Richard III

Bard in the Botanics

Richard III at Bard in the Botanics is played by a cast of three, is staged in the corridor of a conservatory, and has been cut to 90 minutes. These facts make it sound either gimmicky or geared towards students. But make no mistake: this is harrowing theatre at its best.

"Grant O’Rourke gives a phenomenal performance as Richard"

Gordon Barr’s directional choices are brave, but everything pays handsome dividends. With only three actors, the audience is forced to pay far more attention to the text. The cuts are a bit harsh and at times don’t allow for some of the supporting characters to be fleshed out, but the end result is that everything flows at a quick pace and draws everyone in to Richard’s plan, almost making the audience into co-conspirators.

Mark Prendergast and Nicole Cooper have the rather difficult job of playing everything. The roles are evenly split, with each actor required to play multiple ages and both sexes. Each is better at some than others, but the overall result is rather impressive, and one never wishes that further players had been hired.

But any production of this play hinges on its lead, and here Barr is given a phenomenal performance by Grant O’Rourke as Richard. It is a brave performance that never skirts any previous incarnations or preconceived notions. O’Rourke’s Richard is enamoured with himself, taking delight in the mayhem he creates. He teeters between emotions well, and one is never sure what he is going to do next or how he’s going to react. It is an excellent performance that alone is more than worth the admission.

With its short running time and small cast, this Richard III could have easily been nothing more than a weak attempt at a great play. Instead, through intelligent direction and passionate ensemble performances, an excellent production has emerged.

Michael Cox

From July 13 2009 to August 1 2009 at Glasgow Botanic Gardens, Glasgow. Tel: 0141 429 0022.

www.bardinthebotanics.org/html/2009.htm

Comments:

dbfriends: I was a bit apprehensive as the play started... how can you tell a story this complex with only three actors? And I got more worried when the first scene featured Richard being resurrected in a manner surprisingly similar to that of John Barrowman in Torchwood. But luckily my fears were unfounded. Once I gave up trying to figure out who was who the whole time - it wasn't worth it, really - this turned out to be a fantastic production. Even if, with its much shorter running time than the original, barely two minutes passed without some poor unfortunate being bumped off. A real shame I only saw it on the last night; I'd have been encouraging everyone to go and see it. It's certainly made me eager for BitB 2010!

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What the papers said:

The Herald:
*** "For all O'Rourke's impressive command of the stage ... at times his complicity with the audience makes him appear too chummy for his own good"

The Scotsman:
**** "Grant O'Rourke rolls out a fascinating performance as a lethal and playful joker of a Richard"

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