presents
@REAL_RIIICHARD_G
Based on Richard III by William Shakespeare
Adapted and directed by Adam Alexander
8 & 9 October, 5, 6, 12 & 13 November at 8 p.m.
The American Cathedral in Paris
INTRODUCTION
Argo Theatre Company is delighted to welcome you to their inaugural production: @Real_Riiichard_G, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s most renowned history play, The Tragedy of King Richard the Third. The story of a man willing to use all possible tricks, rumours and intrigues to reach the height of power has never lost popularity or relevance.
This version of William Shakespeare’s Richard the Third (adapted and directed by Adam Alexander), will transport you to a dystopian, not so distant future in which a charming deformed narcissist- Richard of Gloucester- attempts to drag his country into a totalitarian twittersphere.
We would like to express our immense gratitude to the American Cathedral in Paris for allowing us to perform in this beautiful, historic space and for all their help in making this production possible.
THE CAST (IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE)
PRODUCTION TEAM
CLICKBAIIIT
The themes of Richard the Third are easily translated to the landscape of today. The need for power, and willingness to do the unthinkable to achieve it is one of the common human denominators. The idea of someone like Richard leading a country is fun to watch until it’s not. The current political climate offers obvious resonance and only proves that histrionic villainy makes for good ratings.
It is for this reason that the additional character of media is present in this production, and today's rate of information that has inspired the cuts made to the text. The main relationship of the play -between Richard and himself- offers the lens through which the scenes have been focused: seeing mainly what Richard sees, save for the end and a brief moment of mourning from those who have suffered most: the women of the play. They are the observers of loss and serve as a chorus, offering a growing voice of objection during the course of the play. This is eventually put into action as the world comes to truly see Richard, and those with power decide to challenge him.
While the play is a fantastic end to Shakespeare’s war of the roses histories, it also stands alone as an illustration of the potential for destruction a good actor with an imbalanced moral compass can have on the world in which they live. The play should be a deterrent for accepting narcissistic behaviour. That we are compelled to watch should serve as a warning- unlike in the play where leadership follows a familial chain, we now elect (or appear to elect) our reprobates.
The truth in the play, as in life is that the snakes lie waiting in the grass, and there are those who know that revealing themselves will mesmerize and make their prey only more vulnerable.
Adam Alexander
Director
SYNOPSIS
The War of the Roses is over and the House of York victorious. But this time of peace does not sit well with Richard who is determined to seize power at all costs. He devizes a strategy to disseminate fake news about his opponents and eliminate those who stand in his way. The first to be eliminated is his brother the Duke of Clarence whom Richard has imprisoned the Tower of London all the while blaming the Queen. Lord Hastings arrives with news of the King's ill health, to Richard's secret delight. Richard then manipulates Lady Anne into marrying him—even though she knows that he murdered her first husband. The Queen and her retenue find themselves upraided by Richard for wrongly (in his opinion) criticising him to the King. Enter the deposed Queen Margaret filled with prophetic curses for those who had wronged her - Richard most of all. When the court is summoned to the King, Richard instructs Catesby to kill Clarence. A brief moment of calm follows when the King strives to make peace among the quarrelling factions of the court, soon upset by Richard with the news of Clarence's death, which he blames on the Queen. When King Edward dies, Richard, assisted by Buckingham and Catesby, engages in a relentless campaign of defamation and arrests. They attempt to turn Hastings to their cause - in vain - and at a meeting to arrange the coronation, Richard publicly accuses him of being an accessory to witchcraft and demands his execution. Richard then learns from Buckingham that his plans to become King are not meeting with public approval. In a staged debate, they succeed in persuading the Mayor that Richard is a worthy King.
After his coronation, Richard seeks to consolidate his position by asking Buckingham to kill the two young princes, the late King Edward's sons. When Buckingham refuses, Richard employs Catesby to do the deed and has his wife murdered so that he can marry his niece, Edward's daughter. The devilish truth unfolds, the media that served Richard so well turn against him, and the curse pronounced by Queen Margaret gradually comes true. After a heated exchange with his mother the Duchess, who in turn curses her son, Richard attempts to persuade the widowed queen to give him her daughter in marriage. Meanwhile, Richmond continues to advance. The night before the final battle, the ghosts of his victims return to curse Richard. He ends up wandering the battlefield and is killed by the one who will take his crown: Richmond.
ABOUT ARGO THEATRE COMPANY
Theatre as adventure.
Argo Theatre Company aims to craft theatre experiences that transport and transform. Nomadic and ever evolving, wherever we go, we bring theatre with us, challenging the confines of space, time, form and convention that each production brings. We journey into the wilds of artistic expression and unite theatre, music, dance and cinema to tell captivating, electrifying stories. Argo will take you back in time and into the future yet we stay anchored in the now, diving headlong into fundamental human dilemmas. We take an unconventional approach to classical, contemporary and new works to develop performances that are relevant, engaging, thought-provoking and unique. We believe theatre should transcend limits and strive to foster a creative atmosphere that is diverse and inclusive, where honesty and authenticity are paramount and where we are are united by a desire to explore, make waves and carry people away.
