Shakespeare's Richard III (Andrew Jarvis, 1990) 20 of 20

"A Horse, a Horse, my Kingdome for a Horse"

Andrew Jarvis ... Richard III
Stephen Jameson ... Ratcliffe
Sion Probert ... William Catesby
Charles Dale ... Richmond

Director: Michael Bogdanov

"The Wars of the Roses" (English Shakespeare Company, UK, 1990) is a direct filming, from the stage, of Michael Bogdanov and Michael Pennington's 7-play sequence based on Shakespeare's history plays.

The English Shakespeare Company adapted the three Henry VI plays to Henry VI "House of Lancaster", and Henry VI "House of York". These are the prelude to "Richard III".



David Harrison on this production of "Richard III" (from the 'Evening Post', 17th December 1987):


The circle is closed, the great venture completed, the captains and the kings depart.

With the death of Richard III on Bosworth Field, the long series of bloody struggles for the crown of England are over.

So too is the first complete cycle of Shakespeares Wars of the Roses plays, seen for the first time outside Stratford.

It has been a deeply rewarding, once in a life-time experience following the course of English history through Shakespeares admittedly biased eyes.

Although this production is in modern dress, the final battle between Richmond and Richard is in full armour with heavy broadswords. Like two great dinosaurs, they circle each other and with the fall of Richard their day is done.

Again, as in all the plays in the cycle, the text is paramount and nothing is allowed to get in the way of the story.

There is even a useful opening summary of what has gone before to help newcomers sort out the convoluted family loyalties on either side.

Andrew Jarvis plays Richard as a man only just on this side of insanity. His murders are casual and, once committed, easily forgotten.

His Richard is power hungry to the point of obsession. He is driven constantly forward by a demonic urge to succeed.

It is a tense and very personal view but not a complex one. Michael Bogdanovs devotion to accessibility scarcely permits much psychological insight and this Richard is more of a pathological thug than a man torn by strange and unfulfilled desires.

But the whole production is a worthy ending to a project of such complexity and vision that few people could even conceive touring it.

Try to see Henry V on Friday or the omnibus of Henry VI and Richard III on Saturday if you dont want to miss a unique landmark in English theatre which will never be forgotten.

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• RichardIII
• Shakespeare
• Sion-Probert
• Andrew-Jarvis
• Charles-Dale
• English-literature
• play
• theatre

[Skybaby79]

Thanks for shareing

[eslubin]

your kingdom for a horse? how about 2 cows and a pony to be named later?

[elvenluna]

@heincannie That would be Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings

[heincannie]

Does anybody knows the name of that music wich starts on 2'15"? Who is the composer? please?

[owenpugh]

Thank you for posting these, im currently performing Richard III for my 3rd year production at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, playing Buckingham, directed by Andrew Jarvis, the guy is a god to acting, and a legend at directing, i loved his performance, his use of language was incredible and sharp, just awesome and something to strive toward!

[redredshoes]

Thank you so much for putting the HVI and RIII videos up! I have the ESC second tet on video, but wasn't sure I would ever get to see these, and they were MARVELOUS.

[Lothriel]

Thank you so very much for sharing this show, and series, with us. Though Jarvis, in all honesty, didn't really do much for me throughout this series, this version of Richard III was still insightful and entertaining to watch. What a great ending. :)

[mtigers1981]

Thank you for putting up the rest of Bogdanov's version of "Richard III". Now, if you'll just put up his version of "Richard II', then we'll have the entire ESC "Wars Of The Roses" series on YouTube.