Richard II's deposition scene (Ian McKellen and Fiona Shaw)

Two different versions of this scene, Sir Ian McKellen (1970 TV) and Fiona Shaw (1997 TV), are are shown and discussed.

commentary by Jerry Brotton, Royal Holloway, University of London, and Fiona Shaw.

Deposition scene (Act 4, scene 1) in Shakespeare's Richard II.

This scene, of ritualized 'un-crowning', is not just a striking visual tableaux on stage (hard to imagine it all from just the text) but Shakespeare makes it even more than that--the mentions of parallels with God, the mirror bit, the issues you see actors in this excerpt wrestle with--the scene was not included in publishings of this play during Elizabeth's reign.

Ian McKellen ... Richard II
Timothy West ... Bolingbroke

Directed by Richard Cottrell and Toby Robertson for early (1970) BBC colour transmission.

Ian McKellen also performed, on TV in early 70s, George Tesman in "Hedda Gabler" with Janet Suzman, a Hamlet, a one-man show on Keats, and starred in Marlowe's "Edward II". These are begging for DVD release!

This is about the youngest Ian McKellen (age 31 in '70) we can view. He did have some parts in movies released in 1969. McKellen's earliest film/TV credits are for some TV work in 1964 and '65 which I bet would be very difficult to locate and view now.

Fiona Shaw ... Richard II
Richard Bremmer ... Henry Bolingbroke

Directed by Deborah Warner for TV, 1997.

King Richard the Second, a history play by William Shakespeare, is called "The tragedie of King Richard the second" in the 1597 Quarto.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Shakespeare
• Richard-II
• Ian-McKellen
• Fiona-Shaw
• Bolingbroke
• king-deposed
• theatre
• play
• Richard2
• Shakespearean-histories
• performing
• arts

[ShinyShinyPlayThing]

The point of the casting was to illustrate that Richard does not seem himself as "a man" he sees himself as a god - his gender is entirely irrelevant to the play (unlike Hamlet's, whom Shaw was originally asked to play, and declined). It was a staggering performance.

[ianrast]

I'm sure she'll be happy to hear that.

[wynterglass]

What a terribly attractive young actor--wait, it's McKellan! He used to be a brunette? So incredible that he's been a talented actor for so many decades.

[jordanprincessai]

@Umdzeh I think she was brilliant, and I think it's very closed minded for you to think it's an awful rendition simply because she's a woman.

[DennyCLe]

I'm doing Richard II, I'm playing Bullingbrooke!

[missbabyice]

Really informative clip- I like both interpretations :)

[minervamcgonagall86]

ditto, well said!

[minervamcgonagall86]

a considerably more insightful comment! i completely agree, Shiny

[Umdzeh]

Richard likes to play with language, agreed. This does not come through in the Actors.

Fiona Shaw as Richard II?

I have seen men playing Lady Macbeth successfully but never women taking on Male leads successfully. Bloody awful rendition.

[diddymuck]

don't wanna schtump Ian McKellen. BTW...insipid comment??? I provided nothing inappropriate. Just said didn't know and that I still like her. Accept.