Richard II

A younger than average audience was a good start for this new production by Nicholas Hytner and presumably that has something to do with Jonathan Bailey in the titular role bringing in the fans from his recent screen successes (Wicked, Bridgerton, Fellow Travelers).  By the cheers at the end I think everyone enjoyed it a lot.  We had a cheap seat in the front row, sort of behind this production which is (almost) in the round.  Apart from a few occasions when we were peering around chairs or between legs, the view was great though, and on many occasions I would argue better than some of the pricier seats.

I’ve seen quite a few productions of this over the years, some funny, some heavy with the drama and politics.  This version strikes an effective middle ground, and is great at pulling clarity from the complicated politics going on throughout this play.  A spare set, modern dress and Succession-esque music set the scene here as a play about both power and families.  

Bailey is great as the autocratic and disastrous king enjoying wielding his power with little care for his subjects, but also later wondering who he actually is without the crown.  I thought the deposition scene was well done and loved the dynamic between Richard and Bolingbroke (an excellent Royce Pierreson) one a fizzing ball of energy, arrogant but frenetic, whilst the other is steady and calm.  A great supporting cast too, and I enjoyed seeing Amanda Root who is now playing older ladies; in this case she plays the Duchess of York, but in my heart she is always Anne Elliot from my favourite adaptation of Persuasion.  

I always love the language in this, and in later scenes with Richard, wondering who he is now that he not a king, I see glimpses of Hamlet.   I really enjoyed seeing Bailey, who so often glitters his way through any scene, bringing it in to a more reflective and thoughtful place.