Richard III First Preview

I'll admit that at intermission tonight I wasn't completely sold on the production, or even Rylance's performance. He must be turning in the funniest interpretation of the role known to man. His opening monologue was so funny I had to double check that I hadn't wandered into Twelfth Night again!

I was a big fan of the Kevin Spacey production at BAM a few years ago. He played the part as a ruthless, conniving dictator who was pure evil. I thought he was terrifying and the plotting was diabolical.

Rylance is so silly and goofy, even when planning the murders of his family members. It's not till the second act that the picture comes into focus and we see where he's going with these choices. His Richard has less in common with Stalin and is more in line with Mad King Ludwig II of Bavaria. His act two is a descent into utter madness and paranoia. When his performance is viewed in its entirety you can see the masterstroke of genius that he has imbued in his work.

Angus Wright was my favorite from the rest of the cast as the Duke of Buckingham, especially when contrasted with his very different Sir Anthony from a few nights before.

Samuel Barnett has a doozy of an exchange with Rylance late in the second act that garnered thunderous exit applause.

SPOILERS*******************************


The fight sequence with Richmond is AWESOME. All the ghosts come out and distract Richard as his guilt overwhelms him. The scene is thrilling and pushes the evening over the top.

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Despite my initial misgivings about the interpretation, I should have known better and trusted the man knew what he was doing. It turned out to be the case and we were treated to another breathtaking display of showmanship. Bravo!

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I echo Whizzers' comments. At intermission I wasn't completely sold on this take of the material but by the end was completely won over. What a treat to see, in all its simplicity, these plays staged much as they might have been originally. After having experienced both this and Twelfth Night, I can say with confidence that the real triumph of these stagings is Tim Carroll's imaginative, insightful and very learned direction. I never would have suspected that the second act of this play in particular could be so effective with nothing in the way of special tricks or lighting/ just a group of actors on a bare stage. Magic.

Updated On: 10/19/13 at 11:51 PM

I thought it was excellent and I'm glad I saw it, but I don't need to see it again - unlike Twelfth Night, which I'm planning to see a third and probably fourth time. Rylance is a great actor, but I preferred Spacey's take on the role. This one drug on a little for me, especially in the first half. Edited to add: These actors are acing the female roles!!

Updated On: 10/19/13 at 11:53 PM

My week's not over - I'm seeing the all-female Julius Caesar tomorrow night!! Two Twelfth Nights, Richard III, and JC. Rock and roll!

Did anyone here see Ian McKellens's version at BAM? That was the be-all and end-all production I've EVER seem, but I still want to see Rylance's take on this. Off topic, why hasn't Rylance received a knighthood?

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"Mark Rylance's buffoonish, self-indulgent performance was a dismal joke."

Can't wait it must be the performance of the season!

I loved it. I liked it much better than the Kevin Spacey production. Also agree that Tim Carroll does a great job on direction.

I saw both productions in London and they persuaded me that Rylance is absolutely the best actor of his generation.

Of course, After Eight could do it all better and needless to say has seen much better, but for the rest of us mere mortals there is a masterclass in Shakespearean acting to be savoured in both these productions.

i was there saturday night, and was simply blown a way. such an elegant and beautiful production, unlike any other I've seen. Rylance is simply a genius. i had never seen the role portrayed as such the way he did, and completely reinvented the part. and the end scene was brilliant, so haunting and satisfying, yet saddening all at the same time. and the way Rylance hopped up and down gleefully at the curtain call made me so giddy!

Cant wait to see Twelfth night now!

For what it's worth - and it's worth very little - I too think that Rylance's acting can descend/ascend into grotesque levels of schmacting, or at the very least inhabiting a completely different realm from every other actor on the stage.

Sometimes it works - even I could see his excellence in Jerusalem, for instance - but on the admittedly rare occasions I've seen him in Shakespeare I've felt like this.

I'm not being deliberately contrarian - and obviously I can't comment on Twelfth Night and Richard III as I didn't see them in London and will never see them on Broadway - but on this occasion I didn't want people to come away thinking that only After Eight could possibly dislike a Rylance performance :)

I cannot wait to see Sam Barnett.

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Sam Barnett kills it!! And Joseph Timms is a great Lady Anne.

I finally bought my ticket for this for Row D, seat 7, in the balcony. Does anyone who has sat up there know if I am going to have one of those poles in my way? Thanks