portia in The Merchant of Venice and Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Tickets (for the House of Commons): £50.
Tickets (for Arcola Theatre): £19, £15 concessions – available by calling 020 7503 1646 or visiting www.arcolatheatre.com/.
Times (Arcola Theatre): 7.30pm, with Thursday and Saturday matinees at 3pm.
Image: Tim Delap and Hermione Gulliford. Photo credit: Nick Rutter.